OLD TOWN AND MAYROYD

Waymarking, Cutting Back and Drainage - Delph Lane and Mayroyd.

Ginny and Paul were out today tackling a variety of jobs in the Wadsworth and Hebden Royd areas. It was a mixed day weather wise with early drizzle turning into a cloudy overcast day.

To begin with, we did some waymarking on Delph Lane above Pecket Well and then moved on to Dike Lane (Wadsworth 061) to install a small waymark post and deal with a drainage issue on the path. 

After lunch we moved onto Mayroyd (Hebden Royd 017) where a ROW ascends the hill at the rear of the house toward Higher May Royd Wood. Here, we cut back a fallen Fir tree blown down over the path in the recent stormy weather and continued to cut back overhanging branches and intrusive brambles higher up the path.

Dike Lane map

The Old Town area work was funded by Wadsworth Parish Council and the Mayroyd work was funded by Hebden Royd Parish Council. Thankyou to both.

Marker Post on Dike Lane

The drainage problem was located further down this path toward Middle Nook:

Ginny at work

It is a wonder where all the water comes from!! We must have had lots of rain! This sodden waterlogged area is a result of water ingress (from the reed and rush beds in the fields) seeping through the dry stone wall. 

Drainage channel dug out on one side 

We dug out a drainage channel on each side of the pathway. The two channels flow into a small rivulet that crosses the path underneath the small bridge (seen in the background of the above photo).

Second drainage channel on the 'other side.'

Mayroyd, Hebden Bridge - working in the woods.

Work done on FP in red on the map

We went to cut back this pathway and discovered a fallen Fir tree blockage:

Pathway blocked!

We cut away the smaller branches with the tools we had which was enough for walkers to get through safely. The main trunk will be tackled at a later date.

Branches cut away and access now possible.

Further up the pathway part of a Beech tree had come down near the path with one of its smaller branches over the track.

Smaller branch covering the path.

This was cut away successfully. 

Overgrown 

We then trimmed overgrown branches, brambles and nettles from this long stretch of pathway.

Looking better!

A good day's work with the successful completion of several small tasks. 

MIDGEHOLE - below the Blue Pig and Midgehole Lane

 This was a follow-up visit by Jan and Gareth to sort out some drainage prior to re-laying new aggregate. The fingerpost issue had already been sorted by someone (thank you) so we had time to start the cutting back work on Midgehole Lane. This work was funded by donations to CROWS. 

 

Wadsworth: Parrock Lane; Tricky stile!

 Parrock Lane: heavy going for a complicated stile

On a day when threatened rain was replaced by blue skies. light clouds, gentle breezes and ideal temperatures Paul and Frank joined by Kris (for the morning) and by Jan (for most of the day) worked at a 'cross-roads' of paths (all described as Wadsworth 028). See map.

Today's work is being funded by the landowner. Many thanks.

1.Worksite location: A stile in a wall corner

The views from the worksite were magnificent:

2. Panorama: Pasture, settlements, redundant mill chimney,
woodlands and distant moors.

The original stile was built over a railed-off wall corner where stone steps gave access through a drystone wall. The stile and rails had seen hard times and looked like this:

3. The old stile: collapsed rails, rotten step-leg,
unstable treadboard and a decayed strainer
post doubling as a rail post.

The sequence of tasks was to:

i) install a post to act as a right-hand support for new cross-rails.

ii) decided on the best position of new step legs and install them.

iii) add treadboards so the higher board was level with one of the stone steps.

iv) fix cross-rails at appropriate heights.

v) install an extra vertical support for the cross-rails and a high-step side grab pole..

vi) landscape and tidy the approaches.

Mmm! Lots to do here . . . and extremely difficult ground conditions. Time to flex muscles and crank up physical efforts to a maximum!

The Detail.

4. Hole for new right-hand post.

This simple task gave immediate problems. Immovable rock limited the depth of the hole so the post had additionally to be secured to the wall with hex-head screw and rawlplug.

5. Quality control?: "What no oats?" 
One of several curious but friendly horses.

6. Decisions! Decisions! Will four
legs and two treadboards fit?

7. Heavy digging.
Problem: Massive stonework just below the surface.
Solution: Batter with bar, stone-chisel & lump hammer

Some time later:

8. Progress: step-legs being positioned.

9. Two legs in place and braced but  . . .
. . . more resistant rock!

10. Cross-rail time: Cutting to length to fit wall batter.

11. Lower cross-rail in place. Awkward
perspective but it is 'spot-on' horizontal.

12. End result: Two-step, three-rail stile with grab pole. (Note extensive decay in right-hand
strainer post which originally doubled as the stile side-post!)

13. Testing! Testing!

This was a long and tiring session but perseverance prevailed. The stile is safe, secure and easily negotiated. Minor tweaks can be made if necessary but it has the twin essentials of being horse resistant and pedestrian friendly . . . and there's always the view to admire . . .

14. Panorama: Wonderful view but . .  .
"Is that old mill chimney on the lean?"

More next week once we have recovered!

Wadsworth Keelham Edge

 Stile repair and rainbow delight on Keelham Edge

Ian S and Paul were out today in the mizzle repairing a stile on the Calderdale Way near Claytons Farm. It's a long walk to this stile from the nearest parking place - the quarries at Little Moor - but fortunately we had Rich and Steve to help carry the tools and materials from our vehicle to the stile site. Thankfully, only one journey was required. Once delivery duties were done, Rich and Steve then scarpered off to a job they had earmarked. 

Blue Arrow marks the work site.

Thanks to Wadsworth Parish Council for part payment towards this job and to the landowner for paying for the materials. Also a big thanks to the Keelham landowner for allowing us to park above Mount Skip quarries.

The stile leads off the Calderdale Way on the right-of-way (Wadsworth 071) downfield to Dike Lane. The two lower legs and treadboard had rotted and needed replacing. 

Low leg on left rotted at the bottom.

In addition, two cross-rails adjacent to the stile needed replacing.

View toward Old Town 

Luck would have it the two rotted stile legs were lifted out of the ground in good time.

Ian working other side of the stile.

We faced cloudy, blustery weather with the threat of rain which thankfully didn't materialise. Instead we had a fine view of a rainbow!

Rainbow over Heptonstall.

New stile legs were dug in and a treadboard nailed in place.

Voila! New leg in place and cross-braced.

The two broken cross-rails were removed and replaced

Job completed.

It was an easier walk back to the car with only the tools to carry!

Wadsworth Pecket Well

 Pecket Well Playground Fingerposts

Steve, Neil B and Paul were out today installing two new fingerposts in Pecket Well at the request of 'Friends of Pecket Well Playground'. This is a local voluntary organisation who have set about improving this important local facility. The two posts were installed in different locations signposting two separate permissive paths to the playground near to Keighley Road at Pecket Bar.

Two red circles indicating the two sites.

This work was funded by Wadsworth Parish Council - thank you for your ongoing support.

A big 'thank you' also to Rob for transporting the two lengthy posts from our Mytholmroyd Depot to Pecket Well.

We installed the first post at the junction of the small side road that gives access to a set of four garages on the left and then turns a sharp right toward a basketball court and the playground.

Proposed site

The request to site this first post on the north side of the lane proved to be problematic. Like moles we dug! . . . but the exploratory postholes between the kerb and the fencing encountered a thick bed of concrete after only a few inches!

The south side of the lane, however, proved to be a better option; we were able to dig down through soil to the desired depth.

Neil "long arms" in action!

Once the hole was dug out to a depth of one metre, it was a question of placing the post upright and firming into place.

Post in place being tampered down.

It was pleasing to get this first one completed after all the rigmarole of finding suitable ground!

In place!

We moved on to the site for the second post next to the residents' car park where a permissive path leads downhill for a few metres to the playground area. Here we discovered softer soil and easier digging.

Steve getting stuck in!

After cutting back the brambles, we set about digging out the posthole and installing the second upright.

Voila!

After this, it was time for lunch!

"Get t'kettle on, lad!"

This way to the Playground!

WADSWORTH - OLD TOWN

 Link Path to Wadsworth Community Centre Old Town

Ginny and Paul were out today in Old Town village repairing fencing on a stretch of footpath (Wadsworth 075) that runs between Westfield Housing Estate and the site of the Community Centre Community Garden. The line of fencing on the side of the Community Garden had sagged outward narrowing the footpath. Four new posts were installed to stablise and secure this bowed section. In addition, time was spent clearing this pathway and the permissive pathway that goes to the rear of the Community Centre.

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

Site map showing said pathways in red.

First task - putting in the posts:

The "bowed" fence line.

This wooden fence has seen better days and we have been here before to install three posts at the foreground end of this photo. The fence's general decay has been exacerbated by heavy items stacked against it by previous garden users. Ideally it needs replacing (though the cost will be high) so today's  intervention may be temporary.

Ginny 'finishing off' by trimming the post tops.

We dug in four new posts and fixed them to the existing 'wobbly' ones. Following this, Paul cleared the mulch off the flagged pathway.

Straight as a die and exceptionally tidy!

Meanwhile, Ginny cleared the overgrown flagged pathway that leads to the back of the community centre.

Overgrown

Grassy turfs and other smaller plants were cleared from the flagstones and the hedgerow was cut back.

That's better!

A good effort today in the sunshine!

Finished!

WADSWORTH PECKET WELL

 Calderdale Way and Stoney Lane at Pecket Well.

Ginny, Kris and Nic were out today finishing off the cutting back and widening of the causey stones on the short neck of pathway that links the A6033 road with Akroyd Lane at Pecket Bar. Following this they moved onto Stoney Lane to cut back a stretch of overgrown pathway below Coop Buildings.

map of the two locations marked in red.

Work funded in part by Highways and Wadsworth Parish Council. Thank you.

Tidy job!

The bottom end of this section of the Calderdale Way exiting onto the A6033 Keighley Road was cut back and widened; a continuation and completion of work started 2 weeks ago.

Cutting back on Stoney Lane.

The team of three then moved on to cut back a long stretch of Stoney Lane starting by the allotments behind Coop Buildings and finishing off where the causey stones meet the grassy section of the path.

A good days work in reasonable weather conditions!