Edge Lane: Stile on footpath Heptonstall 026
It was an idyllic day - pleasantly warm, windless and rain-free - for Jerry, Jan and Frank H to restore the stile where the footpath (Heptonstall 026) leads from Edge Lane, near Old Edge Farm, down towards Salt Pie (see map).
Today's work was funded by Blackshaw Parish Council, Blackshaw Head Fete Fell Race and individual donations. Many thanks.
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| Right-of-Way Heptonstall 026 |
The Detail.
1. Before!
The original stile appears to have had a hard life!
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| 1a. 'Stile' - view from field side. |
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| 1b. 'Stile': view from the road-side |
Many deficiencies are obvious (decaying timbers, broken side-post, missing treadboard, awkward alignments and sloping cross-rails) . . . and the stile is mainly held together by that South Pennine utility item - baler twine!
2. The work begins.
The task of dismantling the old stile was easy - remove the baler twine and watch the rotten, not very deeply embedded posts fall over! By way of a contrast, the reconstruction work was not quite as straightforward.. However, once the optimum position for various posts had been decided and the stony ground battered into submission, progress was rapid.
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| 2a. No wonder Jan looks content - that spirit-level bubble is 'dead-centre'. The timber is resting on the tops of the new side-posts. |
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| 2b. Both side post are vertical (and they are on the same horizontal level!!). Step leg is in place, treadboard is nailed to leg on field-side and fixed with a 'concrete' screw to stonework on the other. Spirit-level bubble is again 'dead-centre'! |
3. End of the session.
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| 3a. The stile now with cross-rails, large 'take-off' slab and short side-rails (barely visible) one of which is bracketed to the stone gatepost. |
The approaches to the stile were tidied-up by clearing nettles, thistles and other encroaching growth.
We were pleased with the end result. The stile is sturdy, secure and stable. . . and much more easily negotiated than its predecessor!
Later we looked at a stile and gate(s) combination further down the road on Hot Lane. Mmm! Another interesting task to go on the list . . . after some consultation.
