Chelker Celebration - Viewpoint Traditional Cache

Chelker Celebration - Viewpoint

The cache, a small camo-taped screw-capped plastic pot, is hidden at a fine viewpoint on the high grassy fields north of Addingham and east of Chelker Reservoir. There are panoramic views in most directions but particularly to the eastern side along the Wharfe Valley.

It was hidden in celebration of the most enjoyable 6-cache 'The Chelker Walk' series of caches hidden by fat bloke in 2009.

To reach the cache location:

Park on the lay-by @ N 53 57.218 W 1 54.212 adjacent to GC7WTYT Chelker Emergency and after securing your car take the signposted public footpath and follow this up and across the golf course (watch out for any incoming missiles!) using any convenient route to the gap in the wall @ N 53 57.387 W 1 54.180.

From here head diagonally across the field to the location of The Chelker Walk #1 cache. After traversing the wall continue following the series route. This cache is hidden between the locations of #3 and #4.

Prominent sights visible from near GZ (weather permitting of course!) are:

• Barden Fell: 8km @ 12^o
• Bolton Abbey: 2km @ 15^o
• Bolton Bridge: 1km @ 37^o
• Beamsley Beacon (Howber Hill - with radio mast): 3.4km @ 82^o
• Ilkley (Cow & Calf): 8.5km @ 130^o
• Ilkley (White Wells): 7.2km @ 136^o

Chelker Reservoir is only 650m away to the southwest but hidden from this cache behind higher ground. It is man-made and lies in the parish of Draughton. It was put into service in 1866, is currently owned by Yorkshire Water and serves the Bradford area. Its main inflow is the River Wharfe. It is 221m asl, has a surface area of 52.3 acres (212,000 m²) and a shore length of 2.4km.

Chelker Wind Farm. In 1992 a wind farm, the third-ever in the UK, was erected on the north side of the reservoir. It consisted of four two-bladed turbines which generated 1.2MW and went online in December 1992. They were used to pump water from the River Wharfe up to the reservoir. In 2013, after permission to enlarge the wind farm was refused, the wind farm became the 1st in UK to be decommissioned and the turbines were demolished.

See here, here and here for short videos of final approaches to Leeds Bradford Airport flying over Chelker Reservoir and environs.