Skip to content

Hill-man Takes Shelter Traditional Cache

Hidden : 12/13/2009
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

A walk up Glen Dhoo, good boots or wellies needed in or after wet weather, possibly all year-round in the current climate.

Park in the area above and behind Ravensdale Castle, walk back down the road then turn left up the clearly marked Bayr Glass or Greenway. Don't go up the steep track at the carpark entrance, it's very steep and a long way round, unless you want a strenuous hike.
As our track is not a through-route for motorbikes they don't often use it, though their tracks can be seen.Other than them, and the occasional mountain-cyclist, look out for raptors as we heard them calling while putting on boots before setting out. Please keep dogs on a leash, both on MNCT land and the public ramblage area beyond as livestock may be grazing.
For those following the saga of Hill-man's travels, he has decided to move South for the winter, having visited Royal Ramsey and left a memento of his visit at the Albert Tower. The weather having turned decidedly inclement, he thought to gain shelter with the millers at Glen Dhoo, but was disappointed to find them gone, evidently by many years. A farm or croft not far down the river also being abandoned, Hill-man concluded the Ballaugh valley was deserted, and a camp in the shelter of the trees at the valley head would have to suffice. Sad man, it's cold and damp, if he'd persevered he'd have found the Raven Hotel, which he would much appreciate! Here we leave him to ponder his next move , while we study a little history and archaeology. Bear with us please!
As you head up the valley, staying on the Green Road,entering MNCT land you will first pass a memorial to Charles Thornton MBE and John Cowdell, then come to a derelict farm or croft, approached by a narrow bridge consisting of a single slab of stone laid over the stream. Over the door there is another memorial, to Margaret Louise Pass. Carry on up the valley, you will exit the MNCT land and come to the now ruined Glen Dhoo mill and farm. From the range of buildings it would appear this was a prosperous enterprise during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Near the last gate before you reach the mill there is a large cast iron cog wheel, presumably from the mill, which led archaeologists and historians to believe this was a threshing mill, although an early OS map called it a 'tuck' or fulling mill. Either would be likely, given the situation. The mill was water driven, the water supply being not the stream direct but the pond in the shallow depression up-valley from the mill, led to the wheel by a raised leat, still visible today. I guess the wheel was over-shot, but have no evidence for this, and it may have been back-shot as at Laxey's Lady Isabella.
The farm buildings are a hundred yards or so away from the mill, nestling under the hill on drier ground.The ruined dwelling is in front, with the out-buildings beside and behind. The chimney on the left gable (looking from the front door) seems of an odd design to me, but this could be due to way the building is collapsing. The large tree trunk inside the house has fallen from the stump behind the upside gable, no doubt bringing the roof and upper floor down with it. I would not advise allowing children to explore the buildings due to the poor state of some of the masonry.
For those who stayed awake through the lecture, and those wise souls who skipped it, the cache is not much further up the valley. Continue following the stream as it swings gently right and start to rise between the stream and the plantation conifers. Quite close to the cache the ground can be very soggy, watch out for soft spots! The GPS signal is good here, but the hint should be sufficient on poor days. The cache is a plastic seal-tite type of sandwich box under a very solid cover. No heavy lifting involved! Please leave the cache well-hidden as this trail sees a fair bit of passing foot traffic.
From here you can trek on up into the hills and find some more not too distant caches, or retrace your steps/splashes to the carpark and possibly the cache in the beautiful and nearby Glen Shoggil.
PS, Oops, I think I forgot to leave a pencil in the cache, please be prepared.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

YNETR obhyqre.

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)