WADSWORTH

Pecket Well Playground

Frank S, Andy and Paul were out on Wednesday to work on a permissive footpath in Pecket Well; the main access path to Pecket Well playground. It starts by the council owned garages near Pecket Bar and slopes downhill toward the play area. The path is subject to water damage coming from the high banking on the road side, particularly at the bottom end that had become a treacherous quagmire. Last year we dug a drainage channel to tackle this problem and this has allowed this muddy area to dry out. Today's task was to reinforce the drainage channel and to build a short flight of steps to enable safer passage through the troublesome area.

This work was funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - a big thank you!

Key pointer to the worksite

The path becomes overgrown annually with invasive Himalayan Balsam. This year local residents had cut back this incursion to make the path accessible; an action that made clearing out the channel much easier.

Drainage channel? In there somewhere!

The path itself, however, was accessible and dry

Bottom end of path.

Frank S and Andy set about measuring up for the steps:

Andy starting the steps.

Meanwhile Paul dug out the mowed cuttings as preparation for installing an edging to the new drainage channel:

Ground prepared for new channel

Frank and Andy slogged away at making the steps -m digging through a stubborn gravelly surface was the biggest problem!.

Andy at work

We were fortunate with the weather although the sunny intervals brought out swarms of flies which took a liking to Paul, much to the hilarity of Frank and Andy! (No flies on them!).

Two lengths of edging installed.

A flight of six steps was completed along with the fitting of three lengths of revetment to support the drainage channel.

New drainage channel completed.

New flight of steps.

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.

WADSWORTH

 Old Town Area

Nick and Paul were out and about in sweltering heat today doing a few smaller jobs in the Old Town area. We fixed a treadboard on a stile behind Seed Hill, repositioned a marker post on land adjacent to Walker Lane, cut back overgrown paths by Westfield and off Parrock Lane, and surveyed a drainage problem at the juncture of Wainsgate Lane and the Calderdale Way.

Three job sites highlighted

Work funded partly by Wadsworth Parish Council and partly by a donation from a landowner.

Nick digging out the old post.

The marker post is situated on a triangle of land opposite Ibbot Royd. The landowner requested we move the post to make vehicle access to the plot easier.

Post in new position.

We then cut back an overgrown triangular tract of paths that serves Westfield and the Community Centre.

The word jungle comes to mind!

We cleared all paths in this section with brush cutter, shears and loppers. 

Down to the ground - a way through established!

The fine cut will enable local residents to use this network of paths without being stung by nettles. . . !

much improved

. . .  and without getting the bottom of their trousers wet . . . !

The path leading up to the Community Centre now cleared.

 We then moved to clear the access to a stile (off Parrock Road) where the path leads uphill through a field to the quarries.

Where is the stile?

The approach to the stile had become overgrown by adjacent hedgerows. We cleared this overgrowth to reveal a fine view of the fields beyond.

The new view!

Finally we drove up Wainsgate Lane and parked where the Calderdale Way crosses and where a tall  four-fingered wooden post indicates the four destinations. Here, where the Calderdale Way descends to Shawcroft Cottages, water ingress from the road has severely damaged the sloping path causing deep rutting. It's been a long standing problem. Our task today was to decide how best, in the short term, to make the path safe for walkers while we consider more permanent solutions.

The problem path.

We will return to repair the damage and make the path safer.

WADSWORTH

 Stoney Lane Pecket Well

Paul and Peat were out today along with Ginny (in part) on our annual cut-back of Stoney Lane, an old causeway path that starts behind Co-op Buildings in Pecket Well and winds round the rear of the village to meet up with the main road above Wilcroft Terrace. This route is part of Walk 1 of the "Walks around Pecket Well" leaflet.

Worksite highlighted in red.

Work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you!

Tall grasses encroaching.

The grassy stretch at the top end of the path becomes heavily overgrown in the summer months. Paul attacked this stretch with a brush cutter.

A good trim.

Further down, where the it narrows before a bend, the path becomes clogged up with an entanglement of bramble, Rosebay Willow Herb and Wild Raspberry.

A wee bit clogged up!

Peat and Ginny tackled this patch and were able to find a way through!

Causey Stones revealed.

Peat was hard at it

There's a path here somewhere?

A large 'forest' of Himalayan Balsalm engulfs the bottom end of the path. 

Triffids abound!

This was chopped down unceremoniously... 

That's better!

I think it's safe to say that this iconic Pecket Well path is now a much more pleasurable walk!

DODD NAZE AND OLD TOWN

 Dodd Naze and Old Town Village

Ian S and Paul were out today undertaking two jobs in separate locations. The first task was to finish a flight of steps above the Dodd Naze Estate and the second task was to repair a finger-post in Old Town Village.

Dodd Naze Steps: location map

Old Town finger-post map

The Dodd Naze work was funded by "Picture This" while the Old Town finger-post repair was funded by Wadsworth Parish Council. Thank you to both.

Dodd Naze Steps: This job was a continuation and completion of the work that was started two weeks ago. Additional steps were fitted at the bottom end of this wide curving flight that leads up to Rowlands Lane from the top of the estate.

Where we finished 2 weeks ago

Where our last session finished there was quite a steep section so we installed two new shorter length steps to create an easier passage for walkers.

Two new steps installed.

The infill was sourced from further up the path but once this has bedded-in we will return to see if a top up is needed.

Old Town finger-post repair:

A fingerless post!

This is on the path that links Billy Lane with Old Mill Ridge in the village centre. The old 'flag' had long since disappeared but a resourceful Todmorden colleague had provided us with a replacement. 

A rotted interior!

Unfortunately the interior rebated slot had rotted which meant it was impossible to slide the replacement flag into the original housing.

Ian doing some fixing!

 

The solution was to screw two additional pieces of wood onto the top sides of the post so the new flag could be slotted in and secured.

Completed!

We may need to return to paint it all one colour . . . !

PECKET WELL WADSWORTH

 Shawcroft Cottages / Calderdale Way Pecket Well

Ginny and Paul were out today cutting back parts of the Calderdale Way footpath that runs up past Shawcroft Cottages to meet Wainsgate Lane. There were two specific sections of the path that had become overgrown and this was where we concentrated our efforts. 

Stretch of path in red.

Work funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you!

A couple of local residents had contacted CROWS to alert us that the path had become impassable in places. We began to cut back at the bottom end of the path where the lane runs parallel to the stream by the end of the cottages.

Overgrown at the start of the path.

A long stretch of the path was strimmed and cut back by the wall-side and a couple of turn byes were cleared out.

Ginny getting stuck in!

After a lot of graft the path was cleared!

A way through!

Now walkable:

A clearer pathway!

Following this, we went to the top end of the path and tackled an overgrown section that runs down from Wainsgate Lane.

Overgrown at the entrance.

This path was rutted in places  due to water damage so care was taken when strimming the encroaching vegetation.

Much clearer!

Paul continued to strim further down this path while Ginny tackled a rather overgrown, encroaching hedgerow.

A bit of fine hedge trimming!

Meanwhile, true to form, the sun shone and the flies came out in droves. Despite this we managed to finish this section of the path.

A fine trim.

The hedged area was now passable!

A way through at last!