The Not So Secret Cave
Thursday, 24th August
Ricky finally consented to go a walk with me seeing as he is leaving home soon. He wanted me to show him, the secret cave in Borrowdale.
Many years ago a man built a spring-loaded door, faced with rock into a small cave in the Langstrath valley. Nearby, in a pile of loose stones he buried a small lever which opened the door. Inside the door he built a raised platform, an oven and a working chimney. He placed a visitors' book and a pen in a tupperware box and then left.
Fact or fiction? Well fact actually. I heard of the cave when I first moved to the Lakes. And I almost found the lever, if it hadn't started to rain and Marcus wanted to go back home. Finally a guy at the pub. where I worked said he would take me.
We have visited a couple of times since but today I wasn't sure of the exact way up and we ended up climbing up the beck. I eventually gave in and sent Ricky off on his own, which was just as well as Ricky reported that the door had been removed, smashed and left lying on the rocks. So I was glad I didn't go because it would have upset me greatly.
Ricky finally consented to go a walk with me seeing as he is leaving home soon. He wanted me to show him, the secret cave in Borrowdale.
Many years ago a man built a spring-loaded door, faced with rock into a small cave in the Langstrath valley. Nearby, in a pile of loose stones he buried a small lever which opened the door. Inside the door he built a raised platform, an oven and a working chimney. He placed a visitors' book and a pen in a tupperware box and then left.
Fact or fiction? Well fact actually. I heard of the cave when I first moved to the Lakes. And I almost found the lever, if it hadn't started to rain and Marcus wanted to go back home. Finally a guy at the pub. where I worked said he would take me.
We have visited a couple of times since but today I wasn't sure of the exact way up and we ended up climbing up the beck. I eventually gave in and sent Ricky off on his own, which was just as well as Ricky reported that the door had been removed, smashed and left lying on the rocks. So I was glad I didn't go because it would have upset me greatly.
posted by Brina Katz at 11:18 PM
11 Comments:
Gutted to read the cave is not the magical secret it once was. I was lucky enough to spend a night there in the mid 1990s when I lived in the lakes. With a rough idea of where it was it took us a day's searching to find the lever... When we did, I found the names of several friends in the guest book who had been visiting the cave for years, none of whom had ever said anything about it. But a couple of years later, a friend of mine visited and was just as suprised to find my name in the guest book...
I only came across your post because I was thinking of paying a visit to the cave again, and wondered if the secret was out. Goddam google ruined my night:(
A huge shame, Ive been googling about the cave all night after spending the day in langstrath beck kayaking. Im deeply upset by this.
WHY?
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Maybe we should find where they live and scratch their cars or something.
See people's fun = destroy it? What the hell kind of scum do that?
Thank Trail magazine. August 2005, I think.
I found the cave today, after a three hour search. It's in reasonably good order, although the door doesn't work. Reading the visitors' book, I was one of half a dozen people who were in there just today. "Secret"? Not any more. :-/
Absolute scumbags! So where is it then? I spent about 3 hours looking for it on the opposite side you stand to jump into black moss pot :( Was I on the right side of the valley?
am off there this sunday with the boys see ya at the camp site if ya come in bring ya own weed cas ya not gettin none ov mine. went there years ago put me name in the book and left a spliff 4 the next person was that u?????. i am take in the boys there cas they think am full ov shit an smoke 2 much pot
am off there this sunday with the boys see ya at the camp site if ya come in bring ya own weed cas ya not gettin none ov mine. went there years ago put me name in the book and left a spliff 4 the next person was that u?????. i am take in the boys there cas they think am full ov shit an smoke 2 much pot
Visited in 2007 and Osma Bin Laden was in residence.
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I was taken there 20 years ago by the builder of the cave. What a shame the new generation has no respect for other people's effort in creating a hidden treasure that has give such pleasure to so many. May the present custodians be allowed to maintain the cave and continue that thrill people feel in finding the cave.
I helped carry sand and cement up there one night, many years ago. Sadly, the man who put the door on died a couple of years ago.
I was in the Isle of Skye (Camasunary Bothy) over new year 1998 and a bloke in there told us of the cave, unfortunately for him, telling a someone that a cave exists with fox pelts for warmth and 'works of art' on the walls with a stone door that opens with a secret lever meant he spent the next few days getting grief of us! Bloody secret cave, oh we laughed!!
It wasnt until a few years later I was on a work party at Warnescale Head bothy that i retold the story of this mad scottish bloke only to be told it was (in the most part) true.
With a vague set of directions I went to find the place, the first time I wasnt even close, the second time I found it! Although the door was gone the stones piled up worked enough to keep it private.
My lasting memory however was of the miserable shit who owned the pub at the head of the valley and was a liverpool supporter, never have i met such a self important POS that despite advertising as open and withing food ordering time, wouldnt start up the kitchen for a couple of hungry walkers.
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