CRAGG VALE - 3 sites on the riverside path

 3 teams went to complete the repairs on this great route. The work was funded by Hebden Royd Town Council. Many thanks.

1. Stella and Andrew worked on a gate, a boardwalk and waymarking above the Hinchliffe Arms
2. Andy and Kasher put in some revetment to move a section of the path away from the stream
3. Jerry, Frank S and Rich repaired the steps and cleared vegetation from the path down to Spa Hole.

 The Details

Work above Hinchliffe Arms

Lovely path, very muddy!  A toad nimbly avoided our wellies en route to the job, a green woodpecker yaffled at us as we worked, and a happy pig greeted us on our return. It's great being a CROW!

Our tasks were to uncover and repair a sinking boardwalk, and to firm up the wobbly fencing at the side of a metal gate.  

Here and here

Initial excavation
of the boardwalk

"safety check"

Yep, wobbly...

..

.....firmed up with added post and wedge

Andrew and the pig - both  muddy

Revetment below Spa Bridge

The pathway adjacent to the river was extremely wet and muddy. Another track, slightly further from the bank of the river, has been walked. Today's task was to widen this pathway and to put a revetment on the river side of the path to strengthen it. This path is now extremely muddy but, with a few dry days, this should improve the route along this section.. We also cut back both some of the sedge, which is in danger of taking over the path, and the ever present holly saplings.

The start of the day and cutting the timber.

Andy sorting out the positioning of the 
third stob.

The revetment in place and the pathway widened...
but it is very muddy!

The steps down to Spa Hole 

Spa Sunday is on 5th May so we wanted to get this work done in good time. The overgrowth on the path was removed and the steps which had rotted were replaced.

Clearing the vegetation off the steps

The steps after the repairs

Water was running down the path from the road rotting the steps and revetment in its way. 

A concrete step was added to channel the water off the path

Andy and Rich did some mulch clearing from a section of path and steps in Paper Mill Wood. Some Holly snipping was also done. 

Cleaning the tools after the session

A very wet job sheet . .  . but everything completed!

 

We will come back in a week or two to check the work, but in the meantime we need people to go down and pull out the ever-invasive balsam - just keep at it! 

This is what Balsam look like at the moment.