Hebden Bridge: Mount Skip
Ian S, Paul and Frank H had an idyllic day for replacing a ruined stile on the boundary of Hebden Bridge golf course where a right-of-way (footpath Hebden Royd 024) leaves footpath Hebden Royd 023 to head due East across the golf course. (see Map)
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| 1. Map: The blue tag marks the worksite. |
Today's task was funded by a donation from the golf club and by general donations to CROWS. Many thanks.
The detail:
Here's a 'before' picture. Even the most inexperienced of eyes will notice that all is not well!
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| 2. Before picture: More Turner Prize than functional stile! |
The plan was to carry out a complete replacement of this stile and, if possible, re-fix the dilapidated, detached, rusted post-and-wire fence. Mmm!
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| 3. Work begins: Digging out the old. |
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| 4. Lunchtime: New side-posts in place and a start made on the holes for step legs |
The old stile was very firmly installed with cross-batons at depth on the step legs. Although some timbers were so rotten that they broke off at ground level, extracting the remaining 'stumps' took a disproportionate length of time. However, having broken the back of this work by lunchtime we looked forward to the afternoon session with enthusiasm . . . surprise! surprise! A slight delay. In the step-leg hole scurrying around frantically was a field vole!
In case you've forgotten what a field vole looks like . . .
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| 5. Field vole (aka Microtus Agrestis): 100 mm and 25 g of lively rodent. |
Happily, Ian S (aka vole whisperer) captured the rodent (at the fifth attempt!) and released it to safer territory. Work could re-commence!
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| 6. Progress: Cross-braced step-legs in place. |
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| 7. Testing, Testing: Paul 'first-footing' on the stile. |
There remained then the tasks of landscaping; attaching signs ('golf ball' alert; dogs on leads request and right-of-way direction arrow); re-stabilising the section of wall nearest the stile and re-fixing the poorly strung strands of the token post and wire fence - the latter also taking a disproportionate length of time and needing a new fence pole!
However, by late afternoon we had:
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| 8. Done and dusted: Neat job, guys. |
More next week, when it may be yet another stile!
