We received a report that the stile at the top of the bank near Castle Farm in Garshall Green was in a bad way. Whilst we try and walk all the footpaths between us once a year things can happen at any time and so it is great to have problems reported to us or the County Council so that we can rectify the problem as soon as possible.
Completely Rotten!
The stile was completely collapsed, together with the adjacent fencing. The day was dry and later brightened up with some sun. The team of Richard, Mark, Phil and Paul very quickly cleared the old stile, there was not much left of it! However the step was still sound so we left that in place. The ground under the trees was extremely dry and powdery but with stones and some roots, digging was slow. Once the holes were deep enough we built the new stile in situ and nailed it together.
Two more holes were dug for a second step which was fitted between the old step and the new stile post. After a short coffee break we installed a new fence post and some 12 foot rails to make the field secure. Whilst there we also fitted a new post and handrail to make it easier to get up the steps from the lane. These too were cleared of soil and undergrowth.
Three hours later.
On our way back down to Milwich we encountered a loose cow on the lane so helped to get it back into the field where it should be before retiring to The Green Man for a well deserved couple of pints. This was probably the last session for 2016.
Richard, Phil and Mark, well done guys.
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