Boots Across Britain: Dark Places

How Stean Gorge, 30th November 2008

The Gorge

The day after the Brimham walk we drove a few miles up the Nidd Valley to Lofthouse to visit How Stean Gorge. This (as I mentioned in the last post) is another oft-visited place when I was growing up, both with family and on school trips. This was another very frosty day, some thorough car de-icing was required before setting out. On arrival at How Stean there were some individuals emerging from their tents who had actually camped out the previous night - bikers, mostly. The grass on the site was white with frost, it couldn't have been too comfortable.

Today wasn't much of a walk, more of a caving trip - albeit a very mild one. Leading off from the Gorge is Tom Taylor's Cave, named after a notorious 18th Century local highwayman who used it as a hideout. Whilst dry, and not technically difficult, the cave was certainly more difficult than on the last visit that I could recall, a school trip in 1978. About half way in the passage narrows at around chest height, no problem for a child as this for them is around head-height and there is plenty of room. Unfortunately there was no other option for me but to get down on my hands and knees and crawl for some distance. Real adventure!

Alas no coins were found...

The signs warning about the dangers of slipping were not kidding - whilst attempting to take the shots of ice formations below I slipped and landed on my back with such speed that I barely registered what was happening - fortunately my rucksack padded the fall and prevented my head from striking the hard, rocky floor. I was only winded. A lucky escape...

Strange ice formations caused by accruing water dripping from above

Icicles above the ice globules

Chain Saw carving of a lion

Tom Taylor's Cave

Bridge across the Gorge just prior to the cave's entrance

Ian by the light of three Light Emitting Diodes.

Emerging from the depths

Tom Taylor's Cave video:

How Stean Tunnel

Just as we had emerged from Tom Taylor's Cave and were contemplating tea at the cafeteria, one of the guides asked us if we had visited the "Other" cave. This sounded interesting...

Returning to the area down by the water where I had slipped, we then proceeded upstream via stepping stones to another passage, hidden from view from the normal Gorge trail. This also had a stream running through it, the only way to progress without getting wet feet was to stand astride it and edge slowly forwards. Easy for the six-foot guys of course...

Ian straddling the beck

Not so easy when you have little legs!

With our guide's assistance we made it through the passage to the end. Remarkably I still had dry feet at the end, despite some tricky manoeuvres being required at times. Not far from the end a switch-over was required, a little daunting but I managed to stay out of the water.

Di almost doing the splits

Doing a switch-over. Feet still dry!

A return journey was necessary as the tunnel leads to private land, though this was considerably easier than the outward one. It had been a good, unexpected workout. My legs ached quite a bit next day though, I'd been stretching muscles I probably didn't even realise I had in negotiating that passage. Mugs of tea had definitely been earned!