Frieldhurst: Stile part 1.
Cold, muddy and wet . . . and that was just the lunchtime sandwiches! A day for Ken, Andrew and Frank H to work on a slippery path exposed to chilly, wet, blustery conditions - all incentives to keep working vigorously!
The task was to replace a ramshackle stile (see pictures 1 & 2)
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| 1. Before picture: downslope view. |
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| 2. Before picture: Upslope view |
These pictures were taken on a survey last October. The stile has since deteriorated but the main problems are:
Most of the side uprights are loose.
The cross-rails are loose and not horizontal.
The wire fencing across the stile is a trip hazard.
The single, very narrow step is damaged.
The ground slopes away precariously on the downslope side.
The wire stock-fence on both sides of the stile is dilapidated and fragile.
Livestock are in one of the fields so the plan was to carry out the job in two parts. Today (part 1) we dug back the banking - about a tonne of material was excavated - to make the path wider and (looking downslope) installed a tall stile side-post on the left. The dilapidated stock-fence to the left was fixed to this side post.
To the right an extra, braced, substantial fence post was installed and the stock-fence fixed to it. A shorter stile side post was then dug-in on the right. Two cross-rails were fixed in place to provide a temporary barrier to livestock.
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| 3. Work in progress: Downslope view showing widened path and one new stile post in place. |
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| 4. Work in progress: Upslope view showing both stile side posts in place with temporary cross-rails. |
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| 5. Work in progress: Cheer up, Ken it's time to go home.! |
In two days', time, on Friday, we should complete the stile (i.e. part 2) by installing steps (one step on the upslope side and two on the downslope side), adding a dog-gate and doing some landscaping. Here's hoping for less inclement working conditions.
Numerous walkers came past during the day, some with dogs, some without dogs and one without any footwear! Mmm; very hardy! We received many compliments. Thank you. It kept us going.
