We are a group of 28 volunteers (10 women and 18 men) from across the area from a wide range of backgrounds, bringing many skills. What makes us a great team is that we all love the idea of making sure that Rights of Way remain accessible and a pleasure to use.

us 2016 — Here’s a few of us outside White Ribbon in 2016

Some of the team in 2020

us at Cragg Brook — A bunch of us (slightly mud spattered) after a day dealing with the path down Cragg Brook – 2014

Who we work with

We couldn’t survive without other organisations in the area. They provide information about problems, funding, publicity, and support on social media.

We work alongside:

Calderdale Council Highways Department to liaise about routes we are working on and providing advice about how to deal with difficult problems.
Calderdale Countryside Service who make finger posts for us.
Walkers Action, Ramblers and other walking groups who tell us what needs doing.
Local community organisations such as Cragg Vale Community Association, Sowerby residents and Luddenden Civic society who also tell us what needs doing and have given financial support.

We have worked on specific projects for the following groups and organisations:

Mytholmroyd Walkers Action – e.g. working on their children’s walk.
Hebden Bridge Walkers Action – e.g. repairing their self-guided walks.
Pennine Horizons – e.g. improving the routes of e-Trails.
Cragg Vale Community Association – e.g. working on a new path above Cragg Brook.
Calderdale Long Distance Walkers Association – repairing parts of the Hebden Route.
National Trust – working on paths in the Hardcastle Crags area and access paths.
Blackshaw, Wadsworth and Heptonstall Parish Councils.
Todwalkers – e.g. repairing the pop-out walks and bus walks.
University of Huddersfield – repairing and upgrading three “Discovering Ted Hughes’s Yorkshire” trails.

We also would like to acknowledge support from:

Friends in Cornholme who give us the proceeds of an annual wreath making event.
Calderdale Community Foundation for a grant for buying tools.
Hebden Bridge Town Council for offering the possibility of financial help if we get stuck.
Windsor Road Residents for agreeing to open their permissive path.
Thomson Reuters for funding work in Cragg Vale.
CALVAG for always delivering on time (and to some obscure places).
Ian Whitehead of Calder Computers who has improved our IT systems dramatically.
Friends of Calderdale Countryside for a grant for buying tools.
Individual people who have given us tools or made individual donations.
Landowners who by and large are supportive of what we do.

And lots more people, we thank you all.

A testimonial from Natalie, a National Trust Ranger

……..With your invaluable help, we have been able to improve the crags and surrounding areas for visitors in balance with our nature conservation ambitions……….

My best memories are when you taught me way back in January 2017 how to build steps to the crags, the ‘BIG SCRAPE’, balsam bashing and working on the new crags footpath.

Keep up the brilliant work CROWS and all the best in the future! You truly are community access heroes!