Fully rested after his day in Hawes, Ike & the Mr Men were soon ready for another Adventure with Heather and Mark. This time they walked to Hardraw Force and Ike enjoyed seeing the Autumn colours as they went.
Hardraw Force is a waterfall on Hardraw Beck in Hardraw Scar, a wooded ravine just outside the hamlet of Hardraw, less than a mile from Hawes.
Comprising a single drop of 100 feet (30 m) from a rocky overhang, Hardraw Force is claimed to be England’s highest unbroken waterfall, certainly that is overland (there is a larger one in a cave underground). Geologically the bed of the river and plunge pool is shale; on top of that is sandstone and the top layer is carboniferous limestone. Geography Cat has written an article about how waterfalls like this one are formed, if you’re interested you can read it by following this link.
It is on private land but public access to the falls is available through a turnstile behind the Green Dragon Inn. When Heather and Mark first visited 25 years ago, access was through the Green Dragon Pub, but this was separated a few years ago, and currently the pub is shut while a new landlord is found.
Ike was interested to learn the Falls have a few famous connections. Both J.M.W. Turner and Willian Wordsworth visited the waterfall and both men stayed at the Green Dragon Inn. Also the falls were used as a location in the film ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’, starring Kevin Costner, in the scene where Maid Marian catches Robin Hood bathing under a waterfall. Ike was unsure how much truth there were in the rumours, one being they poured hot water into the waterfall so Kevin Costner wouldn’t get cold during filming and the other being they used a stunt double for the waterfall scenes, so Mr Costner wouldn’t get hypothermia, as he wasn’t a tough northerner! However, Ike did decide NOT to get his paws wet, and just to admire from the side. He was also relieved to see there was more water in the Falls than during August of this year, though when he compared older photos, he realised there was more water in the Falls this time 25 years ago!
Ike and the Mr Men also went in the little church yard, to get information for the Church multi-cache, the only cache in the village of Hardraw. They were able to do the required sums, and were happy to see that the location was one they would pass on the way home.
After admiring the waterfall and having a cuppa at the cafe, they were delighted to make an easy find of the cache on the way home. Then time for toasting paws by the fire and planning another Adventure!
What lovely scenery to be geo-cashe hunting in!
Fabulous