Ilkley Historical Multi #4: South - Darwin Gardens
Despite multiple steps, this easy compact multi should be possible to complete within 35-45 minutes and takes you around a beautiful and shady part of Ilkley including several interesting and historic features.
The cache was placed after the archiving of Cherry Snowflakes' popular GC26H0K Darwin Falls View on 31/8/19 which was hidden nearby on 12/4/10 and had some 320 finds.
The cache, a screw-capped, camo-taped plastic pot, is hidden in the Darwin Gardens Millennium Green (DGMG) - a unique community green space (one of 245 throughout the country created to celebrate the Millennium) adjacent to Mill Beck and stretching from the centre of the town southwards to the edge of Ilkley Moor. The area was previously known as West View Park. See here for an interesting blog on the pre-history of the project.
The famous author Jilly Cooper whose family lived in Ilkley opened the gardens on 24 June 2000 and unveiled a plaque dedicated to the renowned naturalist, geologist and biologist Charles Darwin. He stayed in Ilkley (at North House, Wells Terrace - now Hillside - one of the multi steps) for 9 weeks during the autumn of 1859, officially for the rest and recuperation with water treatment - hydrotherapy- after completing On The Origin of the Species (researching his magnum opus seems to have wrecked his health) but also probably as a convenient hideaway from unwanted publicity during its publication on 24 November (which caused much comment and controversy).
He was also trying to recover from a mystery illness which had plagued him for over 22 years since returning from the voyage of the Beagle. See here for an account of his visits to White Wells spa bath visible high up on the steep moorside above the Gardens.
In July 2019 the DGMD were recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as one of the best parks and green spaces in the world!
A key feature of the gardens is the Millenium Maze designed by Dr John Haigh of Ilkley and laid in May 2000 by 
Bradford Countryside Service and local volunteers of the Darwin Gardens Trust.
It is made with 1,000 individually donated flagstones, one for each year of a Millennium, and some with special designs and dedications. The maze pathway links two carved stone monuments by Darren Yeadon of Whitby and represents a quest from past to present times.
The monument at the start of the maze suggests early mankind's ideas about the world, drawing on symbols from ancient rock-carvings found up on the moor, and fossils of primitive life-forms. The swirling maze-path design is based on the ancient fylfot symbol carved into the Swastika Stone some 2km west up on the moor.
The monument at the end of the maze has a archaic cross, symbolising the coming of Christianity to Ilkley and commemorating the Christian Millennium. The emergence of evolutionary ideas, and of a flower to represent the regeneration of this area, are also depicted on this fine carving.
To find the cache:
Park at the free gardens parking area @ N 53 55.226 W 1 49.376
After securing your car . . .
Step 1: Go to N 53 55.228 W 1 49.368 where you will be standing in front of an illustrated map of the moor on which you will note that the estimated walking time to the Swastika Stone is A5 minutes
Step 2: From here head east to the cattle grid & gates on Wells Road where @ N 53 55.242 W 1 49.348 on the gatepost you will see a small blue Millennium Way Circular Walk plate with the number B4 on it
Step 3: Now proceed the short distance across the road to the large corner house where @ N 53 55.239 W 1 49.296 there is an blue Ilkley Civic Society (ICS) plaque identifying this as the place where Charles Darwin stayed in 1859. The bottom line of the text on the plaque has C words in it
Step 4: After this short diversion, retrace your steps and head for N 53 55.229 W 1 49.413 where there is a notice board with information on The Darwin Walk. On the (lower) map detailing the walk you will note that 6 numbered steps are described. The number of the step at Wells House = D
Step 5: Now continue to N 53 55.212 W 1 49.408 the location of a large information board about the 1,000 Millenium Maze Dedications. On this you will see that the 1st letter of the family name for stones #931 & #932 has an alphanumeric (A=1 B=2 C=3 etc) value of E
Step 6: Next cross (or follow!) the maze to the final stone sculpture @ N 53 55.202 W 1 49.412 which has a spiral base and is topped with a star-like carving with a hole in the middle, which has 1F points
Step 7: Continue to the location of a Darwin Gardens Trust plaque @ N 53 55.174 W 1 49.456 on which there are inscribed G names
Step 8: Onwards to another blue ICS plaque @ N 53 55.185 W 1 49.495 outside Wells House. The date on the bottom line of the text on the plaque is 200H
Step 9: Now head down the track to N 53 55.211 W 1 49.451 the location of a tree dedicated to a person whose name has J letters
Step 10: Continue down the track along the western side of the beck (Mill Ghyll) to the lower footbridge @ N 53 55.262 W 1 49.405 where you will see a small white plate on the bridge with a telephone number on it relating to work carried out, the last digit of which = K
Step 11: Finally cross the bridge and walk up the path to N 53 55.259 W 1 49.380 where you will find a large circular stone structure - the Living Waters mosaic - besides the path with a small plaque on which you will learn that the first name of the person who designed it has L letters in it
The cache is hidden at:
N 53 55.(A-C)(E-H)(B+F+L) W 1 49.(G-C)(Dx2)(K-J)
