Traditional
GC2CQB7
by Hattlebags
Difficulty:
2
Terrain:
3
Location:
North West England, United Kingdom
N 54° 25.006 W 003° 03.519′

Finding a geocache after a long search can feel like there’s a “light at the end of the tunnel.” This saying becomes quite literal when it comes to this week’s Geocache of the Week — Cathedral Cavern Cache, GC2CQB7.

In the Lake District of North West England lies the valley of Little Langdale which, for the past several hundred years, was mined and quarried extensively for copper and slate. One of the disused inter-linked tunnel systems, Cathedral Quarries, is now open to the public and makes for a magical cache outing.

Image by Slažinskas.

After parking and taking a quick but very scenic stroll to the quarry,  you’ll find yourself at the cave entrance. Here, there’s a short tunnel, hewn centuries ago into the monochrome stone, which leads you to the main attraction of the old slate mine: The Cathedral.

While flashlights are not necessary to explore this area of the larger quarry system, you may want to bring your wellies: frequent rainfalls in the Lake District can lead to light flooding and subsequently wet feet if you choose to leave your waterproof footwear at home. 

Image by oktanol.

Upon entering The Cathedral, visitors are stunned by the sight of an enormous slate pillar that prevents the domed ceiling from collapsing. A gigantic skylight on one end of the 40 ft (12 m) tall cave floods the cavern with angelic light, creating an atmosphere full of grandeur and the perfect backdrop for breathtaking pictures.

Image by allieballie.

Even the most focused geocachers need at least a few minutes to process this humbling sight before they can search for the cache. But beware: this hide comes with added difficulty as there is no GPS signal in this cave; luckily, this geocache also comes with a useful hint.

Image by Delta68.

Once the logbook is signed and the cache container is put back where it was found, there are even more secrets hidden within this magical place. Amateur speleologists can venture on to discover the second level of the main chamber, fish lovers might catch a glimpse of the shy goldfish that are said to live in the cave’s floodwater pool, and aspiring opera singers should definitely make use of the legendary acoustics within the cavern.

Image by TmGrandemotte.

Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world.

Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.


Source: Geocaching

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