WADSWORTH

 Wadsworth - Pecket Well and thereabouts.

Nick and Paul were out today in glorious sunshine repairing a stile above Plumpton situated on the field footpath to South Shields. Rotted tread-boards were replaced and the path area landscaped. In addition, an Old Town village 'fingerless' fingerpost was investigated and a survey completed on a deteriorating footpath on Hill House Brink, below Height Road.

Stile repair work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you!

Stile Repair.

This stile above Plumpton is situated on a footpath that crosses over a wide drystone wall that separates a stretch of common land and field pasture before it snakes up to South Shields. We took a pair of short stile legs as replacements but on investigation, the existing legs seemed solid enough although some slack sideways movement was noted. This was corrected by hammering wedge-shaped stones into the gaps. The two five feet (!) lengths of tread- board however had seen better days as they were nibbled at the edges and surfaces by years of exposure to wild moorland weather. These were replaced and stapled to give a better grip.

However, the two five-foot (!) lengths of tread- board 

Replaced

Fingerless Fingerpost

This "post" is situated in Old Town village centre opposite Chiserley Terrace on the old farm road to Chiserley Hall. Paul had obtained a recycled 'finger' (freshly oiled) from a CROW colleague to slot into the old post. However when Nick, carefully balanced on tall step ladders (with Paul holding on!), went to fit the new 'finger' in the slot, he discovered a rotted interior! Back to the drawing board! We will return to chop off the top and cut out a new slot.

The fingerless fingerpost!

Hill House Brink Survey

This footpath runs steeply down from Height Road to Raw Lane across Hill House Brink. Its a long downhill path and several sections of banking have collapsed or are unsafe to traverse. In addition, the gorse is overgrown and encroaches onto the path and there are some muddy sections that need draining. A full survey was completed involving the measuring up for the installation of lengths of revetment to prop up the banking and noting any other additional work. Hopefully this job will be done in the coming weeks.

An example of one section/.