Heading south from Styal railway station, Wilmslow FP 19 crosses fields and, for part, follows a deep wooded valley to emerge on Stanneylands Road by Linney’s Bridge over the River Dean. At several places the wooded section of path floods where field drains emerge from the adjacent higher fields. At several locations the field water has seriously eroded the path such that it was threatened with closure for safety reasons.  The wood stiles were in poor condition, and tree branches, hollies and hawthorn obstructed the path.  A major path reinstatement was called for.

With this in mind, many ECR FP Projects Team visits were made from October ’22 to November ’24.  Up to 6 men and women attended on 21 days (accumulatively 63 person-visits) totalling a minimum of 296 hours work excluding lunch breaks.  I thank the team of fifteen attendees……   Janet Allan      Melanie Davy      David Hallet       Ken Hobbs          David James         Roger Jubb      Chris Munslow         Steve Osborne         Steve Rawlings         Damian Richardson           Jim De Santis           Jane Selva        Ian Wasson           Nick Wild and myself!

During this project period, I made several trips to CEC’s PROW Footpath Materials depot at Winsford to collect four galvanised kissing gates, several fence posts, rails, finger posts and waymarker posts, and other miscellaneous items (with thanks for the loan of Chris Munslow’s Trailer).  I purchased locally (at ECR’s/Ramblers expense) and collected 5 No. 3.6 metre long, 40 x 200 mm section, edging boards, several post concrete bags, 1 No. 6 metre long, 225mm diameter plastic pipe and a 25 metre long roll of 100mm diameter perforated plastic field drain piping.  

I ordered two one-ton jumbo bags of 20mm sized limestone aggregate, which were delivered to site A at the station entrance. Their contents were shovelled into rubble bags to form wheelbarrow loads, then taken 450 metres to site D for storage until required as a filter medium around drain pipes. 25 – 30 journeys made this a heavy day’s work.  (We were let down by a hire firm who were meant to loan a mechanised wheelbarrow which apparently had a mechanical failure the previous day!)

Periodically members carried out dense vegetation clearance to widen the path’s access by up to one metre each side.

This enabled members to identify the worst field drain flows, create temporary shallow drainage grooves across the path and place branches in the grooves to ease water flows as an interim measure.

Later, the worst eroded channel was excavated to place a six metre length of twin walled 225mm diameter PVC pipe across the path. Sealed at its inlet with mesh and surrounded in gravel, plugged with clay to capture the field flow and covered in polythene to reduce soil filtration from the backfill.  Subsequent backfill was dug from nearby banks to restore the path.

Nearby, a flow emanated from beyond the roots of a mature oak tree and had eroded a deep channel. The water source was traced to a point below and behind the roots.  Two 100mm drain pipes were maneuvered between the roots and laid along the path’s dug trench. This deep channel was partially packed around the pipes with dry-concrete to support the path edge at depth and with PVC netting and gravel at its intake. Edge boards were cut to fit the path edge above the concrete bags for 800mm height supported laterally by driven stakes.  The void was backfilled with soil excavated from the path’s uphill edge nearby.

Working in water seepage/flows, trenches 400mm deep were excavated across the path at four other flooding locations, 100mm diameter pipes were laid, and similarly constructed at the upper water intake end.   The path was reinstated with soil dug from nearby,  Pipes may be placed in some locations further along the path in 2025.

Referring to the map, at four locations B, E, F and G, the existing rotten-rickety wooden stiles and adjoining rotten wooden fence sections were dug out and taken to tip (after separating wire netting etc for similar disposal or reconnections).  In three locations edge boards were placed, and levelled up with soil to form platforms for the new gates.  Four galvanised steel kissing gates were constructed. Wood fence posts and rails were restored to close the gaps to meet the existing fences.

Field edge post-and-netting fencing between D and F is collapsing because most posts are rotted.  The fencing has fallen dangerously (in places) towards the path.   However, the extensive clearance of brambles, and shrubs by our team, as described above, has made walking the path considerably more open and on parr with most paths elsewhere within ECR Group’s ‘care’.

A collapsed oak tree branch blocked the roadside access at Linney’s Bridge. We cut this up and stacked its pieces under the tree in the adjacent field. The finger post was cut free from ivy and marked with yellow paint to make the roadside access more distinct. A base-rotted finger post which sported attractive traditional wooden fingers was restored to its location, at FP20’s intersection at a railway footbridge, by bolting it to a new base section.

All new posts were treated at ground level with a wrapping of bituthene heat-welded to the post wood. It is recognised that the post wood rots where it is in the presence of ground moisture rich in oxygen for a zone 150mm above ground to 250mm below ground.

Just southeast of Eaton, the Dane Valley Way follows a path, ‘North Rode 2’ as the way passes near to the River Dane east of Eaton.  There is a particularly muddy section which suffers from severe flooding, frequently making it near impassable, centred on OS SJ 8800 6574, south of Bank Farm. There has been a diversionary path acting as a ‘work around’ for this troublesome section, but the route was not obvious, and needed signage improvements. (Shown in red above). In addition, the river bank supported a ‘conservation’ track along the river linking with the Dane Valley Way and its diversion (Shown in green).

In the winter of ‘22/’23 ECR’s Footpath Committee members Gillian Kay, who inspects this North Rodes footpath for ECR, and Louise Whittaker had discussed the problem with the landowners who very kindly agreed improved signage could be installed to clarify the alternatives. Gillian, Louise and Neil Collie configured signage plaques at critical locations, and had them manufactured.

ECR Footpath Projects Team began fieldwork in April ’23 by cutting back tree branches, and repairing step  and stile meshes. Post positions and plaque orientations were agreed and the plans finalised. The marker posts of the important flood ‘work around’ section were marked with yellow paint for clarity. The ‘conservation’ track following a riverside path was not intended to draw ‘Dane Valley Way’ walkers from the PROW FP 2 path and its end intersections with the main paths were marked by posts more remotely placed.  

In August ‘23, two finger posts, six waymarker posts, two handrail posts and a handrail were placed. The latter were required for a plank bridge across a feeder stream on the diversionary path. The bridge plank was anchored firmly against excessive water flows.  Besides the timber supplier’s preservative treatment, all the posts were protected from rot by a polythene-wrapped bitumen sleeve heat-welded to the post wood near and below the vulnerable zone for rot at and below ground surface before their placement.  Thanks go to the Projects Team members Roger Fielding, Roger Jubb, Chris Munslow, Nick Wild and myself.

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I have walked Pott Shrigley FP 9 several times in all seasons. If the ground is wet, or even just damp, the path is dangerous where it descends into the woodland at Gausie Brow, with very high possibility of injury through slipping and falling onto one’s back with back or head contact with various rocks projecting above the surface, or ripping clothes or skin against barbed wire with arms outstretched to keep or gain balance. The top drystone wall stile existing stone steps had exceptionally large steep drops (400 – 500mm) which were difficult to negotiate by persons with constricted mobility.  The rotted handrail was loose and was ‘supplemented’ by barbed wires!

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After a brief discussion with CEC’s PROW officer, Nicola Swinnerton, we agreed our Project Team would build a flight of steps to overcome the difficulty of this descent. The plans show access routes to the site for construction of the new flight of steps at Gausie Brow.

Permissions were given to Nicola by very cooperative and understanding landowners to:

• Construct the steps at ‘E’
• Have vehicular access along a private vehicular access from Spuley Lane at ‘F’
• To drive an estate car with heavy tools, timber, and gravel bags through a private electric gate at ‘B’ and the farm’s sheep fields to ‘E’. (One day required for these deliveries).
• Have vehicular access from Bakestonedale Road at ‘A’ along a private drive of Sherrow-Booth dwelling to point ‘C’.
• To park team cars at the top of 20-Acre Field at ‘C’ on several days
• To drive an estate car daily, laden with tools and materials, to park at ‘D’ in 20-Acre Field with several smaller gravel deliveries.

Initially, whilst awaiting permission to be confirmed to allow us to build the steps, two team members cut back tree branches overhanging and obstructing the path between D and E.  Way-marker posts were placed, and a wooden stile’s step plank at D was studded with staples for better grip.

At the proposed steps site, cutting down and removal of some dense vegetation of hawthorn tree, 30mm diameter briar rose, holly bushes and brambles was carried out, enabling a survey of the site to proceed.

 The hillside’s vertical profile as well as cross sections of the eroded/hollowed-out path were determined. These were plotted on graph paper, and step positions positioned to eliminate the need to remove projecting rocks, whilst maintaining a regular pattern (rhythm) of riser heights and ‘going’ spaces between, and attempting to minimise the quantity of imported 20 mm sized limestone stones required to fill the step spaces. Reference pegs were placed and integrated in the survey for the future work’s setting-out.

I collected timber materials from CEC PROW’s depot at Winsford for the steps’ construction. Over 1.6 ton of 20 mm size limestone stones was brought from Ingersley Vale, where it had been stacked as surplus to requirements on the refurbishment of Rainow FP 38 project earlier this summer. Of this, approximately 0.6 ton was taken to Hedge Row for use on the Gritstone Trail (See ‘Gritstone Trail’ Article on web site) and the remainder to the top of the steps at E (via F and B). This took place on 11^th August ’21.   All subsequent deliveries of materials, and daily transportation of tools were taken by wheelbarrow to and from the steps at D (just 200 metres each way), including surplus stones not required and recovered from Hedge Row works on the Gritstone Trail.

The steps were constructed from the bottom, except for the top three steps. 15 mm diameter steel pins were driven into the rocks to support the wooden risers where pegs could not penetrate. (And used as setting-out spacers).

The latter top three steps’ wood risers were built suspended above the ground, supported by posts, and backfilled with rocks and 20mm limestone subsequently.  This was necessary to keep step heights climbable whilst reaching the existing topmost stone step. The stone step protrudes from the drystone wall 300mm below the ‘threshold’ step across the wall. All wood steps below this have 200mm maximum rise.  The wood step risers were sized 50 x 200 mm and one metre wide.

Wood ‘stringers’ (50 x 200 mm cross-section were erected up the slope to support the risers and to contain the 20mm sized limestone infill. The top steps’ side not constrained by a wall was ‘boxed in’ with a raised stringer to contain the deeper fill material.   More stone (approximately 0.5 ton) was imported as 10mm sized limestone chippings by estate car, delivered to point D and wheelbarrowed to E. On one occasion, a passing runner stopped to chat, and then very kindly, changed his training mode briefly to fetch two barrowloads of gravel for us! Steps were cleaned to allow sufficient depth for stone surfacing. Vegetation piles were cut up and stacked in undergrowth.

Posts were erected on the wall-side of the steps and supported independent of the stringer.  This separation of the step and handrail structures ensures future replacement of steps or handrails will be facilitated. All the handrail posts were wrapped in bitumen/polythene sheeting (heat-welded to the wood) for 100 mm above, and 250mm below ground level.  This zone is recognised to be where rotting of the wood occurs.  Handrails were affixed to the posts at two heights above the steps, and were planed and sanded along their top side and corners beforehand. The steps were completed on 27^th August.

Spring water, collected in a field tank, overflows to run from the field above the steps, seeps through the wall at E, and saturates the ground adjacent to the steps. More critically, this run-off saturates and muddies the path below the steps as it crosses the path to reach a naturally formed ‘ditch’ by the wall further down.

We cleared a channel alongside the upper field wall which captures surface water flowing through rushes from the tank upstream of the wall. This directed water to a drainage ‘route’ through the wall between its wider spaced founding stones further away from the steps. However, once through the wall, the waters naturally follow the crossfall of the slope back towards the steps.   We installed a 225 mm diameter, two metre length of pipe across the path below the steps and channelled the water towards the pipe’s inlet. The pipe outfall fed into the ditch directly, clear of the path. The final task was to cover the pipe with rocks and grass tuffs and protect its intake with 50 x 200 mm planks against sheep and cattle footfalls. This was completed on 5^th October.

During our works , time was taken to rationalize the path leading up to the steps from the valley. Two waymarker posts were placed strategically and their tops yellow-painted for better intervisibility in the woodland. Disks were fixed to them.

All of the 20 mm sized limestone and timber was supplied by CEC PROW. Additional bags of 10 mm sized chippings, several bags of quick-setting concrete, post protection materials and the pipe were supplied by East Cheshire Ramblers Group.

Thanks go to the following Projects Team members for their help and encouragement. Roger Fielding, Roger Jubb, Chris Munslow, Steve Osborne, Brian Richardson, Ian Wasson, Nick Wild and Alan Wilson. Amongst us, eight members attended on 42 person-days, and acheived 236 man-hours work – excluding lunch breaks.

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On completion of ECR Project Team’s build of new steps on Pott Shrigley FP 9 on Gausie Brow, Nick Wild and Brian Richardson undertook to repair a finger post at the intersection of FP 7 with FP 6. A broken plastic finger was replaced and the post re-set to indicate FP 6 southwards; and new disks were added to indicate the true orientation of FP 7 towards Sherrow-Booth’s driveway. We were asked by the field owner to discourage ramblers from crossing his field in incorrect directions.

A new waymarker post was placed on FP 7 where it meets the private driveway to Sherrow-Booth , at the request of the driveway’s owner. A yellow cap was painted on this post to aid sighting its location from the aforesaid finger post.

About four man-hours work was sufficient to complete this task. The waymarker post was supplied by CEC PROW.

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The surface on the Gritstone Path (Rainow FP 28) north of Hedge Row, both on the approach and at the first kissing gate, has deteriorated due to rambler footfall. This has caused erosion and subsequent deep puddle water at both places. In this circumstance, negotiating the k-gate was especially constricted because of its railings.

Two of the Project Teams members, Nick Wild and Roger Jubb proposed to carry out refurbishment work. Gravel was taken from ECR Project Team’s temporary stockpile in Ingersley Val and stacked by the GT path at Hedge Row (40 bags at 15 kg each -approx. 0.6 tonne in all), for use in the repairs. Brian Richardson providing materials transport.

Both ‘hollows’ were drained by digging outlet channels, and both these and the hollows were filled with 20 mm limestones. The stone on the approach path was contained by placing side timbers (50 x 200 mm cross-section) with support stobs on the lower outlet side. The stone-filled drainage channels were covered with turves. Approximately 30 bags of stones were spread, and ten bags transported onwards to Gaussie Brow steps. (For the latter, see website article)

Their finished work has been captured in photos of an ECR Ramblers walk on the trail.

Roger and Nick each carried out four man-hours work on these tasks on Friday 6th August ’21. A vaste improvement.

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ECR Footpath Projects Team was called upon to repair a series of flights of steps on Rainow FP 38 descending from the top field of Savio House lands down to Ingersley Vale. Timber and gravel materials were supplied and financed by CEC PROW.

In July 2021 four bulk bags of 20mm sized limestone ‘gravel’ were dropped on the field side of Savio House fenced private drive, as was some long 50 x 200mm planks. A high priority was given to clearing this field by emptying the bags into smaller managable bags for transport by wheelbarrow (100 metres) across the field to a far gate. Thence, through the gate, down four stone steps of a drystone retaining wall, to a stacking space by the wall, at the top of the stair flights in woodland. Very heavy work!

A team carried out vegetation clearance from the top gate and down as far as (but stopping at) a final series of stone steps contained between wooden hand railings (draped in decorative style low-voltage lighting units). Tree branches and encroaching bushes of holly, hawthorn, ash and bramble were substantially cut back.

Of the top flight of twelve wooden steps, four risers were replaced and the flight was strengthened on its downslope side with 50 x 200mm stringer planks, restrained by timber pegs (stobbs) at one metre intervals or less. The surface soil was removed from the step ‘goings’ and 20mm sized limestone gravel fill was placed on the full flight.

The next flight down held ten steps, of which four were replaced. The whole flight was similarly strengthened on the downslope side with a 50 x 200 side stringer. 20 mm sized limestone gravel surfacing was placed on the flight.

The third feature is a single step, now replaced and gravelled.

In all, approximately two tons of limestone gravel was spread on the step ‘goings’ to complete surfacing of the flights. 1.6 tons of bagged gravel was left stacked against the top wall for for their removal to the next two projects for this summer. The top gate’s latch was adjusted and the gate trimmed to achieve closer contact and thus enable easier closure of the gate.

I am pleased to thank Janet Allen, Melanie Davy, Roger Fielding, Adrian Flinn, Roger Jubb, Christine McKillop, Chris Munslow, Stephen Osborne, Graham Richmond, Micheal Tooze, Ian Wasson, Nick Wild and Alan Wilson for their enthusiastic support and results. 22 person-visits of men and women attending during these three days worked for 114 hours (excluding lunch breaks).

The land-owner, whilst somewhat concerned when we started, expressed her satisfaction with our works by gifting us a box of very nice cakes on Thursday morning!

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In March of 2021, our PROW officer, Nicola Swinnerton asked me if East Cheshire Ramblers Projects Team would place some waymarker posts in Gin Clough at Rainow. Rainow Footpaths 57 and 59 intersect here and cross the brook, but there is some confusion about their routes away from the brook at this locality.

Roger Jubb, Nick Wild and I obliged by placing three new waymarker posts with disks, either side of the brook and by a northerly wall, and placed disks on a fence post. We cut away some gorse bushes to improve intervisibility between these posts along the paths.

In all, I recorded 11 hours for our field work and my previous materials collection.

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On crossing the A538 eastwards, Wilmslow Footpath 102 by the River Bollin should provide a passage for walkers approaching the Airport Hotel, and Styal Woods beyond. However, bushes, copsed tree branches, brambles and plants such as himalayan balsam periodically smother the path and completely block rambler passage along it for its full 30 metres length.

So five of East Cheshire Ramblers Footpath Projects Team set out to restore the path with an open aspect. Several years of growth of branches rising to 10 metres from coppiced ash and sycamore stumps were cut down and the stumps reduced to ground level. Likewise blackthorn, hawthorn and bramble bushes and ‘undergrowth’ were raised to ground level. Rotted fallen tree trunks, covered in ivy, were sliced up and rolled further from the path. Some dead or dormant large diameter tree stumps were left, but the remaining path was cleared for two metres width.

My thanks go to four members of the Projects Team shown above. Five of us attended for a long morning which started very wet, and ended in sunshine. 19 work-hours were completed on site.

In early 2017, the PRoW officer for East Cheshire, Evan Pedley, asked if our Footpath Projects Team would install finger posts and waymarker posts on certain paths around Jenkin Chapel in Rainow Parish. He highlighted posts for paths FP 7, 8, and 10.

Six of us turned out for the day to transport the posts to their sites, carry the tools and dig the holes. And despite appearances (taken advantage of by the author’s descriptions above), all six worked hard on a cold day, chiselling holes in bouldery ground, compacting backfill around posts, placing staples at stiles and clearing some brush and branches.

On FP 7, two waymarker posts were placed either side of the brow on Fox Hill and a finger post was placed by the semi-collapsed pasture wall at the missing stile crossing point.

Some tree branches and ground vegetation were cut back to clear the route through light tree cover descending to the wall. A tangle of old, trampled fence mesh was made safe by rolling it up and depositing it clear of the ‘stile’.

A finger post was placed for FP 5’s intersection with FP 7.

A finger post was erected north, and clear of, the farm building plot, to show the route for FP 8. Disks were added to the existing ‘post’ south of the building to add clarity to the routes of FPs 6, 7 and 8.

Footpath 10 was walked northwards to determine the commonly used route between sedge-filled boggy ground, and to find the options for crossing the stream at Green Stack. To aid finding the former option when going south at the wall corner, a fallen waymarker post was re-established twenty metres south of the road. A finger post was placed near to where the road crosses the stream.

Lower branches were taken out from fir trees alongside FP 10 approaching a stile beside Green Stack.

This project was completed in 1 day by 6 ECR Footpath Project Team members who, between them, worked 25.5 hours (excluding lunch break). Helen Battilana, Roger Fielding, Ken Hobbs, Duncan Learmond, Chris Munslow, and myself, Brian Richardson, attended.

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