Hardwicke Rawnsley 1851 – 1920.
Canon Rawnsley was a man ahead of his time; he was convinced that land was valuable for its spiritual and aesthetic benefits as well as for its industrial potential. He was instrumental in the formation of the Lake District Defence Society whose fight against a quarry railway from Braithwaite through Honister to Keswick forced the issue into Government and public debate.
He was a champion of the Lakes, always ready to battle or bully a committee, challenging and defying the builders of bungalows and railways. He crusaded hotly for the formation of a National Trust to buy and preserve places of natural beauty and historic interest for the nation - an ambition he achieved in 1895, together with Miss Octavia Hill, a social reformer, and Sir Robert Hunter, a lawyer. Beatrix Potter's father Rupert was their first life member. Today the National Trust owns and protects almost one quarter of the land in the Lake District National Park. For 26 years, until his death, he worked unceasingly as Honorary Secretary to the Trust. He was responsible for a campaign to raise money to buy Brandlehow Wood, the National Trust's first purchase.
“It is often claimed that tourism threatens the Lake District. In fact attempts to preserve the Lakes are made because they are considered beautiful by so many people. Hectic though it does get on a Spring Bank Holiday in some Lakeland spots, tourism helps to save what it threatens to destroy. If there was no tourism, then there would be a greater likelihood that the land would be used for something else, by an industry with less of a vested interest in keeping the place looking beautiful - the lakes are what they are because of mans' activities.”
It was through the efforts of Canon Rawnsley, and his creation of the National Trust, that much of Borrowdale was preserved from development. On his death Friars Crag, together with Lords Island and Calf Close Bay were given to the National Trust as his memorial. A plaque to his memory is set into a wall beside the Friars Crag Path.
No-one has achieved more for the lake District in the last 200 years than Canon Rawnsley. A small booklet is available in Crosthwaite church giving more detail about the life of Rawnsley and the things he campaigned for.
The co-ordinates given are for the plaque NOT FOR THE CACHE.
Insert the date from the last line on the plaque and transpose as follows for the FINAL CO-ORDINATES:
D D M M Y Y Y Y
A B C D E F G H
N54 35.B(G+H)(F-E)
W003 08.(E+H)(B-E)(B-G)
******Congratulations to Kriyacacher for the FTF******