PENNINE WAY - Colden - day 2

Steve and Rich finished off the work started on Monday - path clearance, cutting-back and some waymarking. 

Before and after photo at the top. 

 

PENNINE WAY at Colden

 A team of four - Andy, Chloe and two Richards - went to clear all the encroaching vegetation on the narrow walled path leading down to Shaw Bottom. This was not just a cut-back but involved uprooting brambles, ferns and Rose Bay Willow Herb. The work was funded by a partnership of Calderdale Highways and Natural England. 

Before and after at the top end - still a section to finish off on Wednesday

Before and after at the bottom end - a great improvement!

Superb lunch spot.

PENNINE WAY AT GORPLE

 Paul and Rich went up to the Pennine Way at Gorple to clear a blockage (in a drain) that was diverting water to flow down the track! We also continued the task of uncovering Causey Stones to create a wider path. 

This work was funded by a partnership between Calderdale Highways and Natural England. 

After checking the forecast, we decided to have an early start!

The side-drain on the track over to Blackshaw was clogged with sedge in a few places and some of the banking had disintegrated. We tackled the obvious places where water was escaping but it really needs a digger!

Water will now keep off the track.

 Then it was back over to Graining Water for another session uncovering Causey Stones. This makes the path much wider . . . and we just love uncovering the area's heritage.

No more wet legs after rain!

A good session and, fortunately, we dodged most of the rain. 

PENNINE WAY AND CALDERDALE WAY AT COLDEN

Today was Day Three on this Pennine Way job. On Day 1 we cut back the path, began clearing the steps and replaced some rotten risers. On Day 2 we continued the cut back and cleared more steps in preparations for today's session which was to finish clearing the steps, doing more cutting back and re-stoning the tread areas. 

Nic, Jan, Jerry, Stella and Rich arrived to find a one tonne bag of 'crusher-run' delivered to the path by a local farmer - many thanks. 

This work was funded by a partnership between Natural England and Calderdale Highways. 

It was a warm day of . . . up and down the path . .  . with wheelbarrow, trugs, shovels, rakes and a heavy tamper. 

 

Very different to Day 1 when we arrived!

The second job we tackled was on the Calderdale Way where a very overgrown section was forcing people to deviate from the paved path. 

Before and after

 

Many thanks to Heptonstall Parish Council for funding this job. 
 

COLDEN - second session on the Pennine Way

 Ginny and Rich went to to complete the work from last Wednesday - more cutting back and clearing the remaining steps. This work was funded by a partnership between Natural England and Calderdale Highways.

 

The steps were very overgrown with vegetation. 

 Digging out grass, pulling out nettles exposing the step risers - tough work!

 But well worth it at the end. 

 In a couple of weeks time we will be back to re-stone the steps (and inevitably do more cutting back)

COLDEN - Pennine Way

On a refreshingly cooler and mostly cloudy day, Angus, Ginny, Ian S. and Jan met at Goose Hey Farm in Colden to walk down to a heavily overgrown stretch of steps on the Pennine Way above Hebble Hole.

Thankfully, local residents, Kerry and Tac, assisted us by generously allowing us to transfer our tools and materials to their Mitsubishi pick-up (now affectionately known as the Crowmobile) and driving down the steep field to our work site.  Even more generously, they allowed us to keep the Crowmobile with us all day and use it later to take everything back to our vehicles (driving it ourselves and even hitching a ride on the tailgate back up the field!)

At this time of year, the Pennine Way steps are heavily overgrown and need some serious cutting back.  In addition, several steps were damaged or missing and needed to be replaced.  

 

We started by clearing our way through the jungle with the strimmer, the hedgecutter, the shears, the azad and the spade.

We slowly but steadily made progress.

We had supplies of home-made Victoria Sponge and Lemon Meringues delivered from Shaw Bottom Farm and a visit from Marley the dog on cake supervision duties.

Altogether, we cut back, cleared or repaired 55 steps during the day - a very good day's work.

We need to return to finish the remaining steps at the top of the flight and to fill the steps with aggregate where necessary.

Thank you to the landowners for permission to use their field and to park on their property, the local residents for the Crowmobile, the providers of the cakes and to Natural England for funding this work. 

PENNINE WAY AT CALLIS WOOD

 A short footpath cuts the corner of the track through Callis Wood. The path is on a slope, which was manageable until its use in a wet January (on the Montane Spine Race  trashed it into a muddy slide. 

The task for Ian S, Steve, Jan and Rich was to put in two flights of steps in order to prevent further erosion. This work was funded by a partnership between Calderdale Council Highways and Natural England (not the race organisers).

 The few remaining steps at the top of the slope were repaired and a new set of 'edged' were installed to cope with the incline. A new drain was also added to reduce further water erosion. 

Laying out and fixing the edges

Securing the frame with hex screws

 

A couple of walkers tested the work to their satisfaction

 

Meanwhile, further down the path a short steep slope was dealt with.

 Many thanks to the landowner for providing access to the path. 

PENNINE WAY AT WINTERS

 Team of four - Stella, Jan, Jerry and Rich to do four main jobs with showers and sun all day.

• Repair some rotted off steps
• Clear the stone steps
• Cut back encroaching vegetation along the whole stretch
• Re-seat a rotted off finger post 

This work was funded by a partnership of Calderdale Highways and Natural England. 

 

Repair some rotted off steps

Five of the risers had rotted off and some of the infill had shrunk

New risers and aggregate infill

 Clear the stone steps

Overgrown with lots of mulch on the steps 

Cut back encroaching vegetation along the whole stretch

A vast improvement (it is the same path)

Re-seat a rotted off finger post  

The day was going well with just the finger post to do. First job was to remove the old stump. Took about 45 minutes to get out!

...and it rained

 Finally 

 

TWO SITES - Pennine Way at Gorple and Haworth Old Road

PENNINE WAY AT GORPLE

Ginny and Rich went to tackle five problems identified by the Pennine Way Survey last year (barbed wire, waymarking, drainage and a broken boardwalk). The work was funded by a partnership between Calderdale Highways and Natural England.  

 

 

Narrow and muddy

Pulling off the grass edges

 

Causey stones cleared making the path much wider.

 

There is more uncovering and widening to do on this path - a later day. 

We then went down to the bridge over Graining Water to clean the treads and sort a waymark. 

Then up towards Blackshaw where we repaired a board walk, sorted some drainage and dug out a turnby (cross drain).  

Shame the Packhorse pub wasn't open. So on to Hebden and Pecket Well. 

HAWORTH OLD ROAD

The flags on two finger posts were reinstated and some waymarking completed. Many thanks for the donation from The Haworth Hobble event.

 

PENNINE WAY

Pennine Way path:

 Several issues were identified in last year's survey. Today, a team of five - Guy, Andy, Paul, Jan and Rich - went to deal with a few drainage problems and carry out some waymarking. This work was funded by a partnership between Natural England and Calderdale Highways. 

The session started with a long carry of tools and materials from Withens Clough to the work sites - luckily with glorious blue sky and sunshine. 

 The first problem was water and mulch crossing the path (even after this spell of dry weather).

 As well as scraping off the path, we tried to tackle the source of the problem by directing surface water into a nearby drain. The area was covered with moss and sedge, so the aim was to deal with the water without compromising the ecology. 

Three people with spades and scrapers put in a number of channels.  

 Meanwhile, two CROWS went off towards Stoodley Pike to try and 'encourage' people not to walk on the eroded peat by putting in three yellow-topped guide posts on the 'dry' line of the path. 

 

After installing them, which involved a lot of 'to-ing and fro-ing' about the correct positions, we were delighted that two runners and two walkers took the hint and used the optimum route!

Then it was beyond Stoodley Pike to deal with another drainage issue - an overflowing spring spilling water over the path. 

The water was channelled into the drain which should (we hope) prevent it from overflowing the path - a check visit will be needed. 

The final job was to waymark the path running alongside Sunderland Pasture. 

 A long day with a long carry, but a brief stop at the Robin Hood was restorative!