The reason for the cache name is that when I reconnoitred the location I spotted a small geocache type container lodged in the detritus thrown up by the winter floods. I was surprised to discover it was a “Letterbox” with logbook and stamp! A bit damp but otherwise in good condition considering it was “First Put Out” in 2005, “Refurbished” in 2011 with only one find, in 2015.
I have searched the internet to try to find the owner but without success and, having dried everything out, replaced it with the contents exactly as found but now as a Groundspeak Geocache. If the Letterbox owner should chance upon this cache listing do please get in touch.
The cache! This can be a very high muggle area at times of the year. There are two bridges but only one “Little Bridge” and the hint should make it a quick and easy find. As the whole area is liable to flood please make sure the lid is secured properly and the stone replaced to prevent the cache from being washed out of the hiding place.
The “Other Bridge” nearby is also very small and if you look at the parapet you will see quite a bit of damage on both sides caused by overlarge vehicles. Currently blue paint scrapes seem to be predominant! The present very narrow bridge was built in the 19th century to replace a 16th century bridge which in turn replaced a ford. Wath, the name of the nearby settlement (Wath-in-Nidderdale) is a Scandinavian word for "ford". The village also had a railway and the old station building is now a private house visible due east from the cache location. A curiosity in the village is a unique five-sided chapel, an "irregular" pentagon, built to fill the small plot of land available and now Grade II listed.
Although this is not a Groundspeak "Letterbox Hybrid" the rubber stamp is not a trade item but intended to stay within the cache. An interesting artefact from 1854 when letterboxing began, long before the first satellite to orbit the earth was launched in 1957 which subsequently led to the development of GPS. Should the stamp go missing it will not be replaced. Bring an inkpad and take home a souvenir!
The Little Bridges series was started by Stanthews in 2009 to highlight small footbridges in remote parts of Wiltshire. Since then the series has been expanded by others all over the country and starting to spread fast. There is a stats listing, so you can see how many Little Bridges you have found, you can find it here:- www.littlebridgesseries.co.uk . If you would like to add to the series, please contact Stan via the Little Bridges website with your caching name, name of your Little Bridge and the GC code and he will give you a number for your bridge. To qualify, the bridge must be a foot bridge too small for vehicles, please make sure your title exactly matches "Little Bridges # xxxx then the name" including spaces so it will get picked up and added to stats list.