WALSDEN: Cranberry Dam area - Stile 2 continued: adventures with alignment . . . and a good rinse.

 Ramsden Farm area: Border country again for Stile 2.

Overhead clouds threatened rain as Ian S, Duncan and Frank H worked on rebuilding a fourth stile leading off the rough track that goes from Ramsden Lane towards Horse Pastures. This stile is accessed from the short boardwalk that was refurbished earlier (see blog for 20th August).

1. Location of worksite shown by blue 'tag'

Today's work was funded by Todmorden Wind Farm through CFFC (Community Foundation For Calderdale). Many thanks.

The Detail.

The original stile is as follows:

2. Original structure

At first glance there seems little to be wrong with this stile but, on closer inspection the treadboards and the top of the right-hand side post were found to be rotten and further extensive decay was evident as shown in the the following pictures:

3. Base of one side post.

4. Mid section of other side post.

As some of the cross-rails (not quite horizontal) were in fragile condition it was decided to replace the whole stile. The work begins . . . 

5. More open than usual!

Except for the step legs which were sound, all old timbers were removed then new side-posts were embedded (much deeper than previously) and substantial cross-rails fixed in place. Linking this new structure to the old, more-than-slightly-out-of-true timbers was the technical challenge for the day!

However, a few hours later:

6. Brand-new two-step stile and inclined boardwalk.

 The stile passed the stress-test (courtesy of Duncan) and was judged to be safe, secure, easily negotiated and aesthetically pleasing. What more could the walker, bound for open access land, want?

We tidied the site, packed-up tools and then set-off towards Cranberry Dam to check on any alignment issues for next week's triple boardwalk task. It's perhaps a 15 min walk - just enough time for the heavens to open and give us a soaking . . . Happy Days!

RYBURN - Rough Hey Wood

Monday was a return to Rough Hey Wood for further improvement to the footpath that runs from the Calderdale Way through to Longley Lane. The team consisted of Ginny, Stella, Jerry and Jak. 

The tasks to be resolved were a stile replacement on the boundary of the wood leading up to Butterworth End and Butterworth End Lane together with further vegetation clearance to the footpaths within the wood. Access to the site through farmland was again provided by local landowner Richard Crowther of Far Barsey Farm. Many thanks once again as this enabled our 4 x 4 to off load material and tools at the work site.

This work was again funded by a very kind donation by the Russell family. Many thanks from all of us at CROWS and from an increasing number of walkers of the path who appreciate the work being undertaken.

 

The main issue today was that the original rotten timber stile had been completely removed and had been replaced by the landowner's boundary fence. The current 'stile' consisted of two vertical timber posts with two horizontal metal bars acting as step irons. This construction whilst stock proof was difficult to traverse. This was compounded as the distance between the fence posts was only 550mm.

The removal of the horizontal metal bars and temporary removal of the barbed wire

Installing the stile legs

Tread boards and braces in

Cross rails in, barbed wire reconnected, landing stone in place and the testing of the stile

We will need to return to this stile to provide additional protection to the exposed barbed wire that abuts the stile posts

WADSWORTH

 Lower Crimsworth Pecket Well

In and among intermittent mizzle, Frank S and Paul set about repairing a two-step stile by Lower Crimsworth Cottages near Pecket Well. Local fell runners had reported the problem and on inspection the stile legs were found to need replacing and both treadboards were worse for wear. 

The arrow marks the spot!

Thanks to the home owners at Lower Crimsworth for allowing us to park close by to the stile, and thank you to Wadsworth Parish Council for funding the repair.

The stile: before photo

The rounded stile legs were loose with some rot in places. On removal we discovered they were not set very deeply into the ground and consequently had become loose with use. We used the same holes but dug them deeper to house the replacement legs. All was plain sailing until we dug the last hole and discovered a very stubborn large rock in our way! Half an hour later after a bit of "argy bargy" we managed to remove it.

Short legs in position.

The adjacent hedgerows afforded some shelter from the mizzle though the holes became a bit muddy as the day progressed. Finally, we managed to line up the new stile posts and pack them into the holes.

New legs in place.

After lunch (in the car) we completed the repair by fixing the new treadboards in place. In addition, we replaced a rotted post by the side of the left-hand fencepost. This was dug in and screwed into position to help stabilise the fencepost and also to act as a grab post for the stile.

Job completed.

TODMORDEN - Various

 There were three teams out from Todmorden today:

Team 1: RJ and David: step building in Scaitcliffe Wood on Tod 082. We think that the tipping point has now been reached and further work to replace the steps on this route will start from Flailcroft rather than from the Scaitcliffe Hotel. The route is now much safer and the slopes are easier to navigate but this steep path still requires care.

Team 2: Catherine and Kasher: cutting back on Tod 175 between the old tip and Lumbutts and then on to Tod 216, which is the newly created right of way off Pudsey Road in Cornholme. CROWS had been informed about the state of path Tod 175 earlier in the week. When we arrived to start to cut back this path we were pleased to see that someone had been there before us and had managed to cut back and pull lots of the Himalayan Balsam. We spent time dealing with the brambles and removing branches which were making this route difficult to negotiate. Please note that there are two areas of Japanese Knotweed along this path which we have not cut.

Team 3: Ken and Mick: working on the TCW near Calderbrook on Tod 143. Today's survey along this path has resulted in a number of stile repairs, stile rebuilds and stream crossing improvements, etc which have now been added to the Todmorden "to do" list

Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Town Council and by Active Calderdale (for the work on the new PRoW off Pudsey Road in Cornholme).

Step building in Scaitcliffe Woods.

Cutting back near the old tip in Todmorden.

Surveying along Reddyshore Scout / TCW.

Team 1:

Removing the old risers and stobs from the first section
of wooden steps.

RJ and the cleared flight of steps: now all we 
need to do is replace them.

The replaced wooden steps .

David and RJ putting in more steps near the 
revetment added recently.

The next few steps installed: only 20+ more to do!

Team 2:

Catherine clearing cut-back vegetation from the path.

We have left two large patches of
Japanese Knotweed.

The start of the path.

The cleared path: the new PRoW off Pudsey Road, 
Cornholme.

Team 3:

A couple of stiles to fettle up on Reddyshore Scout.

It's going to be a long carry with timber to sort out this stile!

Cragg Vale - Heseltine Lane.

Wednesday morning under threatening skies, finds Jerry and Steve repairing a stile on the moors above Cragg Vale. The stile is located at the upper end of Heseltine Lane where a footpath crosses from Bellhouse Moor down hill towards Higher Hill Farm and Cragg Brook. Heseltine Lane terminates at Bell House (of Coiners fame). The stile is approximately one quarter mile from the house and is situated on one of the local Coiners Walks. The work was funded by general donations to CROWS. Many thanks.

Location of the stile is circled in blue.

The stile, which has been altered several times, is built into the timber fence line of a sheep enclosure. The original profile of the stile was steep enough but recent modifications to create a single-step stile made it almost impossible to negotiate - the local landowner had introduced an extra top rail to prevent sheep escaping from the holding pen. A rebuild was required to allow a more comfortable (and safer) access.

Partial construction underway. Ground conditions (a concrete slab) meant the steps were located close to an existing fence post.

 

Image showing a larger projection of the treadboard on the field side.

Steve and Jerry planned to construct a 2-step stile to allow public access over the landowners fence. The landowner visited upon our arrival to check on our proposals and requested that the 2 steps within the holding pen project be as little as possible, as he needed to reverse his trailer whilst loading sheep.

 Completed stile showing a short treadboard projection to provide maximum vehicle clearance within the sheep pen.

Steve providing the necessary 'Health & Safety' test . . . all satisfactory. 

TODMORDEN - Various

 We welcomed Duncan as a new CROW today for our party of three - Kasher, Andrew and Duncan - to complete a number of small but important tasks in Walsden and Todmorden.

1     Cutting back on Tod 135 from the fishing lake off Ramsden Wood Road to the housing estate below. This popular but overgrown path was reported by a member of the public.

2    Inserting protectors over the barbed wire fencing adjacent to a stile, completed last week, on Todmorden 138 (part of the Todmorden Centenary Way) near to Cranberry Dam. Way-markers were also fixed to the stiles here. The team will be back to complete another stile in a couple of weeks time and then, hopefully, to install more boardwalks on the lower path nearer to the dam.

3    Step building (continued) in Scaitcliffe Wood on Todmorden 082. There is still a few weeks of work to be done here . . .

Today's work has been funded by Todmorden Town Council (tasks 1 and 3) and by Todmorden Wind Farm through CFFC (task 2). Many thanks for your continued support.

Cutting back on Tod 135 near Ramsden Wood.

Stile completion and way-marking on Tod 138.

Step building in Scaitcliffe Wood, Tod 082.

The overgrown footpath down from Ramsden Wood fishing lake.

Duncan trying to clear the upper path.

Barbed wire on a new stile completed last week.

Andrew sorting out the protective sleeve to go over
the wire.

The completed (small) task plus new way-marker!

Missing riser but old stobs remain to become trip hazards!

Installing wooden steps above the first set
of stone steps.

Attaching the risers to the stobs.

Caption competition for this week . . . 

FOSTER CLOUGH HEIGHT ROAD

 Ladder Stile High Rough, Foster Clough

Ian S and Paul were out today repairing a ladder stile by High Rough Farm near Foster Clough. With permission from the landowner, we parked at the farm to give us a shorter carry of tools and materials to the work site. Having said that it was a bit of a pull uphill! The location offered a sweeping panorama of the Upper Calder Valley, Cragg Vale . . . and Stoodley Pike beyond . . . and, thankfully, the rain showers were light.

Location map

Work was funded by Midgley Community Forum and the main timbers were provided by the landowner. Thank you to both. 

Ladder stile repair:

Rotted ladder leg

The stile is situated at the intersection of three ROW's; one path rising up through the farmer's field from Height Road to meet two paths over the wall that gave access to the moorland beyond. The lower half of one stile leg had rotted completely and the missing cross-rail was lying discarded in the grass. 

Rotted ladder leg removed.

On inspection, other sections of the stile were found to be rotten away and the trop 'platform' had seen better days.

Ian working on the back section.

We repaired the rotted sections of the ladder, replaced most of the cross-rails and fitted boarding to make a new platform.

Back end of the stile with new cross-rails and platform.

Repairs completed!

The stile is now sturdy, strong and fit for purpose!