CORNHOLME WREATH MAKERS

A generous donation of £130 to CROWS was received from The Cornholme Seasonal Wreath Makers.

The funds will be spent on local paths which have been previously identified as needing improvement.

Thanks for all your efforts.

Some of the wreaths created.

MYTHOLMROYD,

Not nearly as impressive as Wednesday's work party, but three of us got quite a few things done to improve the route which climbs up from Park Fold to Erringden Moor.

Ian hammered staples into a very slippery stile while Tristan and Ginny cut back the holly.

Then we all worked at persuading the water, which had been running down the path, to take our preferred route down a ditch.

After that we left the shelter of the trees and were out in the rain. It was far too wet to take photos, but we put in 2 waymark posts to direct walkers up the hillside.  Unfortunately there were no waymarks in the bag we took, but the posts are all ready for our next work party!

The work was done at the request of the farmer at Old Chamber who often finds lost walkers in this area!  It was funded by money raised at Hebden Bridge Beer Festival. 

GADDINGS

Two teams out today in the Gaddings area.

Bernard, Gerald, Graham and RJ, the signposting team, installed finger posts to indicate the two possible rights-of-way up to Gaddings Dam. These high quality, beautifully produced signs also suggest the length of time that it could take to get there; information that may deter the unprepared, casual visitor!

Thanks to Simon and Jason from the Countryside Service Team for delivering the posts to site. Thanks also to the Countryside Volunteers for their skilled use of the Pantograph Machine to carve the destination and time detail on the fingers:- a quality product such as this is a boon to any responsible user of the local footpath network.

After delivery.

A long carry but the posts are in.

On the floor and in the ground.

Frank H, Fred, Paul, Ray and Stella formed the high level team that carried, in addition to their personal kit, substantial loads of timber and tools up to the Jail Hole and Langfield Edge paths.

Task 1. A marker-post, steps and drainage

Paul, Stella and Ray, after replacing some of the RoW markers on a path-side post, turned their attention to step building and drainage work.

Start of the task:  stobs being driven home for the first step.

The same again from Ray and Paul!

Later in the day: progress with the steps, but
two more needed down the slope.

Stella meanwhile sorted out the drainage for this part of the path. No photo, unfortunately, of her either in turn-by digging mode or in load carrying action. Her build might be slight, but she has an impressive strength-to-weight ratio!

Task 2.  Meanwhile, higher up on Langfield Edge, Frank H and Fred tackled the 'boulder' problem.

An awkward boulder exactly where the path should go!

By lunchtime the boulder had been moved, stone steps built and the approach path to this area made more obvious.

Boulder dug out and stone slabs barred into place to create steps.

After lunch they added revetment to stabilise this area and blocked off traces of a path that was becoming an erosion problem near the edge of a steep drop.

Task 3.  They then moved down to the Jail Hole path and installed some steps.

Section needing steps

Same section with one stone step embedded and two wooden steps constructed.

All in all, a most satisfying session for both teams. Although the early mist rolled back and the sun threatened to break out, it was cold with a stiffish breeze out of the south-west:- ideal conditions in which to keep warm by working!

It's our last Wednesday session of the year so as an end-of -year summary and with apologies to William Blake (1757-1827) we have this parody. It's based on Blake's untitled four verse poem, more familiar to all as the two verses of  'Jerusalem' (And did those feet, in ancient time . . .' etc).

And Did Those CROWS . . .

And did those CROWS, all in a line,

Walk over Pennine moorlands green;

And was a ruined right-of-way

Through field and wood so often seen?

And did those very wobbly stiles

Hinder the way to rugged hills?

And did some brambles block the path

Above those old abandoned mills?

Bring me my spade of stainless steel,

Bring me my azad sharp and bright,

Bring me my bar; its weight I feel,

Bring me the axe that tests my might.

We shall not cease from building steps

Nor shall my drill sleep in my hand

Until we have re-built that route

In Calder's fair but soggy land!

Give generously! . . .  as did the Crook Wind Farm Community Fund and Calderdale Small Grants who supported this work (ie the paths, not the parody!).

TODMORDEN,

Four volunteers worked to build steps on either side of a bridge on a footpath leading from a new estate at the top of Key Syke Lane.  The bridge needed scraping, but the frost was too heavy to attempt this today.

The slope on the other side may not look steep, but was much easier to climb when Frank S and Tristan had built several steps, though more may be needed.

Fewer steps were needed on the other side, but Peter and Ginny needed to collect a lot of stone to fill the gap under the bridge.

The path leads up through Longfield wood and we then resited a fallen waymark post at the top.

A lovely sunny day, but no sun on this side of the valley to melt the frost!

Work funded by donations from Hebden Bridge Beer Festival

GADDINGS

Two teams out today working in the Gaddings Dam area above Todmorden.

The 'lowlands' team of Bernard, Dick, Gerald, RJ and Stuart worked enthusiastically on revetments, path repair and drainage along the path below Jail Hole. So keen were they on the task in hand that they forgot to take any photos!

The 'highlands' team of Frank H, Fred, Ray and Stella did a heavy carry of timber and tools up (and up . . . and up . . . ) to the breach area just beyond Gaddings Dam. The work was to further improve the path by installing steps.

Shortly after starting work, the area looked like this:

Stella (working with Ray) contemplating angles, elevation and direction.

Slightly further up the slope, the section that Frank and Fred
will be tackling (with risers placed approximately).

The day was cloudy. The sun threatened to break out but never quite made it as mist rolled in and out across Langfield Edge. The chill wind encouraged vigorous work in this bleak, but curiously attractive, landscape.

'Oh, the lonely moors, the breezy moors

And the stormy hills so free.

Oh the wild, wild moors; the wild, wild moors,

The sweet wild moors for me!'

{Edwin Waugh (the Lancashire Poet:- 1817-90); Poems and Songs} 

However, some hours later, we have this:

Steps in place . . . and yes, the perspective is
 deceptive . . .  the tops of the risers are exactly horizontal!

and this:

Fred runs a critical eye over the day's work:-
surely it merits a 'pass' mark . . . at least!

Next week there is more to do in this area:- some path widening, a marker-post to re-site, steps to construct and an awkward, path-blocking boulder to sort out. Nothing the 'dream team' (Stella's description) can't handle!

The Gaddings work is funded by Crook Wind Farm Community Fund and Calderdale Small Grants.

COTTON STONES

Working on a delightful bridleway that follows Shaw's Clough.

 Lynda leading a work party of Bernard, Alistair, Ginny and Rich.

First job was to deal with the slippery (lethal) plank bridge .

Bernard giving the bridge a good wash

 The main problem was that the path was very narrow, being overgrown with bilberries and some over hanging branches.

Path before

Path before

 Cutting back the vegetation and scraping the path, we revealed a semi paved surface - very satisfying.

A widened section

Widened path above bridge

We didn't finish the whole length of the path so we will organise another work party to put in a new bridge and finish the path widening.

Having cleaned the bridge and walking across it a few times,  we have decided it won't last long

This work was funded by Ripponden Ward Forum

MYTHOLMROYD (Depot) AND GADDINGS

A day of steady rain saw two groups in action; the dry gang (aka Bernard, Frank H, Paul and Stuart) and the wet gang (aka Fred, Gerald, Ray and RJ)!

The dry gang worked at the base in Mytholmroyd and, from the sheltered safety of a workbench, occasionally commented on the persistence of South Pennine rain. However they did make an effort:

Bernard cleaned, sharpened and repaired all the slashers, shears and loppers.

Small hand-tools 'corner':- all now clean, sharp and in working order.

Paul and Stuart produced a supply of marker posts and a stile 'kit'.

Paul and Stuart in action and focused on the task.

Supply of marker-posts with shaped tops.

Stuart marking out a stile upright. Safety point: the
 power mitre-saw is not being used so it is unplugged.

Frank H concentrated on cutting a supply of stobs and risers.

Stob, riser and other oddment 'corner'!

After lunch Bernard and Frank cleaned and sharpened all the azads and most of the spades before leaving the base swept out and tidy.

Larger hand-tool storage area.

As a final offering from the dry gang we have:

Cautionary Haiku for CROWS

Part 5.   Working safely

Bow-saw goes back and forth'

No glove on the other hand?

. . . the gash is quite deep!

Hard work using shears?

Blades have notches on the edge!

Did I sharpen them?

Working on a slope?

Be careful with your footing.

Life is just too short!

Meanwhile the wet gang were up above Todmorden on the path leading to Gaddings Dam. Now you know why they are the wet gang! Report may follow after a drying-out process!

HEBDEN BRDGE & MYTHOLM

Two teams today on the first of four experimental Monday work parties.

Ginny, Lynda and Gerald worked at Slater Bank on the outskirts of Hebden Bridge on the path from Heptonstall Road to Eaves.


Rich and Bernard worked on paths off Mytholm Steeps. Lovely paths but very badly waymarked and obstructed by trees needing to be cut back.

Path encroached by holly and not waymarked

New post put in and holly all cut back

One of the two waymark posts at the bottom of the path

All the work today was funded by the proceeds from Calderdale Beer festival held in Hebden Bridge

MYTHOLMROYD AND MYTHOLM

Ginny, Ken, Rich, Gerald, Paul and Nigel out today.

Daisy Bank 

Completion of path widening

Good surface underneath the debris

 The gate put on a week or so needed finishing off to prevent stock getting out

All done by eye (we forgot the spirit level!)

 So Finally Daisy Bank has been completed.

Twine Lane and Lower Ewood
A lovely network of paths, but badly waymarked and lots of cutting back needed.

Cleared steps below Lower Ewood

Both Daisy Bank and Twine Lane were funded by Hebden Royd Town Council and Calderdale Highways.

Finally Gerald and Rich went to a path that runs off the bottom of Mytholm Steeps. A walker had slipped off a boardwalk and seriously injured herself. The boardwalk was lethal but now much safer thanks to lots of staples being hammered in.

Two lines of staples added

ERRINGDEN MOOR and HARDCASTLE CRAGS

Two teams out today.

Erringden Moor

Ray and Frank H trekked across the blustery bogland of Erringden Moor, from Bell House to a point that can only be described as GR 989254. The tasks were to carry out some remedial works on marker posts and on some of the boardwalks.
Five of the former had suffered from a combination of the subsoil drying out (remember that long hot summer?) and the backscratching efforts of the odd half-tonne of prime beef! So digging out, re-embedding and some very heavy-duty pounding was the order of the morning.

Before: 'The Leaning Tower' of marker post.

After: Vertical and rock-solid.

This marker-post and the other four are now firmly in place. If they suffer from another bovine attack, then Frank H has a couple of technical (but very time consuming) tricks up his sleeve to make the posts virtually bomb-proof!

As you can see from the pictures:

'There's storm clouds amassing, over in the West* up above the moor . . . '

(New Model Army: 'No Rest For The Wicked' album, 1985)

(*A bit of artistic licence involved here:-  technically, in the picture, it's nor'-nor' west!)

After a high energy morning, the afternoon stint was less arduous. Ray and Frank walked the length of the boardwalk path across the moor pinning and repacking any bearers that were threatening to come adrift:- the effect of a dry summer combined with increased footfall . . . and perhaps a minor amount of illegal mountain-bike activity! Some of this work was 'tidying' rather than functional as all the boardwalks are also pinned securely by a minimum of four long stobs. However, loose bearers look unsightly and CROWS prefer (where possible) to have a neat looking outcome.

Foreground:  Boardwalk re-pinned

Background: More clouds amassing . . . to herald driving rain!

Just as these jobs were completed, rain drove in on a stiff breeze, but all that remained of the day was to survive the bumpy Land Rover ride back to the depot for a session of cutting risers and stobs. The new mitre-saw blade (thanks, to Ken for fitting this) made short work of this late afternoon task, although, as ever, cleaning up afterwards seems to involve a disproportionate amount of time!

Hardcastle Crags

Meanwhile a crack squad of battle-hardened CROWS consisting of Stella, Fred Graham, Bernard, Gerald, Stuart and Richard J, embarked on path improvements near the Midgehole car park in Hardcastle Crags.  The following post reports . .

The donated rucksacks were used (Sherpa style) to carry step boards and stobs to site; much easier on the back and shoulders on rough and steep ground.

Step construction on the path to Shackleton.

Strimming and clearing the upper section.
Now the path is accessible for use. 

                                              This work was funded by the National Trust