Category Archives: Fixes

Fixed field & wicket gates near Little Urswick Crags

Fixes

Blockage fixed north-west of Little Urswick, where the path meets Dimples Hole Lane – what a lovely name. This path had become unusable in the last few years, due to a gatepost collapsing. So in July 2026 PathFix volunteers cleared overgrowing vegetation, fitted a new gatepost, rehung the gates and put up new waymarks. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Before:

At the junction where Footpath 580017 meets Bridleway 580018 (Dimples Hole Lane) the gatepost had collapsed and the field gate and wicket gate it supported had had to be tied together and propped up and barricaded a bit, in order to prevent the horses getting out.

PathFix managed to find out who owned the land and get permission to fix things. And the first job was to clear back the hedges either side of the gates, which had run riot a bit and were hindering access.

After:

Then this week, our PathFix CWR volunteer team got it sorted. They re-fitted the gatpost and rehung the field gate and the adjacent wicket gate, and and here’s what it looks like now.

.The field gate had also suffered a bit due to the horses biting on the top bar – do they do this to clean their teeth? So the CWR team also fitted chicken wire over the top rail to stop the horses slowly destroying it.

Many thanks to the volunteers who cleared the area first, to the volunteer who put up the new waymarks (old ones had faded or disappeared). And particularly thanks to the CWR volunteer fixing team who had to get the heavy wood there (it’s 400m from the nearest road) and then get the gatepost installed and the gates rehung. Great work.

Four stiles fixed on Haematite Trail near Stainton

Fixes,

PathFix volunteers cleared one stile and re-built three more, all on the short footpath between Greystone Lane and Long Stainton just south of Stainton (FP 602011) needed sorting.

PathFix volunteers LM, SB & SB first surveyed that short section of the Haematitie Trail and also cleared the vegetation that was blocking the gap stile where it leaves Greystone Lane.

Then later, the CWR PathFix volunteer team fixed the other three stiles – all wooden stile – one of which was missing altogether and two of which needed repairs. They also fitted new waymarks.

This is one of the stiles worked on. There was no stile left through this hedge – just one stone that looked like there might at one time been a gap stile there.

So the CWR volunteer team opened up a gap thrugh the hedge and built this new wooden stile there.

Stile greatly improved: Buckhorn Lane (near Beanthwaite)

Clearings, Fixes,

An old stile in the stone wall at Buckhorn Lane had been completely overgrown by ivy. So PathFix volunteers MS & SC cleared the completely overgrown stone step stile. And since the wall is quite high, volunteers JW & MC then fitted a handrail to make it safe to use. (Click to enlarge photos.)

BEFORE
Is there really a stile & fingerpost under all that ivy?

AFTER
Yes! Here it is!
And now with a handrail too.

Stiles fixed: Smithy Green, Greenodd

Fixes,

Two stiles needed fixing on the short path from Smithy Green Farm to the lane above Penny Bridge Church. PathFix volunteers TL & GC rebuilt both steps on one and repaired the step on another.

Stile 1 BEFORE:
The rails and uprights were secure on this stile, but both steps were rotted and at least one step support post was in danger of collapsing.

Stile 1 AFTER:
It is now secure and fully usable, after PathFix volunteers TL & GC replaced both steps and all their support posts.

Stile 2 BEFORE:
The old steps were rotting on the stile at the other end of that path, where it leaves the wood onto the lane above Penny Bridge Church.

Stile 2 AFTER:
So they replaced both steps on that stile.