Virtual Awards are usually placed at iconic buildings, famous landmarks, grand vistas, splendid sculptures.
I've opted to place mine, somewhere, that I think, is different.
Restful, calming, hopeful, peaceful.
I invite you to visit this welcoming Church and Churchyard, at St. Mary's, Kettlewell. Be you of whatever faith, or none.
The village of Kettlewell, is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the Dales Way long distance footpath, passes through the village.. The site of St Mary’s church, in the centre of the village, has been a sanctuary of peace and tranquillity for over 800 years.
The Churchyard is always open, and the Church itself, is usually open from 8.30am to dusk.
The present church building was consecrated on 8th September 1885, St Mary's Day. Previously there was an eighteenth century building which was found unsafe and apart from the tower, demolished in 1882. Before that there was a Norman building which was probably rendered unfit by the great flood of 1686.
The LychGate was erected in 1921.
There is a new resin path from the lychgate to the main entrance to the Church. Which will allow anyone in a wheelchair to visit the garden. Wheelchair users may need some assistance, to be pushed around the grassed areas of the churchyard.
Just beyond the lychgate a simple interpretation board welcomes you to the resources of the churchyard and church. There are five wooden benches in the churchyard, one being just at the side of the church alongside the accessible path.
The Churchyard has flower borders, magnificent trees and a wildflower meadow. Some meadow and grasses are trimmed, some are left.
In 2020, a limestone Labrynth was constructed in part of the meadow. There are hedghog houses, insect hotels and nestboxes.
‘Words in Wood’ (oak boards inscribed with words from medieval spiritual writing, Hebrew and Christian scriptures and contemporary poetry) can be discovered along the churchyard pathways. They offer a gentle moment of reflection ‘along life’s way’.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To log this virtual,
1) please send me the answer to this question, from the seat, looking at the Church, how many crosses do you see on the roofs?
2) Please include a picture of something in the Churchyard or the Church, that you enjoyed seeing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The village has very narrow streets, with very limited parking. If you do park in the village, please ensure you park considerately, and not block anyones access, and ensure emergency vehicles can get past if they need to. There is a pay & display Yorkshire Dales Car Park as you enter the village, or if the field opposite is open, you may be able to park there for a fee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.