Kennoway Den #3 Traditional Cache
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1 of 4 caches placed in order to take in the wonderful walk from Kennoway to Windygates.
Kennoway deriving from the Gaelic word for Kenneth, Ceann-nan-uaigh, after the villages patron saint St Kenneth.
Kennoway is a small growing village on the outskirts of Leven. The village dates back to the 15th century where the main forms of income were from agriculture and the weaving of rough cotton. The village sits on the edge of a deep ravine with a soft burn running through it. The walls of the ravine have many caves running through them some of which are still visible today, however not advisable to enter them. The area down the ravine is called Kennoway Den and goes somewhat unnoticed as its not visible from any of the main roads or indeed from most of the minor streets. The Den used to play a major part in the locals social and working lives. The main green was where it is believed the weavers left the materials out to dry prior to weaving and the walk itself was the place where many locals met. This is a section of an old poem which mentions the Den:
"Come gether roond dear freend o’ mine
And ha’e a crack fur auld lang syne
jist come awa in tae ma wee but an ben
an i'll tak ye fancy doon Kennoway den
Hoo bony thy trees in the spring o’ the year
An the burn made music sae lovely tae hear".
the sun semed tae shine sae warm an serene
as we made daisy chains an played on the den green
Doon the steep Spa Wynd once again to ramble
across the auld spa brig ( seventeen hundred and four )
up into the cave o' John Knox bit o; a scramble
every auld neuk in the den to explore"
This group of caches, if doing the 3 together, is designed to show you all this from start to finish if.
The walk starts from the footpath on Denhead which is also an ideal place to park. Just down from the site of Kennoway Den #1 there is a small building under the trees with a metal grid gate on it. This is called Cardy Well and is believed to be where the weavers washed all the material prior to drying out on the green further down. This made very good use of the natural spring running through it.
On the green itself you will see a small cairn recently built by the scouts as part of the focus group trying to breathe life back into the Den. Take time to take in the superb view of the rock face at the green.
Heading over the stone bridge the path continues on the other side of the burn. when you reach the first bench after the bridge take a little seat and look to the top of the rock face. Can you see the cave entrance? This one is known simply as the square cave, however I'm sure thats not its original name.
Now the site of Kennoway Den #2. These caves are known as the circle caves and again, not their original name. If you look into these ones you can see their turns and bends.
just down from here is a small narrow stone bridge. If you look closely at it you will see the date of erection is 1704. I have not been able to find if this is still the original bridge but I like to believe it is and that by walking over it I am taking small footsteps in the past.
Continuing the walk you will come to a rock face jutting out towards the pathway with metal barriers at it. Can you see the rock "head and face" sticking out? You are not far from Kennoway Den #3.
Once finding the last one the walk can be finished by heading up the steps to the quiet street above or follow the path to The Burns Tavern.
I hope you enjoy this series. It is my first caches so any feedback is grateful. Please let me know how accurate coordinates are as the tree cover may have them out slightly.
Most of the caches themselves cannot be accessed by wheelchair or pushchairs, however the pathway itself is more than suitable.
Kennoway Den #3 is a small lock and lock tub. It contains small swaps, a pen and a FTF prize of a purple rubber face
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre fgvpxf oruvaq ynetr 4 gehaxrq gerr
Treasures
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