Following a report from a member of the public to Calderdale Highways, Jak, Jerry and Angus visited this bridleway to rescue it from some serious vegetation overgrowth. The job was originally scheduled for Monday, but the mayhem caused by a lorry fire on the M62 meant that the roads around Ripponden and Sowerby Bridge were gridlocked . . . and it was very hot!
The section of bridleway is in green, between the two blue dots.
The bridleway acts as a shortcut across Shaws Clough, cutting off a particularly narrow section of Kennel Lane with a nasty hairpin bend on it. The section from Little London to bottom of the clough was particularly bad - i.e. virtually impassable - whereas the other section looked to have been used more frequently. It would seem that walkers getting to the bridge over the clough, found their way so blocked that they turned back.
The top of the bridleway near Little London. It's a jungle!
A few metres further on and the bridleway has all but disappeared.
After a lot of work a through route starts to emerge.
Using a combination of electric brush cutters and a hedge cutter, we managed to clear the length of the bridleway in about 2 hours. There seemed to have been little horse or mountain bike activity (which would have helped to keep the growth down) and only limited use by walkers or runners.
Hopefully, usage all-round will now increase.
A tough task made easier with the right tools !
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The more well-trodden section still had a thick tangle of brambles.
Cutting back finished . . . now just the clearing up to do!
After using the power tools we resorted to shears, loppers and a rake to trim back some of the overhanging growth and to clear the cut material away from the central path. A big thank you to Calderdale Highways for funding this work. Lets hope this right-of-way now becomes more used by walkers and riders alike.
The finished job.