Saturday, 1 February 2025

LUMBUTTS - Above Ingham Wood



Gareth & Ken set off across the fields from the Top Brink pub to install a dog-gate in the well-used stile at the top of Ingham Wood.

After spending some time trying to recall exactly how to construct a dog-gate, we set to work removing the existing stile cross-rails, digging out and relocating one of its posts, installing the dog-gate apparatus (a vertical plank and the brackets which hold it in place), and reinstalling the existing cross-rails plus an extra one which should prevent any of this year's lambs leaving the field to explore the fishing lake below.

We were delighted, during the morning, to encounter several future customers for the dog-gate and to allow one of them to try it out as its first user!

With the job complete, Gareth selflessly volunteered to return to the Top Brink to test a pint of their Pale Eagle and pronounced it most satisfactory.

Today's work (excluding the pint of Pale Eagle) was funded by Upper Stoodley Residents Association - many thanks to them!



The stile as it was - preventing dog access but possibly permitting lamb egress



Gareth in the process of moving a deeply embedded post about three inches to the left




Ken checking the rail is perfectly horizontal




The new dog gate sees its first user - before we've even quite finished it!




Ken admiring a job well done!