Chill by the Gill
The cache, is hidden on the trail running from Keighley Road east below Barmishaw Wood and on past Willy Hall's Wood towards White Wells and Rocky Valley.
It is located at a lovely spot near Spicey Gill which is well vegetated at these lower levels of the northern slopes of Rombalds Moor. With the soothing ever-present sound of the babbling brook and goods views of the Wharfe Valley, it is the perfect place to pause and take it all in before moving on to further (cache) discoveries or returning refreshed to the typical hustle and bustle of daily life.
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Please note that the cache description contains an external link to a sound file.
Although it is from a well-known source and appears to be fine, it has 'not been checked by Groundspeak nor by the reviewer for possible malicious content and access to the site is therefore at your own risk'.
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To Reach the Cache Location: park @ N 53 54.977 W 1 50.090 a small lay-by on the Keighley Road, and head down the trail. In winter or after prolonged rain, the path can get muddy in places, but should still be easily passable.
Step 1: at the start of the trail is a memorial bench to Ms Harder. Looking at the small plaque you will note that:
The alphanumeric value of the 1st letter of her name = A
She was born in 19B8 and died in 199C
Step 2: cross the footbridge over Spicey Gill and make your way up to the 2nd memorial bench. On the small plaque there you will see that the bench is dedicated to D people and that the number of letters in their names is E and F respectively.
The cache is hidden at:
N 53 54.(B+E)(A+C)(F+1) W 1 50.(A-D)(C+B)(F+3)
The Psychology of Running Water: many Blue Mind science psychological studies - looking into the health benefits of aquatic environments - have found that the sound of running water can have a positive impact on our minds.
Water sounds are naturally soothing and many people have used running water in meditation practices for years. Researchers believe that the sound of water can affect neuronal waves in our brain, producing a calming effect. The sound of water is also a form of white noise (listen here ) which can provide multiple psychological benefits as well.
People can experience the benefits of the water whether they’re near the ocean, a lake, river, swimming pool or even listening to the soothing sound of a fountain. Most communities are built near bodies of water not just for practical reasons, but because as humans, we’re naturally drawn to blue space. But even if you aren’t in an area where there is easy access to water, you can still experience its emotional benefits.
Many writers, poets, painters, and sailors have observed the feeling of wellness and peace that comes over them when they’re in, or near, bodies of water.
Scientists are also quantifying the positive cognitive and physical effects of water and have found for example that living by coasts leads to an improved sense of physical health and well-being and contact with water induces a meditative state that makes us happier, healthier, calmer, more creative, and more capable of awe.
Water is critical to our lives covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface, and making up nearly 70% of our bodies. This deep biological connection triggers an immediate response in our brains when we’re near water. In fact, the mere sight and sound of water can induce a flood of neurochemicals that promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation.
Researchers, city planners, and governments want to put this knowledge to practical use, turning water into a tool to promote community health. The European Union in 2016 initiated Blue Health 2020. This 4-year disciplinary research project examines the effects of aquatic environments on body and mind, with the goal of exploring the best ways to use water to improve the well-being of people in busy cities.
Most of Europe’s population live in urban areas with inland waterways and coastal margins. Researchers are studying how to enhance coastlines, attract more people to rivers, and take advantage of the impact of streams on happiness and health, as well as how to use tools like virtual reality and video to induce the same state of calm brought on by being near water.
Water has been shown to be an antidote to 'red mind' - an anxiety state arising from increased urbanization and near-constant reliance on technology. Studies have found that almost 50% of all adults and 90% of young adults have become 'constant checkers', frequently engaging with screens and social media. This has vastly increased levels of stress - both when tech works and especially when it doesn’t!
Spending time in and by oceans, rivers/streams/becks/gills! etc, lakes, waterfalls, fountains, and even showers can counter that. The waters ward off the depression and anxiety created by cumulative and increasing technological changes. Almost all of the senses are engaged - sight, smell, hearing, and touch - and such physical immersion in reality makes us feel better.
Contact with or proximity to water also helps counter a dulled effect called 'gray mind'. Spending too much time inside, glued to screens, consuming news and entertainment, can lead to lethargy, lack of motivation, and dissatisfaction. Getting in, on, or near the water improves this state of mind.
Even just looking at images of water makes people feel calmer. A University of Exeter medical school wellbeing study involved photos with greenery and water. Subjects were first shown pictures of green environments and then images of ponds, rivers, lakes, and coasts (ie. blue space) were slowly added. Subjects preferred environments with water. This was repeated with urban scenes, from fountains in squares to canals running through the city, and again people greatly preferred the urban environments with more water in them. Green space images produced a positive response but if blue was added the response was much greater.
Even if you can’t get to the beach or river there are alternatives. Showering can improve your state of mind and boost creativity. 'The shower is a proxy for the ocean. You step in the shower, and you remove much of the daily visual stimulation. Also it provides a steady stream of ‘blue noise’ and you are not hearing voices or processing existing issues . . . you step into the shower and it’s like a mini-vacation'. Many creative and talented people have found that great ideas come to them him in the shower. However, of course be careful not to spend too long in there as it will increase your carbon load!
Finally even just listening to water has been recommended to clear the mind. Flowing or moving water is ‘white noise' and listening to the sound, allowing it to wash over you, is a meditative act that puts you in the moment (except when the noise is due to it gushing out of a burst pipe!). The sound of rain produces what sleep researchers and psychologists call ‘pink noise’ (listen here) and can also have a calming effect and ease anxiety.
See here for a series of fascinating blogs on blue health - Beyond Greenspace - based on University of Exeter research on relationships between natural environments, health and wellbeing.
So - after completing the cache! - make the most of your time by the beck and . . . Chill by the Gill!
Maybe in your log, you can identify your favourite watery place to chill - unless too secret to reveal!
(extracted & adapted from a 2018 article by Ephrat Livni)