Rough Hey Woods - Day 12

Today Jak, Jerry and Angus started work on the Sowerby Bridge end of the wood above Triangle Cricket Club. We were extremely grateful to the residents of Rough Hey for allowing us to park on their property to access the worksite. 

The first jobs was to fit a new waymark post to direct walkers up to the higher path and away from the dangerous area above the old quarry workings. The second job was to fit a section of revetment on the upper path where it had started to erode.

Again we are grateful to the Russell family for their kind donation which has allowed us to do this work. Thankyou.

The map above shows today's work sites.

There are three footpaths through the woods. The middle of these passes above old quarry workings where sinkholes have appeared and the ground has started to slip into the old workings. Calderdale have surrounded this section with netting to restrict access and removed the waymark signs in an effort to reduce the number of walkers entering this dangerous area.

Having liaised with Calderdale's Countryside Team, we decided to improve the upper path to make it more attractive to walkers and to guide them away from the dangerous area. A new waymark was put in place where the middle path starts. Note: the original map above is not entirely accurate as the middle path (highlighted in blue) starts halfway along the link-path from Rough Hey to the upper path. 

We put a number of old branches across the start of the path as a simple indication that it was closed, despite this (and a conversation) a local walker continued his journey along the middle path.

Jak and Jerry fitting waymarks to the newly positioned post,

despite this, a local walker still chose this route!

We then moved to the upper path to fit a section of revetment where the path had started to erode. This was a relatively simple task which will make the path safer to negotiate where the leaf-fall had made this steeply sloping section somewhat slippery!

Looking down the link-path from the upper path

A view along the upper path with link-path on the right. It's difficult to appreciate the amount of erosion.

We used an old waymark post from the middle path as combined fixing/grab/waymarker for one end of the revetment. This also improves it's visibility as you approach from either end of the path.

Jerry secures one end of the revetment to a reused waymark post.

Revetment in place. We then cut-back the banking to level the path out.

The finished job with waymarks to show the direction when coming from the link-path.

The next jobs will be to: replace the damaged fingerpost at the start of the upper path off Stansfield Mill Lane; carry out some cutting back of encroaching holly growth and install a flight of steps on a slippery section where the path exits into a field along the boundary of the wood. Phew! We're getting there!