Ray, Lynda, Frank S and Eleanor were out today on the hillside below Pike End Hill primarily to repair a broken stile that had been reported by a local resident. Nearby there was another stile equally in need of repair.
Stile One
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This stile had one step missing and one wobbly step. It took a long time to dig the stile-leg holes because of a big rock on one side and a pile of sheets of glass buried under the other. Eventually Ray and Frank dug out a big bucketful of broken glass. Once that was done the stile repair was smooth going.
Much easier and safer to cross.
Meanwhile Eleanor and Lynda did some basic ground work below stile 2.
Stile Two
The ground is very boggy and churned up mainly due to the hooves of cattle. It made stepping off the stile a mucky and precarious business.
A shot from the topside of the stile .....
Ray and Frank contemplating possible solutions to the job.......
Large stones in place to step down on to and a much safer stile providing access down the hillside from Pike End Hill to Godley Lane. In the end, it just required one new leg hole (because it was possible to re-use the existing stile legs on the lower side) and three new cross-rails.
Whilst Ray and Frank worked on the stiles, Lynda and Eleanor did some cutting back on a much used path in Rishworth (no photos) and then went over to Mill Bank to do surveying in preparation for next week's work party on Ripponden Village Walk 2.
This work was funded by kind donations from individuals and by a grant from Ripponden Parish Council
