Note (14 January 2006) The
initial coordinates are at the parking lot. Look for the trail on
the north side of that parking lot. Procede in the direction that
the ancient Merscerislanders may have taken if Onkle is right in
his theory.
Onkle Ole called up and after he sang
me a little song (you're lucky you don't have to hear Onkle Ole
sing - not good,) he told me this little tale.
In the Pennines
"Hi nephew!" Onkle Ole said. "I found something real
interesting today."
"Whats that?" I asked him.
"I found a Corpse Way here in Bellevue," he replied. "I
found trail where the ancient Mercerislanders, Bowartites, and
Bellvueites used to take their dead to the nearest consecrated
grounds for burial."
"The ancient what?"
"Sure, in the Middle Ages, most of these small villages had no
consecrated churchyards in which to inter their dead. So, the body,
wrapped in a sheet, would be carried in a large wicker basket along
the "Corpse Way." Smoking their clay pipes to ward off the smell of
death, the men would plunk the basket into special barns called
"Dead Houses" that dotted the Corpse Way, and repair to the nearby
pub to fortify themselves before continuing their journey."
"That's balmy Onkle," I cried. "There wern't any villages
around here back then." Then I remembered something.
"Didn't you just visit your niece in England?" I asked.
"Ya"
"And didn't you go up into Swaledale in the north for some
hiking?"
"Ya"
"And don't they have a famous 'Corpse Way' up there between
Grinton and Keld?"
"Ya"
"I think you are mixing those places up," I accused him.
"Oh nephew, go and see for your self," he replied in a huff and
promptly hung up.
| Well, you go out and
try. The initial waypoint will place you near a path (look a
little to the north for it.) The next waypoint is within
sight. It's an object that, perhaps, bones could have
rested. You'll know you're at the right object when you see
the bird house.
At that location, you'll need to
follow an offset - go north 55 meters. Look for a film
canister, it is at eye level.
Inside is a slip of paper that
will have a series of letters on it that can be turned into
numbers. Just consider the sequence of the alphabet and
remember that zero isn't a letter, so it's shown as '0' on the
strip. That will lead you to the second waypoint.
The second waypoint will be at a
similar object that might be a place to rest some bones. Look
for a film canister directly across the trail.
The third waypoint will be another
place to rest weary bones. From here, travel an offset of 243
meters at a bearing of 169° true. Look for just a slip of
paper craftily hidden.
|
 |
The final cache location is a small lock-n-lock container.
Now you be the judge. Is this an example of an ancient
Corpse Way? Or is Onkle Ole loosing it? Please post
your judgment. Be prepared for a round trip walk of around two
miles