Hidden treasures in the Dales

VISITORS to the Yorkshire Dales are being given the chance to join in the latest craze to hit the UK. The National Park Authority has set up its own geocache trail to give people yet another reason to come to the area. The sport involves using a hand-held GPS receiver and map to follow a trail and find hidden ‘treasure’.

“We have seen geocaching in other places and we know it is a great way to get adults and children out into the countryside,” said Karen Griffiths, the NPA’s interpretation officer. “Apart from buying a GPS, which can be relatively cheap, it costs nothing and gives people a chance to see exactly what the National Park has to offer.

“The theme of our first geocache is the history and archaeology of Langstrothdale, and the seven caches concealed along the trail contain information about the area around the hiding places. They also suggest links to the NPA Out of Oblivion archaeological website that can be found at www.outofoblivion.org.uk”

The caches contain information sheets, a log book and small items for the finder to swap – and they also serve another purpose. “The Authority is trying to reduce the number of information panels installed at different sites in the Dales to explain the features of a particular area,” said Karen. “The caches enable us to supply the information in a way that does not detract from the visual impact of the countryside.”

Details about the trail can be found on www.geocaching.com by searching for Buckden Rake.

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