Draper Lane: steps with midges!
On a calm, muggy, midge-friendly day Stella, Steve and Frank H tackled the intricate problem of reconstructing some collapsed steps on the right-of-way Heptonstall 051 which drops down from near Draper Lane to go steeply through Hawden Hole Woods (See map).
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| 1. Map: The blue pin marks the worksite. |
Today's work was funded by the Yorkshire Veteran's Athletic Association and individual donations to CROWS. Thank you for your support and thanks too to the local resident who provided us with safe off-road parking.
The detail
This very steep path just below Turf Stone is in need of restoration. Some sections have rotted, others have collapsed and successive attempts at repair have led to irregularities that make this route tricky to negotiate. The carry of tools and materials, although downhill on stone then wooden steps, is far lengthier than the map suggests!
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| 2. Before Picture: |
The above view of the steps is foreshortened - drops are much greater than they appear to be! Today's task (upper half of picture) was to install equal height steps from the 'new' step down to the top of the existing, extremely high triple-riser step.
For technical reasons we had to take the more difficult option of building steps downwards rather than upwards. Careful measurements (checked and double-checked) were taken of the total drop (to establish possible heights for risers) and total horizontal distance (to establish optimum size of tread areas). Mmm! Do-able but tight!
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| 3. Work in progress: Two equal height, equally spaced steps in place with side shoring. Is that spirit-level bubble 'dead-centre'? Never in doubt! |
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| 4. End of session: Up-slope view. Perspective is confusing. The risers are vertical! |
Time constraints meant this work was fitted into a (long) morning session. The top of the old, rotten triple-riser step is at the correct height but its overall riser height is too large. This can be corrected by starting three (or four) steps lower down and installing equal height steps to eventually match those above! More tricky measurement and planning needed on the next session.
Today's efforts raised a sweat - the midges loved it! There was a lot of carrying of equipment; a lot of digging (thanks Stella) to unearth packing material; much hammering and drilling, and endless checking of the alignment for both steps and shoring!
We were heartened, at the very end of the session, when a lady with her dog used the path and negotiated it with graceful ease. Impressive! We might make a success of these steps yet!
