Today saw Lynda, Jak, Graham, Jerry and Angus tackle two footpaths which had a number of issues; encroaching growth, damage due to water scouring and a badly positioned waymarker post. Both paths led off Godly Lane and were linked below the Rishworth School playing fields (see the map below for more detail). Today's work was funded by Ripponden Parish Council. Many thanks.
Paths worked on are between the blue crosses.
The path bisecting the housing estate was tackled by Jerry and Angus. The work entailed strimming or cutting back of nettles, overhanging branches, brambles and bracken. This is a fairly well-used path and several walkers were encountered during the morning.
The start of the path which bisects the housing estate.
Jak, Lynda and Graham started on the other section by repositioning the waymarker post and cutting back a section of brambles. The biggest task on this path, however, was cutting back a length of holly, on a section near the top which had become badly eroded due to poor drainage. Fortunately, the drainage has now been sorted out by Calderdale, so we were able to make good the worst of the erosion and create an easier path for walkers.
There still remains an issue with the field fence which is in poor condition and leaning into the path. Most of its posts have been washed out and it is only the stock fence with a few sound posts that is holding it all together.
Lower section badly overgrown with thistles and brambles.
Upper section showing the precarious fence and encroaching holly.
The lower section now cut back.
Jerry and Graham on the upper section. Note how the fence leans into the path.
One final challenge was to remove a vertical post (an old stile leg) which was in the middle of the path! This looked to be a 5 minute task as there was less than 30 cm of post sticking out of the ground and usually such posts would be dug in by about 50 cm . . . 25 minutes later, after much cursing, we got it out - all 1.2 m of it !
Graham and Angus battle to extract the old stile leg.