My first Geocaching Experience!

My colleagues are involved in a sport that is very new to me- geocaching. I’m not sure if I’m speaking to experienced ‘geocachers’ or not, so for the benefit of novices like myself I will just give you a brief overview. To me, (emphasis on me there- this is not a definition of Oxford dictionary accuracy by any means) geocaching appears to be a high tech treasure hunt, with the use of GPS systems players locate ‘caches’ which are hidden off the beaten track. These caches contain small gifts and treats and a log book, all you need to do is replace the present you take with something else. These are only small trinkets such as keyrings, toys and pens, but it’s all quite fun and an alternative hobby to pick up. You can see if there are any ‘caches’ to be found in your area using an interactive map like that on the www.goecachingwales.com website- you might also find a better explanation on there too!

That morning my colleague from Walking North Wales had been assigned the task of hiding caches for the upcoming half term holiday- it does seem to be an activity that appeals to children and gets them enjoying the good old outdoors! After visiting Holywell the week before, I wanted to see more of North East Wales and asked to tag along…..

We had been assigned a few specific places to hide caches so I already had an itinerary for the day. If you are interested in taking part in that area, you might not want to read this, or on the alternatively  it might be a good idea to so that you can get a few clues! We picked up the caches at Loggerheads, an 80 acre country park filled with beautiful riverside and forest trail. We searched for a perfect spot to hide the box, just plonking it on the side of a path is not good enough, they have to be quite well concealed but not buried and we hid ours some logs in the wood. Done, my first cache had been recorded!

Walking throught the woods

Next the hill, Moel Famau was on our agenda. I had never been there before and must say I was quite impressed. I have found a new appreciation for the outdoors since starting this blog, I have always enjoyed gentle walks but, now I actually found the thought of walking up the hill quite exciting.  The hill and country park of Moel Famau is located within an area of outstanding natural beauty, and outstanding it is! Despite my growing interest in more challenging walks , I still chose an easy route  up the hill. There are several trails to choose from, all easily signed and well maintained with different difficulty ratings. The route we chose was the Numeracy Trail and we hid a cache along off the beaten track where the views are stunning. If you like the sound of Moel Famau then http://www.moelfamau.co.uk/ is a good, unofficial source for more information.



At Basignwerk Abbey



Next up was the Greenfield Valley Heritage Park and Basignwerk Abbey Park which, if you have read my Holywell blog entry, you will know I have visited before. This is a beautiful abbey with a strong connection to St Winifride’s well and I was happy to make another visit to hide a cache. Following this, we drove to Bodelwyddan Castle which is set among 260 acres of beautiful grounds so there was plenty of space to find a hiding place! The castle is open to the public for most of the year but we somehow managed to choose a day that it was closed so couldn’t go in for a look around, probably for the best as we had lots to do! The history of the castle originates back to before 1460 and is hopefully somewhere that I will blog about soon. However after that tempting snippet, if you now cannot wait until that is written then take a look at http://www.bodelwyddan-castle.co.uk!



Hiding a cache



Bodelwyddan Castle





Outside the gaol



Our last cache was to be put on the grounds around Ruthin Gaol.  I love exploring old buildings and would love research buildings such as this gaol further. The gaol is open from April-October; however, from the little I know about it, I do know that I want to return- perhaps I could do a ‘gaol special’ blog next time! I found a great site to learn more about the gaol http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk and according to this site there has been a prison on the Ruthin Gaol site since the seventeenth century and it is the only purpopse-built Pentonville style prison open to the public as a heritage attraction, impressive stuff.  Ruthin is only somewhere that I drove through quickly that day (not too quickly of course), but from what I saw it seems very pretty and the town and gaol seem to be worth another visit.

And that was is, job done!  I was glad that I had gone on the trip to plant the caches and see more of North East Wales, and I might even try a spot of geocaching in the area now...although I might be at a slight advantage!

http://www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk/

 

My day out to Holywell!

I was attending a meeting in Flintshire and felt I should make the most of my time up there and find somewhere to visit.  I was advised that Holywell was a good place to see, somewhere I yet again knew very little about!

St Winefride’s Well has been a place of pilgrimage since the seventh century and is the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in Great Britain, so I thought I should take a look. After visiting St Mary’s well near Aberdaron (if you would like to learn more then please, read the blog post about it!) I was intrigued by ‘Pilgrimage’ and eager to study it further.  In comparison to St Mary’s Well, The Well Chapel of St Winefride has a far more serene and traditional setting, both incredibly beautiful but so very different.  Unlike St Mary’s Well which is set among craggy rocks on a cliff’s edge, St Winefride’s Well lies in highly maintained grounds within a beautiful chapel and is slightly easier to access- there was no need to check tide times during this trip!

St. Winefride’s Well is said to be the most famous healing well in Great Britain and the waters  are reported to cause miraculous cures, I was feeling fine and healthy that day so unfortunately I could not test this theory. The legend behind the well is quite entertaining and stems from the failed seduction attempt of a Chieftan named Caradoc upon a Winefride, Gwenfrewi in Welsh, the daughter of a local prince named Tewyth. Unfortunately Caradoc did not seem to take rejection very well and as she ran away toward a church built by her uncle St. Beuno he cut off cut off her head. Where her head fell a spring of water sprouted and it is that place where the well can now be found. Luckily for Winefride her uncle prayed (profusely I imagine) and placed her head back on her body and she came back to life! The ending of the story was not so happy for Caradoc as he sunk to the ground and was never seen again.  It is said that this tale was not written down until 500 years after her death and therefore may have been embellished slightly, but I shall leave it to you to make up more mind, I personally quite like to believe it!

Statue of St Winefride

I hope that this blog entertains you and will hopefully encourage you to visit the places that I have if you like the sound of them, I do not therefore wish to report the entire history and details of where I go. However I must explain that the architecture of the Gothic perpendicular chapel that surrounds the Well is rather stunning and frames it perfectly.  I am no expert in architecture or religious building but I couldn’t help but be impressed by this one.

The incredible architecture surrounding the Well

It seems that I among some rather remarkable people to have visited the well, including royalty such as Richard I, Henry V and Princess Victoria. Rumor also had it that certain key figures visited the shrine to discuss the Gunpowder plot in 1605. It is clear that the Well is considered an important pilgrimage site and, if like me you have now been converted to research the subject I would definitely recommend a visit here.

I still had time before my meeting and therefore drove five minutes down the road to Basignwerk Abbey, a place which has strong links with St. Winefride’s Well. The Abbey itself is set in the beautiful Greenfield Valley Heritage Park and is in slight ruins, which I felt only adds to its character. I was the only person there for a while and it was such a tranquil place to wander around.  The monks at Basingwerk were confirmed the possession of the Well and Chapel in 1240 by David ap Llywelyn and cared for it for almost 300 years until 1537 when the monastery was dissolved.There really is an fascinating background to St Winefried’s Well and and Basignwerk monastery and if anything I have mentioned has interested you then I would certainly encourage you take a visit.

Me at Basingwerk Abbey



Pantaspah Franciscan Friary Retreat Centre and St David's Church

My time there however was over and I was advised by a kind couple who run the gift shop and ticket office at the Well to visit Pantaspah Franciscan Friary Retreat Centre. I had just enough time to take a quick peak and it was definitely worth it. The Frairy is beautifully maintained and although I was not a guest staying at the retreat I found it easy to appreciate the quietness and serenity.  Pantasaph’s St David’s Church is quite spectacular and is a place I’m eager to see again. If you are religious the centre run’s all sorts of programmes for those wishing for some quiet to time to reflect and pray and  they also have a seeker’s programmes for others who wish to learn more about Catholic Spirituality. If you are in fact one of those people I would say ‘go fo it!’ as it’s a fantastic spot! For more information see http://www.pantasaph.org.uk.

I was then on my way to my meeting and the surrounding countryside of Holywell is amazing. I travelled back home through the Denbighshire Moors which were covered by snow and I must say I think that the drive home was arguably the highlight of trip. The stunning surroundings made my journey one that I did not want to end and despite seeing some incredible buildings that day, I realised that the Welsh countryside is difficult to compete with!

www.walkingnorthwales.co.uk