Wallers' Easter Update
from Barry, Duncan and Dave
It was a beautiful sunny Spring morning in Nidderdale for stone stile repairs on the riverside paths near Wilsill.
Wood anemone and lesser celandine
responding to the warmth on
the riverside path
The Wallers split into two groups this week with Simon and Dave sorting a squeeze-stile with a metal bar downstream from Glasshouses on the south bank, and Barry, Andy, Rob and Duncan rebuilding a stile / steps adjacent to the Jogglyn footbridge on the north bank between Wilsill and Low Laithe.
The second group parked by the roadside between Wilsill and Smelthouses with beautiful views across Nidderdale and walked down to the footbridge passing through a field of newly born lambs and picking up a couple of wheelbarrows and tools that Barry & Andy had left earlier. We then transported several impressively large stones from a derelict wall a couple of hundred yards away to the collapsed stile near the bridge.
Andy and Barry discussing the work ahead.
While Barry toiled away making a collapsed wall safe (see picture below), the remaining wallers - Andy, Rob and Duncan - set about building steps up to the stile by the bridge. At lunchtime Barry joined the others and pointed out the Brimstone butterflies which made a welcome appearance.
Barry worked hard to level a derelict
wall and make the steps up to it safe.
Andy and Rob worked near the bridge.
Here they are removing a large boulder
that was in the way. Note some of the large
stones that had been barrowed to the site.
The completed steps up to the stile.
With just a bit of tidying up after lunch we were finished by 1.45. It was warm work walking back up the hill to the cars, but a really satisfying contribution to the amenity of local rights of way.
Across the river, Dave and Simon grafted for another hour, completing their work by 3pm.This path by the River Nidd proved to be one of the most popular sites where we've walled with groups of walkers passing every half hour or so, all of them expressing gratitude for the improvements. The completed steps were secure but would benefit from a handrail for those unsteady walkers who may pass down this well-used route.
'Before’ picture of the unsafe stile
on the south bank
A veritable platform of steps
constructed by Dave & Simon
A closer view of Dave & Simon’s work
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