The cache contain the usual items PLUS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION so that you can find out more about the history of this interesting and beautiful area.
The co-ordinates for the Grassington Ramble multi-cache are NOT THE ACTUAL CO-ORDINATES for the cache site, but for the National Park Centre and car park in Grassington (charge).
The co-ordinates for the actual geocache are:
N 54° A B . C D E , W 00 F ° G H . I J K
Your task is to complete the co-ordinates for the Geocache by taking a walk of approximately 2½ miles around the town of Grassington.
The trail starts at the south west end of the National Park car park where a gate gives access to Sedber Lane. Walk down the lane towards the River Wharfe.
You might like to cross over the bridge at the bottom, enjoying the views of Linton Falls below. These were created millions of years ago by the shifting of the North Craven Fault.
A: Find the plate on one end of the bridge that gives the details of the company that made the bridge. Multiply the number of Hugon (UK) Limited’s building on Moss Lane by the first digit of the company’s telephone number to find A.
To carry on with the trail, cross back over the River Wharfe and turn left on the Dales Way public footpath that follows the river to Grassington Bridge.
B: Count the number of large arches in the bridge over the river (you will need to look closely to get this right especially in the summer when the trees are covered in leaves!). This will give you B.
Follow the path up the slope to the road and carefully cross over the road. Underneath the tree opposite there are two benches, both of which are inscribed.
C: Find the bench that was presented by the Grassington Women’s Institute. Count the number of 9s to get C.
Head towards the field gate with a barn beyond, going past the footpath sign to Grass Wood. The bridleway to Grass Wood Lane goes up steps to the right of the gate. You then walk along the length of a long thin field. There are similar strips of land above and below you. These plots of land were once part of the medieval open fields that surrounded Grassington. Follow the bridleway through the fields towards the house called Wharfemead. Continue past it until you reach the road called Wood Lane.
D: There is a footpath sign by the road pointing to Grassington Bridge (‘Grassington br’). Multiply the distance to the bridge by 3 to get D.
Cross over Wood Lane into Bull Ings Lane. The town bull may well have been kept in fields near here.
E: There is a pole carrying electricity cables over this lane. Find the sign on the pole that starts ‘S/S’ and add all of the numbers to get E.
Follow the lane to its end at Town Head where there is a sign directing walkers to Bank Lane.
F: Count how many letter Bs there are on the sign to find F.
Town Head farmhouse is just over the wall behind the sign. If you buy milk in Grassington it probably came from this farm. Turn right and make your way along the road towards a row of terraced cottages on Chapel Street.
G: Just before the cottages, there is a signpost indicating that the Dales Way goes up Bank Lane to the left. Take ½ off the distance to Kettlewell to get G.
Continue walking along Chapel Street until you reach its junction with Moor Lane.
H: Opposite Grove House Gallery is a house that was originally built as the village Police Station. Add the second and fourth digits of the year in which it was built (on the date stone) to find H.
Turn right and walk down Main Street.
After a short distance you will see a café on your right. This shop was originally used by the local apothecary (chemist) and local historian, John Crowther in the late 19th century.
I: Find the approximate year when John Crowther worked in the shop. Take the first digit in the year from the fourth and you will have I.
Further down the street you will come to The Anvil Gallery. This was once a blacksmith’s shop and was formerly owned by the notorious Tom Lee. Although there is no evidence that Lee was a blacksmith, it is known that he was a lead miner and also the landlord of the Blue Anchor Inn. He murdered the village doctor in Grass Wood sometime in the 18th century, a crime for which he was later executed in York. His body was returned to the area and was hung on a gibbet in Grass Wood on the site of the murder. This location is still known as ‘Gibbet Hill’.
J: Find the year in which Tom Lee owned the ‘Smidy’. Turn the last digit upside down to get J.
Continue down the street to the Square. Across the Square from the pump, is the Upper Wharfedale Museum – worth a visit if it is open. Facing the museum, turn to your left and walk up Garrs Lane. Just past the row of cottages take a left (following signs for The Mountaineer) to find Pletts Barn where John Wesley once preached. Continue on past the barn along Water Street and you will come out by the trees and small parking area opposite the Town Hall.
K: To find your last co-ordinate count how many trees there are in the small parking area opposite the Town Hall. This will give you K.
You now have all of the digits that make up the co-ordinates of the cache location, and you might like to sit on the bench under one of the trees to enter them into your GPS receiver. For peace of mind, the total sum of the digits A to K should be 44.
The cache is located only a short walk from the bench.
Further information on many of the features seen along the walk and much more can be found on our archaeology website, Out of Oblivion.
With thanks also to Ian Goldthorpe’s excellent booklet ‘100 things to see on a walk through Grassington’ – available at various outlets in the village.