Footpath at Wath: 25-07-2017

STOP PRESS!
The case of the disappearing gravel pile.....

"Where, oh where did that gravel pile go? Oh where, oh where did it go?"

Anyone walking along the Nidderdale way on Monday afternoon, and then again on Tuesday evening, may have been rather puzzled. There was a 10 ton pile of gravel there on Monday which seemed to disappear just 24 hours later.

Now you see it.

Now you don't.

If the walkers had continued through the gate behind  where the pile had been they would have soon solved the mystery. They would have seen a brand new footpath opening out in front of them - magically laid by a team of 15 gravel fairies.

So that's where it went!

How did they manage to shift such a load in just 5 hours on such a warm day? You may well ask. A lot of sweat was sweated. A lot of weight bearing exercise was done. Many wheelbarrows were filled and emptied. Ditches were dug and pipes inserted. See for yourself the magic that is the NCVs at work..... 

First up Footpath officer Peter had to make sure his head 

was screwed on the right way round.

Next some very specific instructions for the 

gravel pile reducing spell were given to the gang.

After the crash course the team got started.

Shovellers shovelled.

Barrowers barrowed.....

....and tipped.

Rakers raked.

(This one was multi-tasking.)

Very boggy patches were cut out and covered with Terram....

....which was, in turn, covered in gravel.

John decided to deploy a spade and continue the 

moat and drain around an island that 

Peter had started on Monday.

Alistair decided that the island needed a little 

bit of decoration so used a displaced marsh thistle.

Melissa found an unusual double buttercup 

in another piece of turf to add to the island's biodiversity.

She found that barrowing gravel was simply 

not making her muddy enough so

 decided to join John digging ditches.

Up at the far end of the path a pipe was needed 

so Tony, the pipe fairy, obligingly went to fetch one.

A boggy area had been dug out....

...and the pipe was a perfect fit.

Once covered over it was almost invisible.

 Both coffee and lunch breaks were taken a bit earlier 

than usual.... 

 ....as the gravel fairies were flagging a bit.

The tasty flapjack that James provided helped to boost their energy levels.

Thanks James!!! 

That 10 ton pile got smaller and smaller...

...until the shovellers were down to the grass.

The last bit was put on a muddy patch near the picnic spot.

This week we had the luxury of a trailer for all the 

wheelbarrows and tools. No need to store 

them up on the Land Rover's roof again!

Quick update on earlier jobs....

Remember last week's footpath revealing at the village of Lodge? Well some of the NCVs returned on Thursday to finish the job...

And there it is - all the way to the cottage door.

Also - do you remember the hedge laying we did during the spring at Longside farm? Well here's a photo of it at the moment....

It's growing beautifully.

Ros E.

Scar House Reservoir: 18-07-2017

This Tuesday, in glorious sunshine and sizzling temperatures, a team of 14 NCVs met at the end of Angram reservoir dam. Their mission? To carry out footpath maintenance work, with footpath officer Peter Lambert, and historic building consolidation, with heritage officer Rob Light, at nearby Lodge village. Here's how things went.....

On arrival Tony went to recover a piece of balloon rubbish 

- or was he just practising his yoga?

Graham was suitably dressed for the hot weather.

The team strode along the 1.25 mile track towards the old, 
abandoned village of Lodge.

There they met up with Peter and his Land Rover full of tools.

 At Lodge there were two jobs going on.

Harry, Angela and Andy C. focused on 
lime mortaring the walls of one of the cottages.

Once that was done they soft capped it with turf.

 Two carved stones - made by our very own students - 
have been put outside the entrances to two of the cottages.

Nice carving lads!

Meanwhile eight NCVs thought about getting busy uncovering a 

hidden cobbled path up to the cottage from the main track.

Ruth used a mattock on the clumps of rushes - not an easy task!

Terry and Sally got to work with spades to lift turf....

.....before working in a more forensic way with archaeological trowels....

....and brushes to reveal the stones below.

Further down the path a 'slip road' was discovered. 

Graham, Tony and Andy soon had this sorted.

This side path was really well built.

At the top end of the path another extension was found.
Where is it all going to end????

Coffee time was taken both under the trees by those who were wilting...

 and out in the open by the sun lovers.

By lunch time the path was well on the way 
to being completely exposed,

Everyone opted for the shade of the trees to eat their lunch.

By two o'clock the path was being given a final brush.

What a great job folks!

A small team of three had joined with James and Peter 

to do some footpath work. Installing a drainage pipe 

is less glamorous perhaps, but necessary just the same. 

And let's not forget the all important insertion of a 

ring in the gate post to keep the gate closed!

The final job of the day was loading up the Land Rover 

- just how many wheelbarrows can such a vehicle carry?

Ros E.