The Nightingale Arm Traditional Cache
The Two Collies: Had enough pestering by geocache reviewers so am archiving all my caches.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Introduction
The fifth of our Florence Nightingale Series - Florence and the
Nightingale family had their summer home at Lea Hurst in Holloway.
This cache is located on the "Leawood Arm" (also known as the
"Nightingale Arm" ) of the Cromford Canal
A lovely short circular walk can be made by parking at High Peak
Junction (where there are picnic tables,toilets and refreshments),
walking over the bridges to High Peak Junction, along the canal
past Lea Wood Pump House before turning left along the Nightingale
Arm and back to the car park.
A Little History
Sadly this "arm" of the canal is very much overgrown and dry in
many places.
Constructed for Florence Nightingale’s great uncle, this arm
was built to serve his lead mills at Lea Bridge. The arm now ends
at the wharf cottage before Lea Bridge, shortened when a dispute
arose over the water supply.
Nightingale’s textile mill complex which grew up at the end
of the branch (now Smedley’s) is still in production and
original worker’s cottages overlook the site of the first
wharf.
The much-loved but derelict ‘Aquaduct
Cottage’,overlooking the junction, housed the lengthsman for
the arm.
Alongside the wharf ( a short walk east from the cache), although
now long since gone, was the Nightingale Hat Factory. The circular
metal base of the old crane used for loading/unloading the barges
can still be seen amongst the cobble stones on the wharfe and there
is a small information plaque in the nearby flowerbed
Lea Wood Pump House
The Pump House which was built to pump water from the River Derwent
into the canal to top it up. During certain weekends of the year
the Pump House is fired up and has free admission when it is
possible to look around the entire building
2010 "Steaming" Dates
Easter: April Sunday 4th & Monday 5th
May Day: May Sunday 2nd & Monday 3rd
June Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th
July Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th
August Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th
August Sunday 29th & Monday 30th
October Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd
October Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st
Engine in motion 12noon - 5pm (except October 31st 11am -
4pm)
The Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage
Site
This area is part of the World Heritage Site and several
conservation areas. The canal,including the Lea Wood/Nightingale
Arm, and its immediate surroundings form a major component of the
world heritage site which runs 15 miles from Matlock Bath down to
Derby following the River Derwent and encompassing the canal as
well as several mills and other historic structures such as the
aforementioned pump house and Aquaduct Cottage
For those concerned about the impact of geocaching on sensitive
areas whilst this cache is inside the heritage site it is however
not situated in or near any historic or man made structures such as
buildings or walls.
The Cache
The cache is a large ( 2.5 litre ) camoflaged container hidden
right next to the path. The path can be quite busy as its a popular
tourist area so the usual advice regarding muggles applies! Please
make sure the cache is well hidden again.
The Nightingale Series
GC1K8EG Shucks Florence
GC1K2EX Deer Florence
GC1J8K2 Florences Sleepy Hollow
GC1Y54R Florence has a Blue Peter Badge
GC23Z6H The Nightingale Arm
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs guerr vil pbirerq gerrf
Treasures
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