Blackshaw Head: pedestrian gate

 Blackshaw Head: pedestrian gate Number 1.

On a cool but clear day when the threatened rain never appeared, Kasher, Neil D and Frank H installed a replacement pedestrian gate on right-of-way Blackshaw 021 that is on the track heading North-West behind BSH Chapel.

1. Worksite: the blue 'pin' marks the spot

The Detail.

The original gate was repaired temporarily by CROWS a few months ago. However, appearances deceive and the gate, the hinges, the closure post, and associated fencing is in poor condition.

2. Before work began: Adequate hinge post (just)
but badly fitted hinges, partly rotted palings,
weakly embedded closure post and
too much ground clearance.

 The work begins:

3. New gate in fully-open position: Ground rock chiselled to give
a flat surface and the new gate on longer, correctly-fitted hinges.

4. Dig! Dig! Hole excavated for new closure post.

5. New closure post: Base well-packed and
extra securing bracket being fitted.

6. Quality control: "I'm watching you . . .
. . . and it's marks out of ten!"

7. Recycling: Old palings being removed.
Sound sections will be re-usedl

8. Fencework: old closure post reused as 'strainer'
for stockfence. Gap to new closure
post will be partly railed off.

9. Mini cross-rails: Recycled palings fitted to 
bridge gap between new closure post 
and recycled 'strainer'

10: New structure: view from down-slope
side showing gate and Crow silhouette.

(The original gate had a horse silhouette but we judged this to be confusing as the path beyond the gate is not a bridleway. However, we thought a Crow silhouette might be an appropriate substitute . . . and here's a close-up . . .!)

11. Carrion Crow: - the moorland scavenger!

12. New structure: View from up-slope side showing hinges,
closure spring, braced fence post and the associated wire fencing.

13. The last word:

Funding for today's work in has come from the friends and family of Sheena McKerrel, a keen walker, who lived in Blackshaw Head. Many thanks.