Bruntscar, Whernside. YDNP
An award of a tender from the Yorkshire Dales National Park saw us head south to warmer climates fro the winter to repair a very step section of the Yorkshire Three Peaks Path at a place called Bruntscar on Whernside.
This was another project funded in part by the BMC's Mend our Mountains campaign.
The contract was for the removal of 200m of the old collapsed pitching and re-build of 200m of pitching and drainage features with stone donated and imported from a local quarry. The choice of stone and the import of it was under the control of the Yorkshire Dales park authority, ideally we would have preferred to use a local weathered stone but due to environmental restrictions this wasn't allowed.
This was actually quite a complicated and difficult project, not least as the weather was pretty harsh even for us, so much for escaping the Scottish winter!
The real issues though were to do with the extremely steep aspect of the site, a lack of room to work and to store the imported materials as well as having to deal with all the stone removed from the old pitching.
Also, as we had not been able to pick the stone ourselves some of it was not as we would have chosen to use due to size, shape or available walking surface.
Ground and working conditions were also quite tough with the path line being the natural channel for water flow with very few options for diverting it off the site.
The first job on site was to cordon off the site as all the existing pitching which was being ripped out, once this was done we proceeded to demolish the old path, we did however realise that there were certain sections where we were going to re-align the path that it was helpful to leave the old stone in situ.
This had a few advantages, firstly it saved some costs for the client, secondly, tearing everything out would leave the ground less stable once it had been disturbed and thirdly, the sections we left could sometimes work as revetment or even as a hard wearing drain.
In some places where the path was left we used these areas to pile up the rest of the materials and to block off the old scars and prevent people wandering off the new line.
All in all though by adapting our skills we were able to build the path within our given time frame and to build a functional hard wearing path that will hopefully hold walkers on the desired line and allow the erosion to recover.
Pre-construction conditions.
As you can see from the photos beneath the existing path was in a poor state, the techniques used in the construction are generally never used now.
Revetment and the banking has collapsed due to poor and ineffective drainage and the pitching is very un-even.
Multiple braids have formed as walkers try to negotiate the worst damage.
This was another project funded in part by the BMC's Mend our Mountains campaign.
The contract was for the removal of 200m of the old collapsed pitching and re-build of 200m of pitching and drainage features with stone donated and imported from a local quarry. The choice of stone and the import of it was under the control of the Yorkshire Dales park authority, ideally we would have preferred to use a local weathered stone but due to environmental restrictions this wasn't allowed.
This was actually quite a complicated and difficult project, not least as the weather was pretty harsh even for us, so much for escaping the Scottish winter!
The real issues though were to do with the extremely steep aspect of the site, a lack of room to work and to store the imported materials as well as having to deal with all the stone removed from the old pitching.
Also, as we had not been able to pick the stone ourselves some of it was not as we would have chosen to use due to size, shape or available walking surface.
Ground and working conditions were also quite tough with the path line being the natural channel for water flow with very few options for diverting it off the site.
The first job on site was to cordon off the site as all the existing pitching which was being ripped out, once this was done we proceeded to demolish the old path, we did however realise that there were certain sections where we were going to re-align the path that it was helpful to leave the old stone in situ.
This had a few advantages, firstly it saved some costs for the client, secondly, tearing everything out would leave the ground less stable once it had been disturbed and thirdly, the sections we left could sometimes work as revetment or even as a hard wearing drain.
In some places where the path was left we used these areas to pile up the rest of the materials and to block off the old scars and prevent people wandering off the new line.
All in all though by adapting our skills we were able to build the path within our given time frame and to build a functional hard wearing path that will hopefully hold walkers on the desired line and allow the erosion to recover.
Pre-construction conditions.
As you can see from the photos beneath the existing path was in a poor state, the techniques used in the construction are generally never used now.
Revetment and the banking has collapsed due to poor and ineffective drainage and the pitching is very un-even.
Multiple braids have formed as walkers try to negotiate the worst damage.
Heli lifts and construction phase.
Completed path.
All in all a very robustly constructed path that will hopefully take the user numbers on this very popular route.
The use of the imported materials wasn't ideal the colouring wasn't a good match although this was a local stone and the sharp edges and angles and sizes made for a difficult construction, but hopefully once a few years have passed it will weather in to the landscape well.
The use of the imported materials wasn't ideal the colouring wasn't a good match although this was a local stone and the sharp edges and angles and sizes made for a difficult construction, but hopefully once a few years have passed it will weather in to the landscape well.
