TODMORDEN - Near Killup Farm

 Today's work party was curtailed because of Storm Amy. However, Catherine, David and Kasher managed to repair the stile above Killup Farm, at the junction of the Calderdale Way, on Tod 023.

Stile repairs above Killup Farm on Tod 023.

The stile needed two new tall legs, a new tread-board and a couple of new pieces of cross -ail. As is often the case the majority of the time was spent digging out the rotten timber of the old legs, only to find timber from an even older leg beneath them.

The second challenge of the day was to find enough stone of the right size and shape to put back into the hole to firm up the new legs. 

Unfortunately, the other jobs planned for today will need to be carried over to future weeks. We will sort them out on (hopefully) drier days.

We would like to thank the residents of The Butts for allowing us to park our vehicle outside their house thereby minimising the distance we had to carry the timber and tools.

Thanks also to everyone who has recently donated funds to CROWS. This work party has been funded by donations to CROWS.

The taller step on this stile was in need of replacement.

Kasher and David sorting out the holes
for the stile legs.

Catherine in hole-digging mode.

The long leg for one of the holes being cut down. 
The most important tool of the day was the red pencil. Thanks Duncan!

Kasher has all the easy jobs!

Adding staples to the treadboard.

It's October so it must be fungi time.

BLACKSHAW HEAD - tasks adjacent to Hippins Clough

 A team of three (Jan, Steve and Kasher) worked on a number of tasks along the path (BS 087) adjacent to Hippins Clough in Blackshaw Head today.

The jobs included: fitting a replacement dog gate; cutting back Goat Willow; working on the bridge across the clough to strengthen the hand rail; re-installing yellow topped marker posts which had been used as convenient rubbing posts by the resident suckler herd; clearing the stone steps down to the clapper bridge; clearing the ditch under the small boardwalk to allow the water to flow under (rather than over) the boardwalk. Phew that's enough for three people!

Please note that this route is extremely wet and very muddy at the moment and is unlikely to improve if the cattle on the adjacent fields have access to the clough. However, we will return to see whether improvements can be made to the drainage on the section between Hippins Bridge and the wooden bridge.

Funding for today's work has come from the  friends and family of Sheena McKerrrel, a keen walker who lived in BSH.

The route along Hippins Clough.

The handrail on this bridge needed attention.

Steve and Jan sorting out bridge repairs.

Using the long hex head screws to stabilise the handrail.

Jan sorting out the excess trim.

Hopefully the bridge and handrail will be good
for a while longer.

Jan and Steve clearing the stone steps.

The cleared steps

Reinstating the yellow topped posts.

Cutting back the goat willow.

A replacement dog gate now installed.

Widdop: Boardwalks on the border

 Clough Foot: In the West and in the drizzle

A CROWS team comprising Ian V, Mo, Andrew, Frank S and Frank H worked on the right-of-way (footpath Wadsworth 010) that heads NE from the Widdop Road at Clough Foot (see map).

1. Map: Worksite along the footpath (purple) that heads ~NE.

The tasks were to replace a broken, decayed boardwalk, to strim, as needed, the line of the path and install markerposts to clarify path direction. Fortunately, the early drizzle that threatened to dampen proceedings soon petered out to leave us with almost ideal working conditions.

Task 1 The boardwalk

Andrew and Frank H worked on replacing a decayed boardwalk which was handily situated only a few metres from the timber and tool laden car. Hooray! Here's how the session went:

2. Old boardwalk: Gappy, up-side-down
and out of position! Mmm!

3. Decay: Extensive at ends of old boardwalk.

4. Work begins: Stringers mounted on bearers,
anchoring stobs in place and cross-treads
being fitted but . . . . . . is it level . . . ?

5. Spirit level test: Trust us, the bubble is 'dead-centre'.

6. Further progress: Side-trims completed, kick-boards
in place . . . and the bubble still 'dead-centre'.

7. End of Session: Cross-treads stapled to
improve grip, and approaches landscaped.

We were pleased with the end result. The boardwalk is secure, stable, foot-friendly and gets the user over a swampy, heavily overgrown water channel. The approaches have been improved so that a graded surface replaces the ankle twisting tussocks. Walkers enjoy!

Task 2 The Strimming

The footpath heading NE from the boardwalk is quite overgrown and has been almost impossible to follow. This path will form part of a route for a walk to Heather Hill planned as part of the Freedom to Roam conference taking place in November.

Frank S had the task of clearing the path using our Husqvarna battery operated strimmer. Unfortunately, despite Frank's best efforts, this task was not completed due to the length of the path to be cleared (about 1km), the amount of rough undergrowth, and the fact that we ran out of battery power! We'll need to come back with two strimmers and more batteries to complete this task. 

Task 3 The Marker Posts 

In order to clearly indicate the line of the path, Mo and Ian V set out to install six marker posts at appropriate intervals. These have now been put in place but we underestimated the number of posts required so will need to come back to install about three or four more before the conference takes place. 

Hopefully once the path is cleared all the way up and more posts have been installed, more walkers will use the path.

Many thanks to Hebden Bridge Walkers Action Group for funding this work. 

Wadsworth

 Top of Wainsgate Lane / Calderdale Way Path.

Nick and Paul were out today on a drizzly cloudy morning to tackle some severe water damage on the Calderdale Way. The path in question leads up from Shawcroft Cottages and meets the top of Wainsgate Lane where there is a crossroads.  Excess water from the winter and early spring period coming off the bridleway and metalled road has caused severe rutting to the top of the path making it a treacherous descent for walkers.

Map of site

Work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you.

The problem:

Deep rutting water damage.

A close up:

A close up view.

The damage has caused a deep 30 cm cut in the path and a steep step down that is a real ankle twister. Water ingress off the road is a perennial issue here so we puzzled how best to repair the footpath while retaining a drainage channel. We decided to build in three new steps aside from the natural water course while channelling this flow using lengths of revetment. 

Two steps installed and edging for the channel.

It made sense to channel the water toward the left of the path where the banking fell away to prevent the waterflow from following the footpath further downhill where it has caused previous damage.

Drainage channel formed.

This meant that the footpath crossed over the channel to a third step to access the downward path.

Downhill view.

It may look like a game of mousetrap but hopefully it will prevent further water erosion while we consult Highways about sorting out the problem at source.

Birds eye view from the top.

We'll return in a couple of weeks to see how this has bedded in and adjust accordingly.

RYBURN - a path at Barkisland and Rough Hey Wood part 8

 Jak, Rich, Jerry, Linda and Duncan had two jobs today:

Duncan and Rich went to cut back the path opposite the Spring Rock pub at Barkisland (responding to a request from Calderdale Highways). 

Meanwhile, the rest of the team went back to Rough Hey Wood to finish off path widening, and to cut back the last section.  Thanks, once again, to the Russell family for funding this work.

 

The path was overgrown with brambles, nettles, sorrel and grass - you would get well scratched and very wet if you tried to use it. 

                                                    All cut back and waymarked.    

 Duncan and Rich then joined the Rough Hey team. 

Duncan Jerry and Jak levelling and widening the path (especially where there was a steep drop below)