New Maintence obligations fulfilled (Temporary route NCN680, Rowsley)

 I have some rivetting photos for this month's work day blog, but you'll have to wait a while for them!!

David S and I made an early start this morning from his house, together with enough serious digging kit to suggest we were going to build a new section of route, not just repair part of an existing one. 

I haven't used my bike trailer for ages and I soon  realised that I have aged a bit since then, given the extra effort needed to get uphills was most noticeable. 

I know that we spend a lot of time on a small section of NCN680, especially in the region of Rowsley sidings but however hard we cut back that vegetation it just seems to grow and grow and grow. Although the gravel path is quite wide the vegetation is already starting to encroach into the middle again, and overhanging branches are hanging at cyclists' eye level. 

For a while I have been aware of serious issues with overhanging branches from the start of NCN 680 at the Arc in Matlock to the Peak Rail railway station. This is not generally a section that we maintain as part of Groundwork days and so today was a good opportunity to make a start. We were soon getting several "thanks" from grateful dog-walkers, which is nice, but you do wonder why they can't just take a pair of secateurs out with them once a week?

In an hour we had made quite an impact, but for fear of not completing the main task of the day, we left the bits around the Church Inn until later, if we had time! I bike this section of trail reasonably regularly but was quite amazed at just how much everything has grown over the last couple of weeks. 

NCN 680 currently ends in the old station car park in Rowsley, before starting again, a few further miles north at the Coombs Road viaduct, just outside Bakewell. The bit between these two points is one of the (three) missing links on the White Peak Loop. A couple of years ago we suggested to DCC a temporary alternative for the Rowsley missing link that took cyclists up Church Lane and then down a rough track onto Coombs Rd. It is not ideal but could be so much better than having to go on the A6. DCC agreed (eventually) and 2 years ago completely resurfaced the section from the top of Church Lane up to the top of the steepest section at the edge of the woods. This work cost £85,000 and DCC now has sufficient monies to complete the resurfacing through the woods, down Coombs Lane, past Coombs farm and emerge out at the viaduct. It will be brilliant when it is done and whilst we await signs of the permanent route through the grounds of Haddon Hall. They are hoping to get a design prepared over the summer and complete the work this year. (Given the delays with phase 1, don't hold your breath!)

We have now "proved" our vegetation chopping capability to Marion Farrell of Groundwork as a result of the work we have been doing with her over the past 4 or so years. She has confirmed to DCC that we would be a competent group to undertake maintenance on the refurbished sections of track between Rowsley and Bakewell. I walked the section that is already complete with a DCC engineer a couple of months ago and we now have a full schedule of review works to guide us in maintenance work. Completing that programme was our task today. 

Starting from the top of the climb we slowly worked our way back down the refurbished track, checking ingress and egress to buried drainage pipes were clear, raking loose stones away from gateways, creating new "grips" to encourage water flows off the track and into the ditches alongside, etc, etc. 

The track is already starting to show some signs of significant water damage at the lower end. We have put in quite a few new "grips" higher up and will hope that this stabilises the position when we get the next lot of heavy rains. 

On the way back to Matlock we had just about sufficient time to chop back the worst of the overhangs between the waste recycling base and the Church Inn, but much more time could be spent there. I am afraid that might make for quite a full work day in November when we do our Autumn tidy up with Marrion.

Next work days are scheduled for Friday 1 July and Monday 8 August. I am away at beginning of July and so would be grateful to have a volunteer to lead the day. In August we may be going out "east" to help Maldwyn. I recently discovered a fairly unkept NCN 648 and Maldwyn is looking into who is responsible for its upkeep. It links into his route 6 and so it may be appropriate for us to help refresh the signs. It is a lovely route. Peter has also found some new volunteer rangers who live out that way and it would be nice to work with them and help them find their feet with track maintenance and signage issues.

regards to all,

David