TODMORDEN - Flailcroft (session 8)

Last step to Flailcroft:

How is it that all the other sessions on the Flailcroft steps have been on dry days and on this, our final day, it was damp with the seemingly innocent sort of rain that gets you really wet in next to no time? Answer: It's the South Pennines . . . getting itself back to reality!

In case you haven't been following this long running story, these steps (immediately below Flailcroft Farm) form part of the footpath (Todmorden 082) that leads down towards Scaitcliffe Wood and then on to the Burnley Road. This footpath is on one of Christopher Goddard's 'Woodland Walks' (Route 19, 'The Woods of Todmorden'). On a clear day the distant views from this footpath are spectacular. There were no distant views today . .  . and no near ones, either!

The honour of finishing this step-building task fell to Ken, Catherine and Kasher. Although only one extra riser was needed to complete these steps that go from the field-stile to Flailcroft Farm, there was a still a considerable amount of levelling, banking, landscaping and tidying to do.

The final step will be needed here.

Local walkers and those following published routes will find that this final section of the long climb up from the valley bottom is now really easy to negotiate. Try the route! . . . and just see how grateful your knees are!

We would like to thank the residents at Flailcroft for allowing us, over the last few weeks, to use their yard both as a timber store and as a vehicle park. They have also retained the scrap timbers from the old steps (firewood quality) so saving us several trips to the tip!

The work is being funded by a donation from the Todmorden Wind Farm Fund accessed through the 'Community Foundation for Calderdale'. Many thanks.

Details:

After some debate, it was agreed to remove the remains of a previous stone-faced step and replace it with a new step. The large stones removed were then used to stabilise the edges of the upper steps.

The  final step was put in without too much effort (Phew!!) and then the team spent time clearing all of the steps and infilling where necessary. We have left a number of bags of spare infill at the side of the path (between the upper and lower flights) so that when we make a check visit after a month or so we can rectify any settlement of the tread areas. 

Recent rain had caused the vegetation between the two flights of steps to flourish. This abundance of nettles and thistles was cut back. Walkers in shorts will be grateful . . . very grateful if they had seen the size of the nettles!

A nearly waterproof Ken sorting out
the spacings for the final step.

Catherine and Ken and some of the
steps disappearing into the mist.

We celebrated the installation of the final step with a suitable toast and some well deserved cakes!

Kasher and Catherine celebrating!

A drone's eye view of the top section of the steps.

We also cut back the grass and nettles near the marker post indicating the way down to Flailcroft.

Cleared marker post.

We then moved on to Guide Quarry. Here we replaced a marker post on Tod 079 leading across the moor.

Ken and Catherine braving the
rain to install a replacement marker post.