MOD Range Castlemartin - St Govans Chapel Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Lactodorum: Hi, this looks suspiciously like the cache has gone. Could the owner please undertake a maintenance visit to check if it's there or not. In the meantime I'm archiving it but I'll happily unarchive it if/when it's found assuming it still meets the guidelines.

Thanks, Lactodorum
UK Admin

More
Hidden : 6/12/2005
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Right out on the cliffs of the spectacular Pembrokeshire National Park, five miles or so south of Pembroke, and a mile beyond the village of Bosherston, with its fine old 13th. century Church, and the famous Lily ponds, there is one of the most picturesque little 6th. century hermits' chapels in Britain. It is named after the hermit and saint who lived there now so many centuries ago, St. Govan.

Like most modern tourists, St Govan may have come to see the beautiful countryside now contained in the Pembrokeshire National Park! St. Govan was already an elderly man when he came to Pembrokeshire, and tradition says that pirates from Lundy Island tried to capture him. His capture could have resulted in a large ransom being demanded from the monastery, the wealthy house of the day. The tradition goes on to say that the cleft in the rock at St. Govan's Chapel opened miraculously for Govan to hide in, closed over him, opening miraculously for a second time after the pirates had gone away. St. Govan apparently stayed for the rest of his life in his cell, worshipping, preaching and teaching here in South Pembrokeshire. His saintliness was marked by the Church, which designated March 26th. as St. Govan's Day, and by followers who built the Chapel in the Cliffs. Tradition says that St. Govan lies buried under the altar in the chapel which bears his name. He died in 586.



Outside the Chapel there is a large rock boulder known as the Bell Rock. The legend is that St. Govan was given a silver bell which was stolen by pirates from its bell tower. St. Govan prayed for its return, and angels retrieved it and placed it inside a rock where it would be safe, and St. Govan used to tap the rock which gave a note a thousand times stronger than the note of the original bell.

In the floor near the main entrance there used to be a well, the water from which could only be procured in a limpet shell or small spoon, drop by drop. It was said to be a cure for eye complaints, skin diseases, and rheumatic tendencies. The rough built well outside the Chapel has a double legend of being a wishing well and a healing well. Local folklore suggests that if you count the number of steps down to the chapel and repeat it when you accend, the number of steps will be different - Try it out for yourselves!



The site is just one of a series of caches located within A Ministry Of Defence firing range (see also "The Green Bridge") and access can be restricted if Firing is in process. Due to previous "Muggle" activity in nearby caches, this is a micro-canister type cache and therefore does not contain a log book or any room for swops or travel bugs. I guess the pleasure in this cache as with most, is in the find and in the tremendous surrounding area. Instructions for logging the cache can be found inside the canister.





For further information about this cache and for an insight into caching activity in Wales, please check out my CACHING CYMRU website.


To log onto the CACHING CYMRU website, click here.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Jryy, Jryy!!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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