Today's team of Lynda, Jerry, Graham and Angus repaired the entrance path to the reservoir section of the Calderdale Way. This part of the path had sunk into the mud during the winter and, whilst dry and passable at the moment, quickly turns to a flooded bog after rainfall. Work funded by Calderdale Highways.
The ground was extremely hard and full of small rocks which had been put in over the years in an effort to form some sort of dry access over this short section. We could have done with some rain (!) . . . to soften the compacted soil and make the digging easier.
Graham surveying the section to be repaired.
Fortunately, there was an abundance of large stones in the area and to move them we used 'heavy duty off-road transport devices' (aka wheelbarrows!). Once the old path had been excavated we set to work putting in a hard base and raising the path level - hopefully high enough to keep it out of the water during wet periods.
Linda moving rocks to the work site.
Rocks were carefully selected to give a wobble-free surface.
After a couple of hours matching rocks and packing to ensure a wobble-free surface things were taking shape and an hour later the job was done.
There is no doubt that the surface will bed-in through use and, following rainfall, the supporting soil may soften enough for settling to occur. A check visit in the Autumn will be required. However, at the moment there is level access to and from the path for both two and four legged walkers. With the latter in mind, we cleared the dog-gate which was somewhat overgrown!
Looking a bit like crazy paving it gives a more substantial route.
There is a further section at the end of the reservoir path where the Calderdale Way dips through a couple of drainage channels - easy to navigate when dry but boggy and challenging in the Winter when the land is wet and waterlogged. We are considering installing boardwalks in this section but will need to consult with the landowner.
