Lower Strines: resurrection day!
Andrew and Frank H worked on a dilapidated gate at the field boundary below the delightful Strines Bridge. The gate is on a footpath (Blackshaw 013) that goes from Strines Bridge to New Road.
The task was to repair the old gate, re-hang it and create as good a fit as possible with any existing fencing!
The work was funded by the landowner who also supplied recycled timber for the task. Many thanks.
The details
1. Start of session.
Mmm! Multiple problems:
i) The hinge post was loose but, by way of compensation, the closure post was immovably anchored by deep burial and the firmly attached stock fencing/crossrails. Unfortunately, it was immovably anchored to be out of true in both vertical planes!
ii) The gate was hinged to a round fence post and fitted with a closure spring. However, the mismatch between the sagging, cylindrical hinge post and rectangular section gate timbers meant the undersized hinges were bent.
iii) The incorrectly fitted, rusty, closure spring had snapped and tended to jam whenever the gate was opened.
iv) The tops of the gate palings were decayed.
v) The gap to the hedge side of the gate was only partly blocked by a decayed baulk of timber.
Wow! Time to play the resurrection game . . . sleeves rolled up and ingenuity to the fore!
2. Progress
Old gate stripped out. Post hole (much deeper) for new hinge-post being created. Good technique, Andrew, back straight, bar vertical, eye on the task and vigorous hits . . . but was that ground hard! Ouch!
Note how out of true the closure post (on the left) is (and there is nothing we can do about it!).
Lunch time. Hinge-post is in place and vertical. The gate has been fitted with longer and stronger hinges. The tops of palings have been trimmed to remove most of the rotten sections and the exposed ends given a coat of preservative. The out-of-true structures on either side are a puzzle for the afternoon.
The location is idyllic - a tiny clough, a rippling brook, dappled sunlight through the trees, blue sky, a view across meadowland towards Great House Farm, grazing sheep with healthy lambs, the occasional hare and . . . two tasty pies from May's Shop as starters for lunch! Hooray!
End of session:
Awkward light conditions but the hinges are visible as is (just) the closure spring. The gap to the left has been screened off by four short cross-rails. The closure post is out-of-true but the gate is prevented from being 'sprained' in the wrong direction (into the picture) by the stop-bar (a batten, fixed to two gate palings) which will touch the closure post when the gate is shut.
Useful plaques have been attached - a 'right-of-way' disk, a 'keep dogs on lead' sign and a 'close the gate' request, the last being reinforced by an obvious closure loop (as well as the chain and hook salvaged from the original structure).
This was a longer than anticipated session but the outcome is safe, secure, functional . . . and economical!
More next month when CROWS have an even trickier gate to install. It will probably involve stripping everything out and fitting a brand new gate to a post-and-fence structure created from re-cycled timbers (provided by the landowner). It will be a fascinating task . . . and possibly involve a lot of swearing!
