Circular Top Road built across the full width and height of the Rehoboth
A key aim of our Charity was to create an all -weather fully accessible road, running across the Rehoboth on a North/South axis across the full width of the Burial Ground.
Stage One
Stage one was building a 30 metre road at the top of the Isles Memorial area in November 2019, funded by a generous grant from Wade’s Charity. This linked the two spurs of the Victorian Carriage Road, built in 1882 to allow a horse drawn hearse and horse drawn trollies, carrying the blocks that form the Memorials access to the top of the Burial Ground.
Foundations were dug by volunteers with circa 12 tonnes of old stone that originally were in the foundations removed and subsequently used for recycling to build the Memorial Shelter. Our standard combination of weed carpet/ballast/crushed limestone/Groundguard and pea gravel completed this section in November 2019.
The second stage was a bigger challenge as this stretch of road was circa 75 metres running the rest of the way across the Burial Ground with just an earth path to use as its base. Compounded by Covid-19 “Lockdown 1” and restrictions on what work and voluntary activity could be undertaken. We undertook the use of a JCB to dig out the foundations.
Stage Two
A secondary and significant challenge was that we had to transport by wheelbarrow what became 32 tonnes of building materials from the entrance area. This was resolved by organising our “10 Tonne Challenge”, whereby teams from the Farsley Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints provided enthusiastic young volunteers who moved about a third of the materials in a unique competition challenge. The rest was moved by our hardworking volunteers which required several hundred wheelbarrow trips.
Final stages were compacting the top gravel surface, rotavating and landscaping the earth edges on either side of the completed road. Materials were funded by Wade’s Charity, Co-op Community Fund and our neighbours at Pro-Fit Gym.
Stage Three
Stage Three commenced in spring 2021 with the aim of completing a circular extension that would lead from the Top Road down the slope to the Coal Hill Lane wall and finally parallel to the wall until it joined up with the entrance area.
This was also the route where our electricity supply was routed in April to July 2021.
The first 45 metres was completed thanks to the support of Wade’s Charity and christened “Wade’s Way” with the final length of 75 meters scheduled for completion in winter 2021.
The concrete footings on both sides of the road are mounted with stones we have recovered during the reclamation of the Rehoboth.
Work to complete the final 75 metres commenced in March 2022 and was completed in record time during April 2022.
Ten tonnes of ready mixed concrete and fourteen tonnes of ballast and surface clippings were utilised with the concrete footings also mounted with recycled stones.
