A cache to mark the fascinating local legend of an unsolved mystery
The Drummer Boy Legend tells that many years ago, possibly towards the end of the 18th century, some soldiers discovered an opening which led to a tunnel under Richmond Castle Keep. The soldiers were too large to crawl into it so they chose a small regimental drummer boy to be lowered through a narrow crevice into a vault. He was told to continue along the passage beating his drum as he went. Guided by the sound of the drum, the soldiers planned to follow his course above ground and plot the route.
The sound of the drum was heard clearly as he went down the tunnel. It led them from the Castle, across the Market Place in the direction of Frenchgate, and then beside the River Swale towards Easby, where the ruins of Easby Abbey still stand.
When the soldiers reached Easby Wood, half a mile from the Abbey, the drumming stopped. Now, the 'Drummer Boy’s Stone' marks the spot but the drummer boy was never seen again – Had the roof fallen in? Nobody knows, but the legend is that King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table sleep underground and will rise to defend our land if England is ever invaded.
Maybe the King and his Knights sleep in a cavern near Easby Abbey and were woken by the drum only to be told that there was no invasion so they invited the Drummer Boy to join them – and what brave regimental Drummer Boy could resist such an invitation ?
The mystery was never solved, but a walk follows the legendary route of the drummer boy, then past Easby Abbey returning by the old railway line across the river, back to the former station.
Please note that tree cover at both points means our co-ords and your GPS may be slightly out.
Parking might be available on Station Road but there is free disc parking in the Market Place with time limited to 2 hours and the former station has pay parking although it is for visitors.
Beware the footpaths and nearby football field are frequently muggled and duggled.
The published co-ordinates take you to the Drummer Boy’s Stone. To find the cache, visit the Stone, read the tablet and using the words, starting with the title, work out the final co-ordinates. Each letter represents the numeric position in the alphabet of the specified letter on the tablet.
The cache is at N54º PQ.RST W001º UV.WXY
P = 3rd word, 1st letter U = 7th word, last letter
Q = 2nd word, 1st letter V = 5th word, 3rd letter
R = 30th word, 4th letter W = 7th word, 4th letter
S = zero X = 15th word, 3rd letter
T = 8th word, 3rd letter Y = 18th word, 5th letter
PLEASE leave the container for other finders and hide the cache carefully out of sight.