This cache is in a clear film canister sized container in a public area so please take great care when searching and signing and replace carefully as found securely.
The cache celebrates the of IIsabella Bird (Mrs Bishop), explorer, missionary and author who was born here in Boroughbridge on 15th October 1831.”
Isabella Bird
Isabella Bird was born on 15th October 1831 to Rev Edward Bird and his wife Dora. She was a frail child that was educated at home. In order to improve her health doctors recommended that she undertake a sea voyage, this she did in 1854 when she sailed to America. This resulted in the publication of her first book, “An Englishwoman in America”. Further travels occurred in 1872 when she travelled to Australia, Hawaii, and Colorado. In Colorado she explored 800 miles on horseback, culminating in her book “A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains”.
In 1881 she married Dr John Bishop. Their marriage was short. Dr Bishop died in 1886. Isabella Bishop studied medicine and decided to become a missionary. At the age of 60 she set sail for India. In India she founded the John Bishop Memorial Hospital in Srinagar. Further travels took her around the Middle East.
Her exploits led to her being a household name in Britain. In November 1892 she became the first woman fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and in 1897 she was elected member of the Royal Photographic Society.
Her final journey took her up the Yangtze and Han rivers in China, To Korea, and to Morocco. Shortly after her return from Morocco she became ill and died on 7 October 1904.
Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire has a thriving High Street with inviting cafes, pubs, shops and restaurants,
With architecture and an air that sets it apart from the rest of the district, this town is a treat to explore and discover. The pretty cobbled Hall Square was once the home of fishermen; today you will find the Butter Market Museum, an eclectic display of local artefacts, showing the history of the town’s people.
Away from the Yorkshire Dales, Boroughbridge is on the edge of the Vale of York where the hills are gentle and the patchwork of wheat fields and working farmland is lined with hedgerows that teem with wildlife. This area is a more gentle countryside compared to the rugged hills of North Yorkshire’s two national parks. The canal and River Ure offer the perfect setting for tranquil walks and picnic spots, an afternoon’s fishing or a relaxing boat trip.
There is plenty of family cycling thanks to the flat local terrain and relatively quiet roads and for the cross country cyclist this gentle landscape means you can quickly cover a lot ground along the rolling bridleways.
Boroughbridge is a town of history with three ancient standing stones situated on the outskirts of the town.
These are known as The Devil’s Arrows, based on the story that they were flung to earth by and enraged Lucifer in an attack on nearby Aldborough. The tallest Arrow is 22ft 6in, topping anything at Stonehenge.
A leisurely walk to the next village of Aldborough, situated on the Roman town of Isurium Brigantum, will take you back to Roman times. Two spectacular mosaic pavements remain and there are more finds on display in the Museum.
Equidistant between London and Edinburgh, and right in the heart of North Yorkshire, Boroughbridge was an important staging post offering travellers food, drink and shelter for the night.
This tradition of hospitality is still very much alive in the town making it a great base to explore the area and it is within easy reach of Harrogate, York and Leeds too.