A subject on the agenda for next Thursday's Derby Rangers Meeting is that of the maintenance of the twenty odd seats which we have between Mickleover and Egginton Junction Bridge. Most have been in place now for many years and are showing signs of deterioration (rather like some of we Rangers).
So that we can see what work needs doing, I have today carried out a survey of the seats and here it is with the seats numbered in order starting from Mickleover.
Most of the seats just need a coat of wood preserver when they have dried out, but some are in a bad state and will need new timbers fitting.
Seat no.1 (nearest to Mickleover) is sound but needs graffiti painting over and complete paint.
Seat no.2 (Wendy's Seat) needs two complete new top members.
Close up of rot.
Seat no.3 is at top of bank opposite veteran oak trees, and is OK but needs painting.
Seat no.4 (The Curved Seat) has minor rot but OK generally and needs painting.
We could fill this hole before painting seat.
Seat no.4 is just past the Curved Seat on the path to Greenside Court. Condition OK but a coat of paint would not come amiss.
Seat 5 has rot on back piece but otherwise sound. Needs painting.
Seat 7 OK
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Seat 8 OK.
Seat 9 OK
Seat 10 needs painting.
Seat 11 needs painting.
Seat 12 Sound but for rot on arms.
Inge Memorial Seat is OK
Sound but could do with a coat of paint.
Etwall by-pass seat OK.
Sutton Lane bridge Seat is OK.
Kingfisher Bridge Seat has rot on arms.
This one looks OK.
No problems on the Ratcliffe Seat.
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Rot evident here on the next seat.
Five Mile Gate Seat wrecked. New top required.
Egginton Junction Bridge seat rotten. Needs new top.
Well that's it for the seats, but two other problems:-
One of the gate posts at Bonehill Gate has rotted at ground level and the two gates are holding up the post rather than the other way round.
Replacement of gateposts has traditionally been carried out by the DCC Rangers as it requires equipment and skills which we do not have (or have lost).
On one occasion the pedestrian gate was left open by persons unknown and two fat bellied cows (no not you girls!) tried to get through at once on their way to milking at Bearwardcote Farm. The 6" x 6" gatepost snapped off at ground level.
The other problem is transverse ruts caused by tractors crossing the path and cutting right through the Toptrek surface down to the substrate below.
This could be dangerous to cyclists who are not looking where they are going.
This is between Heage Lane and Hepnall's Bridge.
6 comments:
At least these are all standing, Unfortunately of those on the Onslow Gate path, 3 have been completely destroyed and one is in need of refurbishment.
The supports for all the seats are in good condition in spite of being set in the ground, and this is because they are either steel, or cut from old telegraph poles which had been creosoted.
The modern wood preservers do not do "what is says on the tin" as they do not soak into the timber as does creosote.
Excellent survey Les. We must attend to them in the spring specially with the paint brush!
Railway sleepers were usually pressure-creosoted rather than just soaked. It's possible that telegraph poles are the same. There are now restrictions on the use of old railway sleepers e.g. not to be used in childrens playgrounds.
When we ran out of "found" telegraph poles I asked BT to sell us more but they said they could not due to H&S rules.
"What happens to them then?" said I.
"We sell them to a dealer" said the man.
"What does he do with them? I asked.
"He probably sells them to the public" was the reply.
If the gates are in need of fixing, this might be a good time to consider if all of them are needed. Certainly, at least two looks like nothing ever goes across the greenway but most of the users of the path continue to open and shut the gates.
The gates with the farm track running through may still need to be there but I find it hard to be convinced that the others are necessary (as there are gates on all 4 sides of the junction).
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