Angus, Charlie, Jerry and Rich went back to this popular path to repair several steps that had collapsed and do some path widening and ditching. This work was funded by Calderdale Long Distance Walkers, many thanks.
Several rotten (even if they looked ok) and several missing..
 |
| Work in progress |
After some time .............
All good and well tested by several walkers and their dogs!!
Ian V and Catherine, armed with spades, azads and loppers, set off to tackle a boggy path at the end of Ramsden Wood Road in Walsden.
Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Town Council.
Details:
At the bottom of the path is a grated channel which is meant to divert water into the river below. But the channel is too high, or the path is too low, and the area is very boggy. Further up the path the water needed to be diverted at the source and a turn-by and ditches dug to take the run-off down to the channel. A stile was found to be broken near the site so we'll be back soon and hopefully it will be a bit drier.
 |
| Mick and Catherine glad for wellies. |
 |
| A turn-by diverts the water across the path to the ditch. |
 |
| The ditch takes the run-off water down the edge of the path. |
 |
| Looking up the path. |
 |
| At the bottom Ian digs another channel. |
 |
| Now water can drain away faster. |
 |
| The stile at the top of the path is broken. A job for another day. |
It’s not all glamour building stiles and revetments with CROWS, you know! At this time of year, clearing our paths of the annoying vegetation that persists in growing back takes up much of our time.
Last year a crack CROWS strimming team cleared the dense bracken from the almost unfindable footpath (Tod 145) that leads up the Warland hillside from the canal. This year we decided to get in early and nip any regrowth in the bud (!) in order to keep the path clear.
.png) |
| Right-of-way Todmorden 145 marked with blue 'pin' |
Consequently, Mick and Gareth were dispatched with freshly sharpened billhooks. Canal boaters having trouble opening lock 34 thought we had come to their aid. Mmm! They were disappointed as we passed them by, crossing the canal onto the footpath and setting to work on the bracken. Upwards and upwards to the horizon we cleared the overgrowth to create a navigable path up the hillside. Our return trip, however, found us on a path that hadn’t been touched last year . . .
Today’s work was funded by Todmorden Town Council. Many thanks, as always.
 |
| Before clearing: Path? What path! |
 |
| The work begins: A path is there! |
 |
| More of a challenge - somewhere in the direction of Mick there is a footpath … |
Andy and Jerry went to deal with a tree that had been reported as blocking the path.
They discovered that branches from the top of a very large beech tree had snapped off and were blocking the path.
.JPG)
Several of the branches were removed allowing people to get safely underneath the main trunk.
.png)
This is an interim bit of work, we will be returning with someone with a larger chain saw and more experience in dealing with this kind of situation.
There were two teams out today from Todmorden:
Team 1: Andrew and Ian S sorting out another stile off Dog House Lane, adjacent to the stile rebuilt last Friday.
Team 2: David and Kasher: completing the strimming of two further sections of the Pennine Bridleway (PBW) - the first behind Land Farm, off Edge Lane, on Sunderland Lane (Blackshaw BW 012) and the second on Bow Lane (Blackshaw BW 025).
Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Town Council (for the rebuilding of the stile) and by Lancashire County Council (for the strimming of the PBW).
Details:
Team 1:
The upright on the RHS of the stile (see picture below) was rotten. Three step-legs have been replaced in the last couple of years but the fourth leg now needs attention. All the legs were firmed-up as needed. New treadboards were installed. A take-off stone was put in place. Way markers and signs were added . . . . and finally staples were nailed into the treadboards of last week's repairs. Phew!
 |
| The location of the stile off Dog House Lane. |
 |
| The start of the day. |
 |
| A well prepared CROW. |
 |
| Ian S installing the stile legs. |
 |
| New upright in place and cross-rails replaced, Are the latter horizontal? You bet they are! |
 |
| Stile repairs completed. The stile repaired last week is in the background. (this is also today's caption competition photograph .....) |
 |
| There could be worse places to work! |
 |
| PBW Bow Lane (BS BW 025) |
 |
| David taking his strimmer for a walk behind Land Farm. |
 |
| The PBW behind Land Farm strimmed. |
 |
| The towering foxgloves of Bow Lane. |
 |
| David strimming on Bow Lane. |
 |
| Kasher strimming . . . but trying to avoid the foxgloves! |
 |
| The PBW section strimmed with as many foxgloves as possible left in place. |
 |
| Views from our lunch spot. |