Selby's Cove Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This cache is located in Selby’s Cove, a location to the
south west of the highest point of the Simonside Hills. The cache
is a small container with a logbook and pencil with a few trinkets.
It should be able to hold small trackable items.
Selby’s Cove is an interesting but unexpected location on the
southern side of the fell sandstone ridge of the Simonside Hills.
I’m not a geologist, or geographer, so I’m not sure how
this rift has been formed, and I have not been able to find much
information about its formation. The fell sandstone, which forms an
east, south east and south facing arc, through Northumberland,
around the volcanic rocks of Cheviot, has been subject to massive
movements in the geological past to form some crags and caves. The
cove, although boggy and wet in the bottom, doesn’t appear to
be a valley formed by a present day stream. Perhaps it could have
been formed by an Ice Age “run off”! (Informed opinion
would be welcome!)
As well as its geological origin, neither is the origin of the
cove’s name known with certainty. Selby is a name that occurs
locally and is associated with the Border Reivers who were the
Border families, on both sides, who repeatedly raided and robbed
each other during the medieval period. Selby’s Cove is,
traditionally, reputed to be the hideout of Black Walter, a
renowned Border Reiver.
The crags on the east side of the valley are used by rock climbers
and, according to the Northumberland Mountaineering Club, are:
”an outcrop of superb sandstone .... well worth a visit.
The westerly aspect of the rocks, combined with the shelter of the
cove makes it a pleasant suntrap. Though limited in number the
available routes are of high quality”.
With regard to accessing Selby’s Cove, the guidebook of the
Northumberland Mountaineering Club recommends: From the Forestry
Commission car park (NZ037997) follow marked tracks to a point West
of the Simonside summit plateau (NZ 022988). Just before the forest
starts there is a path heading south, follow this for 1/2mile until
a fence is reached. Turn immediately right, cross a small, deep
stream via a wooden rail then follow the fence to a slight rise
until the valley containing Selby’s Cove is entered (about
forty minutes).
When placing the cache, I visited the cove as part of a circular
walk starting at the Lordenshaw carpark (NZ052988) and walking to
the summit of Simonside. From there a path heads south to the
corner of a fence which is then followed towards Selby’s Cove
which can be seen in front of you. You should not climb over
the fence but follow it to a corner where there is a stile which
you can climb over and then drop down into the cove. The walk from
Selby’s Cove to Spylaw can be quite rough in places, with
deep heather, but from Spylaw cottage there is a good footpath back
to the Lordenshaw carpark.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Va n ubyybj va gur ebpxf orybj n zbhagnva nfu gerr.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures