I hadn’t been down to the ruins since mid-September so I’m not sure when the work was completed. But it’s good to see that the metal fencing around Errwood Hall has finally been removed so that visitors can once again enjoy exploring this historic site. (Click here for more information on the hall.)

Above: It’s a shame that the steps weren’t put back in place.

Forestry England, which manages this part of the valley on behalf of the land-owners, United Utilities, had responded to a steady stream of vandalism by replacing missing stones and repointing some of the low walls.

The most recent example was when some mindless cretin tried to tunnel under the stone steps just beyond the entrance, presumably in a ridiculous attempt to reach the cellars (see this post).

But I do think it’s a great pity that the steps weren’t put back in place, and have instead been left lying on the ground nearby. They helped reveal the internal layout of the hall.

Above: Crossing the stream now that the footbridge has been removed isn’t easy when the water level rises and the banks are muddy.

Vanishing footbridge update

I also noticed that the ‘footpath closed’ signs have been removed from the track going around the back of the ruins. I’m guessing that someone just took it upon themselves to remove them as Forestry England were talking about closing the footpath for some time.

There was a fair amount of water coming down the stream (see photo above), but it was still fairly easy to step across using the large stones. But as Janet commented under this post, it wouldn’t be so easy with a small child and a baby in a baby carrier!

It wouldn’t surprise me if Forestry England put up something more solid across both ends of the path to prevent people using it. And it wouldn’t surprise me if someone else then decided to remove them!

It would have been so much better if FE had simply repaired the footbridge rather than remove it.