BLACKSHAW HEAD - small jobs day

 Kasher and Neil D loaded up the small car with everything except the kitchen sink, for a small jobs clear-up day in Blackshaw Head.

The work was in too many sites within BSH to provide maps but over a very wet day we:

• replaced stile treadboards
• firmed up stile step-legs
• added staples to numerous treadboards on countless stiles
• re-attached cross-rails
• added waymarkers
• replaced wooden "flags"
• cut down rotten marker posts
• etc!!

Unfortunately, we have also come back with a long list of small jobs (and not so small jobs) to add to the BSH "to do" list.

Today's work has been funded by very generous donations to CROWS. Many thanks to all.

Firming up stile step-legs.

Treadboard replaced.

Replacing a fingerpost "flag" which had been fettled.

Reattached the markerpost and fettled up the 
stile. We will return to remove the redundant
sheep netting and barbed wire. We will also install
a step-up platform on the field side of the stile.

Nailing waymarks and reattaching cross-rails.

We had hoped to replace the bottom hinge on this
gate but the upright is rotten. We will return
to replace it and re-hang the gate.

Trying to sort out a drainage issue in
the woodland near Land Farm.

TODMORDEN - Bents Wood

On the last day of the year, a team of four went out to sort out a few problems in Bents Wood off Scraper Lane in Todmorden. Catherine, Duncan, Kasher and RJ kept the cold at bay by:

• Installing two pieces of revetment
• Building three steps
• Clearing the wooden bridge over Bents Clough (which will need fettling in the near future)
• Reinstating one marker post
• Cutting back copious amounts of holly.

A couple of years ago a large tree came down in Bents Wood taking a large chunk of the footpath with it. CROWS created a usable path around the remaining tree-rootball but today's work was to make further improvements by installing additional revetments and steps, and by cutting back regrowth from the tree.

We also cut back lots of the holly on Tod 029 to widen the path and allow walkers to avoid the worst of the boggy mud areas on this well used route.

Today's work has been funded by individual donations to CROWS. Many thanks.

Thanks too to the resident of the cottage who allowed us to park in their private parking spot and thus reduced the distance we had to carry timber and tools.

Worksite along Bents Clough.

Catherine reinstating a marker post.

RJ positioning the first of the revetments.

RJ and Duncan installing two sections of
revetment.

Catherine making it easier to
navigate around the rootball.

Steps being put in.

Kasher attacking the rampant holly.

Duncan and the new revetment and steps.

RYBURN - Off Bar Lane and below Norland Moor

 Jak and Rich went to 2 sites - 

A narrow path off Bar Lane was being made even narrow by invasive brambles. This job was funded by Calderdale Highways

 The path traversing the hillside below Norland Moor needed some cutting back and the stone surface uncovering. This work was funded by the Russell family. 

 The path from Bar Lane up to the Rochdale Road is a well used shortcut. 

Before - pesky brambles, now passable

 We will go and do some further work on clearing the path further up. 

Path at Longley

 At a previous work party, work was started uncovering the first section of setts. This was extended but the stone surface suddenly stopped. On the remaining section, the encroaching trees were cut back and brambles removed. 

It is a bit of a puzzle why the setts just stopped. 

 Further along there was another stone surface, but of a completely different type - large thick flagstones.

 

 A good start made, but more to do at another session. 

 

RYBURN - Eccles Parlour / Lighthazles bridleway

At least it wasn't raining! It was however very soggy and muddy underfoot. A team comprising Linda, Jerry, Andy and Jak set off to tackle several blocked turnbys on this well-used bridleway with the aim of improving drainage and allowing the path to dry off.

Blocked turnby

Blocked turnby

We cleared out six turnbys and scraped as much mud off the path as possible. Some walkers were using the path and, sensibly, were wearing rubber boots. Boots will still be useful, but more of the water is now in the ditch rather than on the path!

Linda clearing the turnby

Cleaned out turnby

Jerry and Linda clearing overgrowth next to a turnby

Jak and Andy scraping mud off the path

After the mudlarking we did a preliminary survey of a footpath which runs down the hill alongside Blackshaw Clough. We did some investigative cutting back but the path is very overgrown as well as having significant drainage problems. We will return when it's drier to do a more extensive survey.

Lots of brambles, and water running over the path

Slippery bridge needing some tlc

Jerry and Andy clearing debris out of the brook

Today's work was funded by donations to CROWS. Thank you to all our supporters.

TODMORDEN -Langfield Common (3)

 On a bitterly cold but dry day, a team of five CROWS (Duncan, Andrew, David, Kasher and RJ) returned to Langfield Common above the Shepherds' Rest to work on drainage and waymarking on both routes up to Gaddings Dam; the first via Jail Hole, on Tod 157, and the second via the Basin Stone on BW Tod 194 and FP Tod 155. 

David and RJ walked the route via Jail Hole to finish off the work on the turnbys that was started last week. They then improved a stream crossing on the route along the ridge towards Stoodley Pike. Returning towards Gaddings, they re-instated the marker posts along this route. Inevitably they came across a number of tasks to add to that never-shortening "to do" list.

Kasher, Andrew and Duncan worked on the bridleway above Blarney Castle and tried to divert water off the causey stones by creating turnbys and clearing the existing ditches. At the four-way junction, they worked on FP Tod 155 (towards Gaddings) installing more yellow-topped posts to clarify the route.

Then we all went along the footpath from Gaddings to Warland (Tod 154) to check on the two boardwalks (built by CROWS in 2024 and 2025) and to improve the drainage near them. Hopefully, diverting water away from the line of the path the water will reduce the chance of the two boardwalks and the causey path being inundated.

Today's work has been funded by a generous donation from 'CraggRunner' from their "Moors the Merrier" event held earlier in December, (https://craggrunner.com/moors-the-merrier-20/).

A good day to be working on Langfield Common . . . at least there was no rain!

The bridleway above Blarney Castle looking towards
Stoodley Pike.

Andrew making the pilot hole for a markerpost.

Looking down towards Walsden.

Andrew and Duncan firming up one of
the original marker posts.

The Basin Stone.

Another yellow-topped post being installed.

The first of the boardwalks/bridges - just clear of the 'sea' of wet peat.
RJ and David in cautionary mode!

Kasher deepening one of the drainage channels.

Synchronised drainage . . . and it's good
spacing with  eyes on task and not
on a distant Stoodley Pike.

Andrew, surrounded by drainage channels . . .
. . . Who said "No man is an island"?

When the conditions are like this you can really see
the need for these boardwalks/bridges.

Basin Stone again . . . and David's the preacherman.

Improving the drainage at the stream crossing
above Jail Hole.

Pinning the repaired turnby (on Tod 157)
with metal pins. Hopefully, this will limit
further damage by 'bikes' using this route.

Ryburn - Rough Hey wood - Day 14

Following an extremely wet and blustery Thursday, Linda, Jak, Jerry and Angus were greeted by a fantastic rainbow spanning the valley at the start of today's work.

A glorious start to the day!

The task was to finish off the first section of the path (that leads off the Calderdale Way) between the 2nd and 3rd stiles:

 Job 1. This is where we started to build stone steps on a particularly slippery section. Now we need to put in more stepping stones and infill the steps. 

Job 2. Is to fit a section of revetment along the upper path where previous rabbit damage (strategically created, ankle-twisting holes!) had narrowed the path. 

Once again this work has been funded by a generous donation from the Russell family. A big 'thankyou' to them . . . we'll soon be finished!

The location of today's worksites circled in blue.

 

Given the amount of recent rain, we had expected the first section to be very muddy and slippery. However, it wasn't as bad as we'd feared and it looks as if the stone steps have helped to alleviate the problem by slowing the run-off down the path. 

We set-to locating suitable flat stones from a ruined, long-buried wall now overgrown by holly trees. Some of the 'flats' were put in as stepping stones and others used to create further steps. Four bags of MOT gravel were spread on the original steps to help fill the gaps and bind the stones together.

Jak, Linda and Jerry backfilling the gaps with MOT gravel.

Jerry positioning a suitable stepping stone.

The lower section where we needed to make things a bit easier.

A new step fashioned out of re-cycled walling stone.

After a couple of hours we had managed to make the remaining length of the path a lot safer and much easier to negotiate. Several regular walkers (being led by their four-legged companions) passed and were extremely grateful for all the improvements CROWS had made through the length of Rough Hey Wood. 

We will need to revisit this section to cut-back more of the overhanging holly. This will let in more light and hopefully keep the path a bit drier.

On to Job 2 further along the path, where previous rabbit damage meant that care had to be taken not to twist an ankle, the revetment was soon in place and, with a bit of cut & fill, we now had a much safer section of path. A similar job further along required widening but didn't need revetment.

Cutting out a small 'trench' for the revetment to lie in.

Linda:  now an expert with the impact driver and hex-head screws!

Revetment in place. Cutting out/widening on the up-slope side in progress! 

Just round the corner, we widened and levelled the path.

The finished section.  Blue sky in the distance . . . and no rain !