In the late 1800s Shipley Glen was home to a large Victorian amusement park and funfair, one of the main attractions being The Toboggan Slide, billed as 'The Largest, Wildest, Steepest Toboggan Slide Ever Erected On Earth'. Powered by a gas engine, it basically involved sitting on a wooden sledge and hurtling down a very steep incline through the woods.
Writer and journalist Bill Bryson visited the Glen and wrote in his book, Notes From A Small Island:
'..One day in 1900, as a carful of smartly dressed tobogganers were being hauled up the hill to be despatched on another hair-raising descent, the winch cable snapped sending the passengers hurtling out of control to a messy but exciting death at the bottom..'
A great story Bill, but slightly exaggerated.
Visit the nearby Bracken Hall Centre to find out what really happened that day and see some marvellous photos of the ride and funfair in action.
The cache is a 35mm film tub located very close to the site of the old Toboggan Slide. While you're hunting around try and imagine the Victorian ladies in their best frocks careering down the hill past you! And if you have time, take a look at the 'reservoir' at the bottom of the slope where the tobogganers would've ended up in a mangled heap (well, according to Bill anyway!)
Please bring a pen to sign the log sheet and replace the cache carefully afterwards, thanks.
We hope you enjoy it.