The Letterbox Cache
The cache container is a small sized clip-top box wrapped in a camouflaged bag hidden within 20 metres of Bluebank Lock on the Chesterfield Canal. It is not next to the water or lock so will be safe for children seeking the cache. Those in wheelchairs should be able to get close to the cache, although help may be required retrieving it as it is behind a post at ground level. There are a number of brambles and nettles for everyone to watch out for on either side but it shouldn't actually be buried in them. Hopefully this will deter muggles more than other potential hiding points which looked a little exposed. There is a hand-carved souvenir stamp and ink pad with this one which should stay in the container. Remember to put the top back on the ink afterwards, rubber-banded shut, and the stamper back in its bag so it doesn't make a mess for the next person. There may be some blank slips of paper left in there too for those who don't have a stamping book; please let me know if these are running out on your log comments. Owing to the amount of things in the box already there is not really enough space for any trackables or swappable items. As with my other letterbox caches I have included a special souvenir for the first to find which is the first imprint made with this stamp that has been laminated. Congratulations go to DrunkNinjaHippo for FTF on this one.
Letterbox caches may take a little longer to do, given the time unpacking the inkpad and stamper, stamping the card and then waiting a few minutes for it to dry, along with signing the usual log and then packing everything back away. This letterbox is placed in a busier location than most others though so some stealth and discretion may be needed, possibly retrieving it when quiet, retreating to the nearby seating areas to stamp, and then place back when quiet again. People can approach from 4 main directions at this point, along the canal path either way or the other paths.
HISTORY:
The Chesterfield Canal was originally built back in the 1770s at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and helped with the transport of coal, bricks, stone, timber and grain. It was in regular use for over a hundred years until the rise of the railways led to the gradual decline of canals across the country. This particualr canal was only connected to other waterways at one end, so its use was less than others as there was no through route, with the canal terminating (starting) at Chesterfield. After the collapse of the Norwood Tunnel in 1908 this canal was now completely cut off with use only for local movement up and down these few miles.
Bluebank Lock, a.k.a. Lock Number 3 on the Chesterfield Canal, is comprised of a single gate panel at the top side of the lock and a double gate at the bottom end of the lock. The current top gate is a replacement one installed in January 2015 by the Chesterfield Canal Society as the old one was starting to show wear and tear. The society was founded in 1976 to restore the canal sections for the benefit of leisure and the environment, and the whole section of canals from Chesterfield to Staveley were acquired from British Waterways by Derbyshire County Council in 1987. Bluebank Lock was restored between 1991 and 1994, and the top gate was previously replaced at this point. The towpath and lower vehicle access path between Bluebank Lock and Wheeldon Mill Lock (lock number 2) now form the 'Bluebank Loop' which is a pleasant walking stretch.
Parking and Access:
There is no vehicle access immediately close to Bluebank Lock but some parking is available on Newbridge Lane near to Wheeldon Lock. This is either on the east side which is accessed from Station Road in Brimington, or the west side which is accessed from the bottom of Whittington Hill, turning off on Whitting Valley Road and driving past the industrial units then following the road round and down by the scrap yard, under the railway bridge and to a few parking spots. You cannot access the car parks from the west end of Newbridge Lane as there are bollards across the road at one point, hence the need for going through the industrial unit. Please note that the 2 halves of Newbridge Lane do not meet up in the middle as a through way for cars either, despite what maps may appear to show.
Bluebank Loop:
If you are parking here then it is about a 15-20 minutes walk along the canal to the cache via the Bluebank Loop. There are lots to look out for on this walk, such as the bluebells on the far bank in Spring (giving the name Bluebank) or the marshy area between where the paths split. This was originally an oxbow (where the river snaked back on itself creating a loop like a pond) but the river path was straightened to accommodate the railway line so this area is now a calmer nature reserve and canal overflow. It is possible to catch a glimpse of a kingfisher or two if you're lucky, albeit usually a quick flash of blue in the air as they whizz down the canal. More commonly there are the ducks, coots, moorhens and occasionally a heron. Please post any good photos of such with your log if you do happen to see anything unusual.
If you want to check out my other letterbox caches around Chesterfield then click on the cache names below:
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