Friday morning finds Linda, Jerry and Angus at Clough House Farm above Ripponden replacing an overgrown and collapsed stile. This was the third stile in this section to be repaired and definitely the most challenging. The stile was located between a fence and a collapsed drystone wall and so overgrown with vegetation that this section of the path was virtually impassable.
Today's work was funded by donations through the CROWS website. Many thanks. We are also grateful for the assistance of the landowner who allowed us access close to the work site.
The blue pin on the map shows the location of the stile.
Images showing the extent of the work to be done.
The first task was to remove two large boulders which seemed to have been used as stepping stones to negotiate the barbed wire fence which had all but collapsed. The boulder removal work was easily handled by the landowner with his skid-steer loader, so we could then set about removing the fence, the vegetation and the remnants of the old stile.
Jerry and Angus digging out the old posts and clearing vegetation.
Clearing the access between the two fields was particularly difficult because of the thick carpet of vegetation covering the base of the old wall. A large number of stones had to be removed before we could dig out the footings for the main uprights.
 |
The uprights in place under threatening skies - fortunately, it didn't rain!
With the side-uprights secured, we pressed on with the stile step-legs and tread boards . . . which meant more digging in very dry and stony ground. A dog-gate was also fitted and the stock fence made good as best we could.
Stile under test from the other direction.
Linda proudly showing off the dog gate.