CROWS (Community Rights Of Way Service): LUDDENDEN

Four teams out today to clear a backlog of jobs in the Luddenden Valley - 3 waymark posts, 2 sites cutting back vegetation, clearing a blocked drainage channel on the Calderdale Way, fixing 5 wobbly and broken stiles securing the edge of a path by putting in revetment - a lot for one day!

Today's work completes the generous funding by little Box Consulting and Luddenden Conservation Society, many thanks to both. Further funding was contributed by Midgley Community Forum and Calderdale Ramblers.

The details

TEAM 1

Ray, Rich, Jerry and Kash went up to the top of Luddenden Dean to sort two waymark posts and 3 stiles on Halifax 160 path.

A finger post was down on the ground but Jerry and Ray reinstated -now upright and showing the way.

Last year we cut back some gorse which was totally blocking the path. To make the path route clear Kash and Rich added a yellow top post.

We then had to pull out the old rotten stile legs should have been easy....

Some ground has an enormous amount of suction

Success

Having channeled a broken field drain, we managed to add a lower step stile, replacing one that had rotted away

Meanwhile Ray and Jerry had a very tricky stile to deal with

Getting it level

Phew, managed to make it work!

Last job was to replace a cross rail and firm up the tread-board on the stile at the roadside

TEAM 2

Andrew and Ian S went up to Coal Dike - a path above Midgley giving access to the moor. Not the first time for CROWS and won’t be the last. The path needs revetments for nearly all its length. We will need to add more steps and there is also an area that needs the drainage sorting.

The path edge falling away

A fine set of steps

Another section of path secure

TEAM 3

Stella and Dylan worked on a section of the Calderdale Way coming down to Jerusalem Lane. The short section of path was very overgrown with some low hanging branches. The side drain was also choked and needed digging out.

Then down to the little link path from Jerusalem Lane to below Booth (a Calderdale Way Link path) to clear steps and waymark.

TEAM 4

Paul and Andy worked on two sites. First to install a waymark post on to the path from Luddenden Lane leading down to the stream and the goit path at the confusing cross roads and then to fit two new legs on a stile leading from Duke Street to Pin Hill Lane. Conditions on both sites were muddy but the weather was dry. The waymark post was put in without much trouble in this pretty location by Luddenden Brook. The stile, located at the end of a narrow snicket leading from Duke Street, had become unsafe to use with both legs rotted through at the base. The rotted legs were removed and two new legs dug in. In addition a grab post was put in on the right hand side of the stile to help folk traverse the structure.