Silverdale Saunter 4 The Matchless disaster Traditional Cache
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Silverdale Saunter 4 The Matchless disaster
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Silverdale Saunter is a circular walk that takes you to a series of 6 geocaches. You can start the walk from the Millenium clock in the village centre. The walk is 3.7 miles long and takes you to some beautiful spots and through fields, woodland and coastal sites with some great views on the way. We'll tell you some of the local history as you go.
From here at low tide you will see a causeway leading out into the bay. This is all that remains of a project to reclaim the marsh to the left from the sea. The stone for the causeway was from a quarry that can still be seen inland from the road behind you.. As things turned out the project went bankrupt after delays over planning permissions and before completion so the land was never reclaimed. The causeway is the only remaining evidence of the work which ended in 1874. This spot is popular with bird watchers tracking bird movements over the Bay.
The causeway was also the site of a shipping disaster in 1894. The ship was called The Matchless. It was one of the 300 or so Morecambe fishing boats at the time and had been converted into a pleasure boat for the summer season. On 3rd September she set sail from Morecambe for a trip to Grange-over-Sands. On board was the captain and 33 passengers. Typical of the time, few could swim. They were mostly families and friends on excursions from the mill towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It sailed north along the coastline, and upon reaching the causeway prepared to tack to cross Morecambe Bay. As the happy group sang songs, a sudden freak wind caught the boat broadside, and it instantly capsized. All were thrown into the sea, heavily clothed, and only 9 survivors were picked up by accompanying boats. The captain, one of the best boatmen in Morecambe, survived, and said he wished he had been lost with the others.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gnxr n frng!
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