THE WARS OF THE ROSES – A Multi-Series of caches by Lanky Tyke 

If, like me, you enjoy a good walk over high Pennine Moorland with superlative views at every turn, then this series is for you.

Lanky Tyke has found an eclectic mix of locations for this series which are on either side of the Yorkshire / Lancashire border around Widdop.

The series is based on the fictitious Army Base locations of the Lancastrian and Yorkist armies and Spy Camp locations and eventually the site of the final battle in the Wars of the Roses.

Not that this series is a game to be played out light-heartedly.  This series is not an easy walk by any standards, but do not let this put you off.

I am not the fittest walker, indeed, I go into crawler gear for any incline under 1 in 20 and I am not built for speed.  But I undertook this series with astra-nomical and we both agreed that it is arguably one of the finest cache walks we have yet undertaken.

There are five caches to be found.  The first two are:

Wars of the Roses - White Rose of Yorkshire - Base

Wars of the Roses - Red Rose of Lancashire - Base 

These are the only caches in which you are given the coordinates and the hints (should you need them).  The coordinates for the next two Mystery caches can be found in the respective Base caches.  These Mystery caches are:

Wars of the Roses –White Rose of Yorkshire Mystery

Wars of the Roses - Red Rose of Lancashire Mystery 

From each of the Mystery caches you will find part-coordinates for the Final Mystery Bonus cache:

Wars of the Roses - The Tudor Rose – Mystery Bonus 

All of the caches are loggable in their own right and the cumulative difficulty increases, giving the final cache a 5* x 5* rating. Having experienced the cache series first hand, and not wishing to divulge too much information, the walks are individually fairly easy.  Doing each one in turn makes the walk that bit harder and longer, but the series can be done in a day. It is at this point that I must applaud Jane, of Team stonefielders, who managed to get all five caches as First to Find (GRRRR!) within 5 hours.  I must point out that Jane is an accomplished runner over Moorland and fells, but to do this in that time, and alone, was some achievement.

Well done Jane. It may well suit some members to attempt this series over two or even three days, and it will always be better to wait for sunny, clear days when photographic opportunities will be available. Whichever way you choose to do this series, you should always wear good hiking boots and proper clothing as the weather in these parts can change in minutes.

Always let somebody know where you are going and when you expect to be back. We had a good day weather-wise, although there was an extremely bitterly cold north-east wind blowing, making the wind-chill factor drop to minus 6 degrees. 

Anyhow, go and take a look for yourself.   Let Battle Commence.

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