An homage to the bygone years of exploration
In the early years of this century maps were largely filled with areas of Terra Incognito. Scattered symbols indicated locations worth investigating, separated by empty wasteland devoid of interest. In those far off days explorers were few and far between. They were an intrepid band, willing to travel long distances, often on foot, with a single accomplishment in mind.
These days potential discoveries are more numerous, populating the landscape more densely so that explorers can move quickly from one to another. Indeed, some are accessible with little or no distance to be covered on foot. And the discoveries themselves seem to have shrunk. Rarely does a traveller, arriving at the chosen destination, find an artefact large enough to contain trinkets and treasures – evidence of visitors from days long past. An expedition today is likely to come across fewer trinkets than hitherto – but probably more bugs.
This cache will take you, in the tradition of those bygone years, on a voyage of discovery to find the source of the River Slea. It has been placed to celebrate 15 years since the team of Calligmathy found their first ever cache.
At the cache, you will be standing about 100 yards above the source of the Slea. (Look north.) The first couple of miles is a downhill plunge, after which it winds its way through Ancaster and Wilsford, passes to the north of Greylees and enters Sleaford. In this early part of its course, the local name is ‘The Beck’ and it meanders past several ponds and pools.
On reaching the centre of Sleaford (and gaining its proper name) it flows past the National Centre for Craft and Design. For almost a hundred years this was the highest navigable point of the river and barges would come up through seven locks, mostly at the site of mills, to trade in the town. There is a small museum in Navigation Wharf which preserves the history of those days, and the Cogglesford Mill, not far downriver, is open to visitors. Sadly the arrival of railways made the waterway unprofitable and the navigable section went into decline from 1878 onwards.
As it leaves the centre of Sleaford, just past the swimming baths, the river divides, with a watercourse known as the Old River Slea branching over a weir to the right and shadowing the main river for some miles as it heads eastwards. The two branches pass either side of an old priory, and the main river flows past a sewage works, before they meet again at Cobbler’s Lock. The Slea takes a sharp right turn at Ferry Farm, where a bridge now negates the need for any ferrying, and then sharp left towards South Kyme. Here it gains another new (and presumably considered much posher) name – the Kyme Eau. Finally the river heads north and east to meet the River Witham by Chapel Hill. (And thence southwards to Boston and the North Sea.)