I, GEOCACHER
There's a game people play, a sort of high-tech treasure hunt using GPS handsets. I first heard about it on a BBC TV programme called
Inside Out
with the broadcasting genius that is Chirs Packham. Several months later, while researching the
Chiltern Sculpture Trail for the web site I was writing about it,
I came across the sport again on the
www.BucksCaching.com site.
Intregued, I used the postcode search feature on the
official Geocaching.com web site
and discovered a cache was only a mile from my front door. Equiped with the cheat (so that I could locate it without a GPS handset) and a stout
pair of walking boots, I set out...
Having found my first cache (basically an ice-cream tub or similar stuffed with trinkets. You take something, you leave something and you
log your visit in a notebook kept in the cache) which had been placed by 'Dan & Pid'
I was hooked and did several more. They were all in interesting locations and were fun to track down under piles of rocks or up trees.
Eventually I bought Dan's (who, by a strange twist of fate, had been the feature of the Chris Packham show, along with his mate Pid)
etrex GPS unit and began placing caches of my own. Below are details of what I've hidden and where. Happy hunting!
This multicache takes you to one of the most remote and unusual communities in Bucks. Hillesden boasts a huge church of the late Perpendicular period (about 1500) that'd be the pride of any town, let alone this tiny hamlet. Please bring a pen and a calculator (or a really brainy person) as you'll need to make some notes and do some light maths on the way. This cache may require a walk of over 2 miles.
The year was 1644 and England was being torn apart by a bloody civil war. Supporters of the King were centred in Oxford, while Parliamentary forces had a stronghold in Aylesbury. Various grand houses across the country - typically owned by Royalists - were being hastily fortified. Hillesden House was one such stately manor. Sadly before they'd finished building earthworks on the morning of March the 4th, the 263 defenders were met by around 2,000 men commanded by Sir Samuel Luke and a rising star of the roundhead cause, a colonel called Oliver Cromwell. The smaller force were quickly overwhelmed. Fearing the recapture of the strategic hilltop by Royalist forces after they'd withdrawn, the grand house was razed to the ground. In the graveyard a very weathered cross marks the mass grave of 30 Royalists who were executed after they'd surrendered to the victors. More information can be found in the church porch, next to the battered door which still shows musket-ball scars from 360 years ago.
At N51° 57.181 / W001° 00.211 seek out the well carved gravestone of a Mr Ridgway who died in 1866 or 67, aged 47. It's behind the church and if you follow a high red-brick wall to get to it you'll see the blocked-up gateway - formerly access to the missing house - as well as what would once have been a first floor entrance. A bridge from house to church, so the Denton's could attend their private pews when it was raining without getting wet, once spanned the gap.
In the time honoured way (i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.) change the late Mr Ridgway's first name into numbers
His name was ABCDEF.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° (A-C)(A-D).FB / W00(A-E-F)° (A-C)B.(F-D)(F-B-E)
To reach the cache, use the footpaths provided (possibility of mud in some areas) or drive a surprisingly long way for a much shorter walk.
Happy Hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x CDR - The King, Gravelands
1x Unusual 50p piece
2x Pencils and a rubber
2x Tealite candles
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen.
While you're in the area, I suggest you visit
The Planks by Jaq or my own MILITARY INTELIGENCE cache.
The former is within walking distance, the latter a short drive away.
Additional Hints:
The cache is around head height.
A chess themed cache which takes you on a fairly gentle walk through beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside.
Take a print-out of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) as you'll need to make notes and do a little light maths.
This 'cache trail' is approx. 2 miles long and should take around an hour.
Drive into the village of Stone, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. You'll see a side-road signposted 'Eythrope only'.
Drive down here and park somewhere before the gates - around N51°48.480/W00°52.352 - where there is a 'Private Road' notice.
You shouldn't drive beyond this point but it is a public right of way, I've checked.
Walk along this road for about half a mile, down the hill, around a bend, to a junction between an automatic gate and a bridge next to a waterfall.
Turn right here and proceed towards N51°48.700 / W00°52.300. You'll pass a strange character on the river bank -
The White Knight upon a quest perhaps? - follow a causeway, climb a stile and pass a fairytale house with dragons on its roof.
Here you need to note the NUMBER OF PLANKS ON THE BRIDGE, as you'll be using this figure later.
Now, continue along the river, dodge cowpats to pass through a kissing gate,
until you reach a spooky tree. Turn right here and take the obvious route to your target, the 'dark castle' of Burn Hill.
Once there you'll find that one of the trees has some numbers and letters carved
into it (not by me!) starting 03, which, for the following to work, you should ignore.
If A=1, B=2, etc, then Line1-Letter1 is X, Line2-Letter1 is Y and Line4-Letter1 is Z.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° (PLANKS+X).ZX0 / W00° Z(Y-1).(X-1)YY
There is a bridleway near the 'dark castle' that will take you in the right direction. Happy Hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Cadbury's MiniRolls(tm) 'Safe' (basically a small empty sparkly orange plastic box)
1x Metal HP Keyring
1x Yo-Yo (The plasticy, stringy kind, not the yummy chocolaty kind)
2x Tealite candles
2x RobotWars stickers
1x Chiltern Sculpture Trail leaflet (I'm in the process of doing a web site for them, which is how I was introduced to Geocaching as there's one in the same wood)
1x Audio CD. No adult lyrics. I checked.
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
Things to enjoy while searching for this cache:
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out
Dan & Pid's excellent caches, Egyptian Springs and Black Magic. They're both within energetic walking distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden at the base of a tree, about 15 paces from the 'obvious point'.
A chess themed cache which takes you on a peaceful walk through rural Buckinghamshire, with some unusual sights along the way.
Take a print-out of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) as you'll need to make notes and do a little light maths.
This 'cache trail' is approx. 2 miles long and should take around an hour.
Drive into the village of Bishopstone, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
Pass through the village until you see the telephone and post boxes, which are near N51°47.088 / W00°50.022.
Here you need to make a note of the 'phone number. It's on both the telephone and the poster behind it: 01296-YXZXYZ.
This is also a good place to park if you fancy a longish walk, but be careful not to block anyone in.
(For a shorter walk, park at the end of Moreton Lane.)
Walk (or drive, if you prefer) westish along the road for a little way, turn left into Moreton Lane, opposite the war memorial,
and follow this lane past some Llamas (or are they Alpacas? Yes, really) to the end, where there is limited offroad parking and two farm gates.
Once there, use the path which passes the fallen barn, plus various gates and stiles provided, to find your
second target, which is a White Pawn at: N51° X6.XZ0 / W00° (X+1)1.X(Y+1)0
The Pawn has a message for you. It's on a plate near its base, where you'll find some letters and a four digit number. Let's call this number ABCD.
You might also notice that the 'avenues' here seem to line up with churches, near and far. Quirky.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° AC.(B+1)2D / W00° D1.A22
Walk towards the grey buildings where there's a bridleway which will take you past the remains of a moat and off in the right direction. Happy Hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x A handy tin box
1x Gold (probably not solid) Keyring
1x Squeezy ball thing
1x 'Lexmark' mug (Can you tell I work in I.T?)
2x Tealite candles
3x Postcards
1x Oxfordshire Cotswolds leaflet (It's a lovely area and well worth a visit)
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil, all in a bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
Things to enjoy while searching for this cache:
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out my first cache,
Chess themed Geocache No.1 - BLACK ROOK (Bucks) or Dan & Pid's excellent Egyptian Springs cache.
They're both within energetic walking distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden under 'the remains of the White Bishop', where the medieval village of Moreton once stood.
Another chess themed romp through some stunning Buckinghamshire countryside, with my usual collection of oddities to enjoy along the way.
Take a print-out of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) as you'll need to make notes and do a little light maths.
This 'cache trail' is approx. 3 miles long and should take a bit more than an hour.
Drive into the tiny village of Upper Winchendon, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
Pass through the village until you see the telephone and post boxes, which are near N51° 49.256 / W00° 55.281.
Here you need to make a note of the 'phone number. It's on both the telephone and the poster behind it: 01296-ABCDEF.
This is also a good place to park, but please be careful not to block anyone in.
Walk north-east-ish along the road for a few yards, turn right at the triangular footpath sign and follow this lane -
past a 'Freerange Children' notice, an ill looking plastic pigeon and some antlers - to a stile beside a farmhouse.
Beyond this, you should take the higher stile on the right and use the footpaths provided to head towards
your second target. It's a telephone pole with figures carved into it at the intersection of the path and a farm access road,
at: N51° (B-C)(E-C).A(A-6)(C+D) / W00° BB.(A-D)BB.
The figures look something like this, but I've replaced the numbers with lowercase letters:
BT
---
gL
hi
jS
The Pawn has a message for you. It's on a plate near its base, where you'll find some letters and a four digit number.
Let's call this number WXYZ.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° WX.(Yx2)(Z-3)(X-6) / W00° (W+1)(X-4).(Y-1)Z(X-W)
If you choose to use the road to reach it, please note that there are several blind summits along it and cars come over them at a fair old lick,
so take care! Walk on the right to face on-coming traffic and be prepared to squeeze into the bushes.
People caching with children are advised to backtrack rather than taking this shorter route.
Near a 'misleading' sign there's a stile. This is the most direct route to your goal.
If you see 'The Sign of the Black Dog' you're going in the right direction. Happy Hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Handy tin box
1x Thing for cleaning fluff out of your keyboard
1x Squeezy ball thing
1x Pringle 'carry case'
2x Tealite candles
1x The Phoenix Trail (Thame to Princes Risborough) leaflet
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil, all in a bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out my first cache,
Chess themed Geocache No.1 - BLACK ROOK (Bucks) or Dan & Pid's excellent Egyptian Springs cache.
They're both within energetic walking distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden next to one of the southern group of trees, within the fenced area.
My forth chess themed crusade amongst splendid Buckinghamshire countryside, with my traditional selection of curiosities to enjoy along the way.
Take a print-out of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) as you'll need to make notes and do some tricky maths.
This 'cache trail' is approx. 3 miles long and should take around an hour and a half to two hours.
Your starting point is a White Pawn best reached from a small lane that branches off the A41 to Upper Winchendon road, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
Drive down this lane until you see the cluster of footpath signs on a post - as pictured below. Park beside the road near here
and take a footpath into the field heading for N51° 49.907 / W00° 54.037.
Here you need to make a note of the four digit number which is on a plate near its base. Let's call this number ABCD.
Now return to the road and walk towards your second target, a metal plate on the ground with six letters on, which can be located at:
N51° B(C-D).(D-C)(B+C)(B+C+D) / W00° BA.AB(B+C+D).
Once there, convert the letters into numbers in the time honoured way. i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3 etc.
Now times all these numbers together to give you a six digit number.
For example, if the word was BELLOW, the numbers would be 2, 5, 12, 12, 15 and 23. 2 x 5 x 12 x 12 x 15 x 23 = 496,800.
Take your number and divide it by ten thousand. The easy way to do this is stick a decimal point in
after the first two digits. Add 16.432 to this number to get ANSWER-ONE, as used below.
ANSWER-TWO requires you to take your original six figure number, ignore the first digit, divide the five digit number by a thousand
to give you a ii.iii type figure. Add 12.098 to this number and you have ANSWER-TWO, as used below. (Well done!)
Your third target is a road junction at N51° (ANSWER-ONE) / W00° (ANSWER-TWO).
To get there, follow the footpath behind the buildings and down into the woods.
Continue along it until you reach a farm road and turn right to follow the arrow to the co-ordinates.
Along this road you'll cut across the route of a Roman road, Akeman Street.
It's worth noting that to reach your target you need to dog-leg around the grounds of a house - which for the purposes of this cache
I like to think of as An Englishman's Home. That is to say, a Castle or White Rook, if I may stretch credulity a little.
If you've reached the correct location, you should be able to see a road sign which gives distances to
Quainton, Oving and Whitchurch. In that order, the distances are XYZ.
Your fourth target can be reached by backtracking or via the road. If you choose to risk walking along the road,
please take care and walk on the right-hand-side to face on-coming traffic. In the cause of safety,
I'd recommend people caching with children backtrack. The fourth target is located at:
N51° Y(XxX).(X+Y)Y(X-1) / W00° ZY.Z(Y-X)(Z-Z).
Your quest is nearly at an end! There's a 'mounting block' to take the weight off your feet for a while, before making a note of the year
this building was built. Looking at it, perhaps this is another White Rook? The date of construction is above the door or on the
information point by the gate. Call this number EFGH
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° YG.(X+Z)B(Y+Y) / W00° ZY.(D+G)ZB
You need to backtrack along the road to reach the cache. Again, please take care as this can be quite a busy stretch and is
narrow in places. If you see 'The Sign of the Big Dog' you're going in the right direction. Happy Hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Handy tin box
1x Thing for cleaning fluff out of your keyboard
1x Squeezy ball thing
1x Pringle 'carry case'
2x Tealite candles
1x The Phoenix Trail (Thame to Princes Risborough) leaflet
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil, all in a bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out my first cache,
Chess themed Geocache No.1 - BLACK ROOK (Bucks) or Chess themed Geocache No.3 - BLACK KNIGHT (Bucks).
They're both within energetic walking distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden at the base of a large tree.
My fifth chess themed ramble through Buckinghamshire countryside,
with my trademark smorgasbord of the bizarre to enjoy along the way, is located in and
around the historic village of Whitchurch.
Please take a printout of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) with you
as you'll need to make notes and do some maths along the way. This cache romp is approx. 2 miles long and should take around an hour.
Your starting point is a telegraph pole next to the road at N51° 52.799 / W00° 50.434. This is Weir Lane, tucked away behind Whitchurch (which
gets its name from the White Church up on the hill) and best reached from Market Hill. If you're struggling to find the road,
here's a clear Streetmap.co.uk map of the area.
I suggest this is a good place to park too. The post has some letters and numbers carved into it, in the following way:
The figures look something like this, but I've replaced the numbers with lowercase letters:
BT
---
aM
bc
dI
Your second location is at N51° (c-1)d.(a-1)(b-4)(d+3) / W00° (A-3)0.(d-1)(a-1)(d-2).
To get there, take the footpath beside the house (possible barking dogs to make you jump) to the stile at the end, with a distant view of the Black King.
Turn left here, following the edge of the field to another stile which is somewhat tucked away behind vegetation.
Be careful over this one, as it was rather wobbly when I visited in July 2003.
Now follow the arrow to the co-ordinates, crossing a small bridge and following a little stream
(a spring known in the village as Fair Alice. Answers as to why on a postcard please) to your goal.
Now, locate the obvious object which has some numbers on it, two two digit numbers and one one
digit number (I hope that makes sense) and keep a note of them. I've called the largest
(i.e. highest numerical) number EF, the next largest GH and the single digit I.
Cross the busy road with care and proceed to your third waypoint, which is at N51° FH.(E+E)H(F+G) / W00° F(F-I).(F-E)(I-F)(H+I).
As you cross the road you may glimpse a mock-Tudor building called The Furs at the south end of the street. There's nothing much special to see here now,
which is why the cache trail doesn't visit it, but 50 years ago you could be shot for hanging about here with a note book. This was the home of
a top secret government department called MD1, or as it's better known, 'Winston Churchill's Toyshop'. Here weapons for spies, saboteurs and other
military exotica was designed, developed, built and tested. The locals had to put up with explosions from the complex of buildings behind the building.
Q-branch would have been proud of them!
Back to your target. If you've reached the correct location, you should be able to see
three dates, all above your head. One is in a square, one on a cross above the square and one on the
biggest sundial I can ever remember seeing. [ ] 16J7 / + 18KL / Sundial 18M8.
On the other side of the building you'll find an unusual iron reference to Sarah Tomlin. The date on it is
August the N0th 1OON. Note all these figures!
Leave this area by the exit to your left and pass a house with a rather obvious name before dropping back to the main road. Cross it to the fourth location:
N51° JN.OL(N-M) / W00° J(M-N).M(K-J)J, a spot unpopular with arachnaphobics!
On the wall behind a road sign is a date and some letters, TF i-ii-iii-iv. Note these figures too. Your quest is nearly at an end!
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° JM.L(ii)(iii) / W00° F(b-K).(iv)c(i)
To get to to the cache, follow this quiet road to a kissing gate on the left. It might be worth taking a little detour right at a fork in the road,
as the ancient market place is worth a look, I'd say.
Back at the cache site, you'll find the remains of (Sir? I'd better get a Knight reference in here as well as all the White stuff)
Walter Bolebec's home. He was one of the assessors of the Domesday Book, started in 1086,
and was given this land by the Conqueror for his efforts. When Cromwell's forces visited during the English Civil War
(it never seemed all that civil to me...) they demolished it totally. The site is now overlooked by Bolebec house, once home to the painter Rex Whistler.
His picture called 'The Vale From Whitchurch' was painted in the back garden. Culture as well as caching eh? You lucky people. Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Small handy tin box
1x Blade Runner postcard
1x 2-euro coin (spend it wisely)
1x Sony Memory Stick metal keyring
2x Tealite candles
1x Art of the Phoenix Trail (Thame to Princes Risborough) leaflet
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil, all in a bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out my first cache,
Chess themed Geocache No.1 - BLACK ROOK (Bucks) or Chess themed Geocache No.4 - WHITE ROOK (Bucks).
They're both within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden amongst the branches of a large tree on the edge of the mound.
My first 'non-multi-cache' is in Romer Wood, at the edge of the Claydon villages in Bucks, hence the name of this cache.
It's not a spelling mistake, ok?! I've known this wood since childhood and it's never failed to give me a palpable sense of
fear and dread. I'm not sure why - Perhaps it's the way the trees seem to loom? This cache requires a walk of approx.
2 miles and should take less than an hour. It would, in my humble opinion, make an ideal night-caching location - But don't go alone!
The Cache is located at:
N51° 53.814 / W00° 58.015
To get to to the cache, follow a road between Poplar trees which branches off (hehe!) the Calvert to Botolph Claydon road.
This road often plays host to film crews as it's very French and there are no obvious power or telephone lines to spoil
the illusion of Napoleonic France - Picture below. Towards the end, there's an entrance to a rough road where you can park
out of the way of the farm vehicles which frequent the lane. Walk from here, following the track past bees and the occasional
deer until you reach a wide avenue in the woods. Elsewhere this might just be fire-break, but OS map 165 users might wish to
study it. This cut in the trees lines up with an identical one in the neighbouring Home Wood and they both point directly to
nearby Claydon House - once home to the Verny family and Florence Nightingale. Is this the remains of some lost approach
(unlikely as there's no obvious access to the house from the south) or vanished vista? If vista it was, there would have
almost certainly have been something at the end of it to act as an eye-catcher. A obelisk or statue perhaps. Nothing remains now,
but I don't think it was my imagination that there seems to be a circle of greener grass at its furthest point.
This suggests ground that's been disturbed but I can't find any records of a garden feature here, so who knows?
Anyway, happy hunting for your own treasure!
The cache originally contained:
1x Sunglasses
1x Thing for cleaning gunk out of your keyboard
2x Tealite candles
1x 'West Wycombe Caves' leaflet
1x 'Bekonscot Model Village' leaflet
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try my
Chess themed Geocache No.5 - WHITE KNIGHT (Bucks).
It's within short driving distance in a village called Whitchurch.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden in the stump of a fallen tree, next to a path, near the edge of the wood.
My first ever cache-n-dash is at the Hampenden Monument, just outside of Chalgrove in Oxfordshire.
The Cache is located at:
N51° 40.185/ W001° 04.049
You can't miss this cache, it's up the eponymously named Monument Road, off the B480, between Stadhampton and Watlington. There's road-side parking right by the monument, and this one can be done inside a minute! In fact, please use your watch or stopwatch to time how long it takes you to find this cache, from the time you get out of your car (or 'arrive' at the monument) until the moment you put pen to logbook. Race!
To learn more about the life (I've just discovered I went to the same school as him; Lord Williams' in Thame) and death of John Hampden, visit his page at British-Civil-Wars.co.uk or an interesting history at BucksFreePress.co.uk
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Candle
1x Thing for cleaning gunk out of your keyboard
1x 'I'm Experienced badge
1x Party popper
1x 'The Phoenix Trail' leaflet
1x 1 Krone coin, from Norway. 'It's the coin with the hole'
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try Dan & Pid's
> ().
It's within short driving distance, to the north.
Additional Hints:
Like the archaeology around here, the cache is under your feet
A walk in the woods with a WMD-ifference... Back in mid 2003, before I became a geocacher myself, I suggested two spots I thought might make interesting cache-sites to Dan Wilson but (thankfully, it turns out) he didn't do anything with them. One is now home to my ROMING IN THE WOOD cache, and this is the other one.
The A421 Tingewick bypass has the notoriety of being the site of the UKs most serious speeding offence. To date, this is where the fastest convicted 'People In A Rush' were spotted. To read more about this dubious honour, have a look at BikersWeb.co.uk. Race!
Now, on to the cache, which is on the opposite side of the Tingewick bypass to the village itself. Access to the site is from the west-bound carriage way or via back roads from Barton Hartshorn, off the A4421, or Preston Bissett. Your objective is Tingewick Wood (catchy eh?)
where you'll find various abandoned military installations. They're related to the nearby Finmere airfield which was home to several squadrons of bombers during the last war. The last BIG war. Click here for more information on this. One last thing to read before you pull on your NBC suit and go 'over the top':
A passage taken from Parishes.Oxford.Anglican.org:
"...to the right of the path as one enters the [Tingewick] churchyard are three stones, one of which commemorates a seventeen year old boy Richard Crichton who was murdered in Tingewick Wood." I hope you're ready for a scary hours geocaching now! Why not come here at night and really worry yourself good and proper?
I suggest you park around N51° 58.844 / W001° 03.109 and use the marked footpaths to access the wood. It's as simple as that. Please note, this cache requires a sense of adventure and a degree of physical flexibility. I also suggest you bring a torch and gloves. You'll see why...!
The Cache is located at:
N51° 58.613 / W001° 02.840
So pretend you're a WMD inspector and have a happy hunt!
The smallish cache originally contained:
1x Candle
1x Thing for cleaning gunk out of your keyboard
1x Party popper
1x Selection of KP Skips stickers
1x First Class Stamp
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try Dan & Pid's
The Secret Garden or my own
CLAYDON CONUNDRUM cache.
They're both within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
Yes, in there, under some bricks in the corner
A fairly quick and easy multi which will take you on curious journey.
Located up a little lane between the villages of Grendon Underwood and Quainton in Bucks, is an overgrown disused railway line.
It's a remote and tranquil spot, which is probably why an organisation called the 'Birch, Bottom & Lovitt Ponycarting Club' (a group with no interest in horses, as seen on Eurotrash!) held their 2003 summer junket here. Just don't ask how I happen to know this!
Start your adventure at N51° 52.661 / W000° 58.173. At this initial location (with limited parking) you'll find yourself under some lines. Needless to say, while you're here you shouldn't try to interfere with this structure in any way. Above your head are two signs with numbers which I've replaced with letters in brackets. They look like:
The Name of the Company, PLC.
0800 [A]0 [A]0 [B][C]
[A]YH[D][E]
The Cache is located at:
N51° 53.EA(B-D) / W000° 58.C(A+D)(B-E)
There are several ways get on the right track, but the proper footpath access is just beyond the road bridge you should be close to.
While safely reliving fond memories from 'Stand By Me', keep your eyes open for all the wildlife in this area. Who knows, maybe you'll catch sight of a fine young filly out for a trot...
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Daily Mail original Elvis CD. Urhur. Thank you very much.
1x £2 off any PS2 title priced at £9.99 or more at Game voucher (valid until 30/9/04)
2x Candles
1x Spiders Web decoration (with plastic spider. Don't say I didn't warn you!)
Plus the usual: Log book, pen and cache note.
Things to enjoy while searching for this cache:
While you're in the area, I suggest you try Dan & Pid's excellent
Misty Water Coloured Memories or
Brian's Warren - A Quainton ramble by The Hornet.
They're both only a short drive away.
Additional Hints:
You'll really dig the obvious location
My first 'Photo-cache' is one for the more childish photographers amongst you.
Located in the village of Buckland, behind Aston Clinton in Bucks, is All Saints Church. About nine feet up on an outside wall is a very rude lady.
She is a 'Sheela Na Gig', an ancient 'highly female' figure linked to pagan fertility rights. Why she's here, I couldn't say, but she's
the naughtiest lady I've seen in a churchyard in many a year.
For more information, have a look at The Sheela Na Gig Project.
It's a very useful site, but don't think you can just 'pinch' a picture from this page to claim a visit.
To log this cache properly you need to find the physical cache and take a photograph of The Lady to post with your log.
If you can, please try to get yourself in the picture with your GPS.
Reenacting her pose is NOT required or recommended. :-D
Discretion should be shown on Sundays, obviously, and I suspect it wouldn't make an ideal night-caching location, unless your camera has a great flash!
(F-narr)
The Photo-Cache location is:
N51° 48.218 / W000° 42.819
To find the physical cache from here, locate the grave of Peter Parrott, which is near The Lady. He died on
ABth August 18CD, aged EF years.
The Physical Cache location is:
N51° CF.B0(B-A) / W000° C(D-E).(E-A)FA
To reach the physical cache (a small white tin which originally contained a pen, logbook, candle, one Jordanian Dinar and a flyer for West Wycombe Caves)
you will need to use the footpath provided. Don't worry, you'll not have to walk very far.
Things to enjoy while searching for this cache:
While you're in the area, I suggest you try Dan & Pid's excellent
Gravity Hill? (Bucks) or
The Chiltern Summit (Bucks).
They're both only a short drive away.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden under twigs between the roots of a tree at the edge of the field.
My second 'Photo-cache' is another one for all you childish photographers out there.
Located in the lovely village of Cuddington, just north of Haddenham in Bucks, is the above sign.
It's about ten feet up on a white painted cottage wall (it's actually the village hairdressers) near the excellent village pub.
To log this cache properly you need to find the physical cache and take a photograph of the sign and post it with your log.
If you can, please try to get yourself in the picture with your GPS.
Your own interpretation of the sign in the form of impromptu street theatre would be nice, but please, don't get arrested. :-D
The Photo-Cache location is somewhere around:
N51° 47.631 / W000° 55.875
To find the physical cache from here, locate the 'Buckinghamshire Best Kept Village' sign (it's nearby, as seen below)
and spot the dates on it, which look like this:
198A
198B
198C
1992
199D
1996
1998
200E
The Physical Cache location is:
N51° 47.ADB / W000° 55.CAE
To reach the physical cache (a small white tin which originally contained a pen, logbook, candle, an eraser - or a rubber, if you're not an American -
and a flyer for Stowe House Gardens)
you will need to use the road, lane and footpath provided. Don't worry, you'll not have very far to walk.
So, why not come on over (f-narr) to Cuddington and see if you can find your target.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try my
Chess themed Geocache No.3 - BLACK KNIGHT (Bucks) or Dan & Pid's well regarded
Black Magic (Bucks).
They're both only a short drive away.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden under twigs and leaves between the roots of a large tree next to the path.
My third 'Photo-cache' is again one for all you childish photographers (with vehicles under 6' 6" in height) out there.
Located in the esoterically named Cockshoots Wood, between Wendover and Great Missenden, is the above sign.
It's about a mile up a narrow lane, sign posted 'Cobblers Hill' from the A413.
To log this cache properly you need to find the physical cache and take a photograph of the sign and post it with your log.
If you can, please try to get yourself in the picture with your GPS.
Your own interpretation of the sign in the form of impromptu street theatre would be nice, but please, don't get arrested. :-D
The Photo-Cache location is somewhere around:
N51° 43.785 / W000° 44.342
To find the physical cache from here, take the path up the hill, beyond the 'lone tree' in the car park.
On the back of the first big tree you come to you'll discover that someone loves someone else.
Everyone say "Ahhh". Convert the initials (i LOVES ii) into numbers in the time honoured A=1, B=2, C=3, etc. way.
The Physical Cache location is:
N51° 43.(i-2)(i+2)(ii-11) / W000° 44.(ii x 2)(i-4)
To reach the physical cache (a small white-lidded tub which originally contained a pencil, logbook & notice, two candles, a party-popper, small PostIT(tm) type pad and a flyer for The Phoenix Trail (home of my ART OF THE PHOENIX TRAIL cache)
you will need to use the footpath and 'Chiltern Way' provided. Don't worry, you'll not have to walk very far.
So, why not come on over (f-narr) to Cockshoots Wood and see if you can find your target. Please note! The car park at the picnic area is a notorious 'Dogging Spot' (if you don't know what Dogging is I'm not going to tell you!) so unless you fancy some unusual attention, I'd not do this as a NightCache.
Things to enjoy while searching for this cache:
While you're in the area, I suggest you try Dan Wilson's
Heritage & Horror (Bucks) or InterMissendens
by Brad Yuan & Steph Adler. They're both short drives away.
Additional Hints:
Hidden under twigs and leaves near the gnarled roots of a twisted tree.
Located in the picturesque village of Great Hasely, near junction 7 of the M40 in Oxfordshire, is the above sign.
It's beside Rectory Road, the quiet main route through the village, about a mile from the A329.
To log this cache properly you need to find the physical cache as well as take a photograph of the sign and post it with your log.
If you can, please try to get yourself in the picture with your GPS.
Your own interpretation of the sign in the form of impromptu street theatre would be nice, but please, don't get arrested. :-D
The Photo-Cache location is around:
N51° 42.718 / W001° 04.386
To find the physical cache from here, locate the telephone box which is very near by. Its number is both on the phone and the poster behind it:
(01844) ABC4D0
The Physical Cache location is:
N51° 43.CAD / W001° 04.BAA
To reach the physical cache (which originally contained 2x Candles, 1x Thing for cleaning fluff out of your keyboard, 1x Modern Day Divas CD - rescued from Creature Feature and dried,
1x Party popper, 1x 'Waddesdon Manor' leaflet. Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil) you will need to let Simply Paul take you up the Backway (oo-er) and bounce along the bumpy lane and footpath provided. Don't worry, you'll not have to walk very far. Especially since you can drive most of the way if you want to, but please be careful where you park, as it's a bit tight up here (f-narr).
While you're in the area, I suggest you try my
HAMPDEN'S MONUMENT (Oxon)
or Dan & Pid's
The Ring Around Rycote (Oxon).
They're both within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
You'll need to get your rocks off
My sixth chess themed stroll through a lovely Buckinghamshire village,
with a mix of the curious to admire along the way, is located in and
around the historic village of Oving. (It's pronounced Ooving by the locals. There's another Oving in West Sussex, I've just discovered.)
Please take a printout of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) with you
as you'll need to make notes and do some maths along the way. This 'cache trail' is approx. 2 miles long and should take around an hour.
I suggest you park somewhere near 'The Black Boy' pub, which is also a fine place to have a small drink or some food after caching.
There's a very good infomation point in their car park. It informs us that there's been over twenty different ways of spelling Oving since
it was recorded in the Domesday Book. Your starting point is behind the pub, below the church, near a small pond at N51° 53.157 / W00° 51.913.
Here you'll find a telephone number - 08457 ABCABC.
Your second location is at N51° 53.(B-4)(C+B-A)(B+C) / W00° 51.(A+C)(A)(C-B-A). To get there you'll pass a church with a famous
name near the entrance and the village pump. Opposite a 'comedy street sign' you'll find an engraved stone with some dates on it:
DE June AFBG. Make a note and head towards the third location: the telephone pole which is at
N51° 53.(F-E-D)BC / W00° 51.GB(E-A). The easy way to get here is via a gate you'll find around to your left, off Baulk Road.
If you look back while walking down this path you may spot an unusual rusty tower, as pictured below.
The path becomes a lane which would live up to its 'black themed' name if you had your eyes shut. But don't do that because you'd miss the fine houses
(including one with a clock tower on its roof, one with busts in the window and one which seems to be on fire, but never burns)
and other interesting sights.
Locate the pole which has some numbers on it, two double-digits. I've called the plastic ones AG and the smaller tin embossed ones below EH.
Your fourth waypoint is something to sit on at N51° 5D.FF(H+3) / W00° 5A.F(E-A-H)F. To get there, cross the road with care
(Can you 'spot the dog' on the roof as seen below?) pass a lonely tree and follow the arrow down a little lane. At the end you'll discover a rough wooden
bench which seems to have been here since before 1919, as that's the date on it.
It also has the words 'Frendship's *something* crudely carved into it. Take the five letter 'something' and convert it into numbers in the time honoured
way. i.e. A=1, B=2, etc. Add your five numbers together to get a three digit number. I hope you're keeping up. I've called this number i ii iii.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° 52.(iii³)(ii+C)(ii) / W00° 51.(iii³)F(iii³).
To get to to the cache, follow the path over a slightly shakey stile to the road and then follow the arrow.
You may see some lumps in the path here, no doubt made by local children looking for the ultimate in air-bourne bicycle hijinks.
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x A VideoCD (VCD) of my trip to Scotland in July 2003. Note: For over 18's only. Contains the F word, while talking about how big Ben Nevis is
1x Small plastic thingy
1x Eraser
2x Keyrings
1x Pack of sticky fishes from 'Finding Nemo'
2x Tealite candles
1x Plastic slinky
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil, all in a bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out Dan & Pid's Nuclear Bunker cache,
or my Chess themed Geocache No.5 - WHITE KNIGHT (Bucks) one which is just up the road in Whitchurch. They're both within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden inside the remains of a large tree to the right of the path.
My seventh chess themed frolic through striking Buckinghamshire landscape will carry you high above the Vale of Aylesbury.
There's my usual mix of quirky objects and places which I hope you will enjoy along the way.
Please take a printout of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) with you
as you'll need to make notes and do some maths along the way. This 'cache trail' is approx. 2 miles long and should take around an hour.
I freely admit access to the start of this cache could be better!
The car park right next to the first location at the top of the hill is only for members of the Aston Mountain Bike Club, sadly.
I suggest you park somewhere between the Golf Club House (around N51 - 47.127 / W000 - 42.912) or
off the road where there's room for a small car (N51 - 47.039 / W000 - 42.806-ish.)
Nearer the top of the hill is a spot where a big 4x4 might be happy
(about N51 - 46.986 / W000 - 42.610.)
Where ever you park, please take care if you're walking on the road. Walk on the right side to face oncoming traffic and keep well in.
This is a fairly steep road and cars can come along it at a fair lick. Sometimes too fast, as a memorial half way up the hill
to two boys tragically killed here not so long ago reminds us.
Your initial location is a monument to... Well, this hill, basically.
It's called Aston Hill, and along with Lionel Martin it gives its name to that King of the Road,
and favourite transport of James Bond, the Aston Martin. You'll find the white stone pillar at N51° 46.979 / W00° 42.578. On its side is the
story of how Aston Martin came about. Have a read. You'll learn that Lionel Martin drove a tuned Singer car up here on the
Ath of April 19BC.
You'll find your next location at N51° 4(C+2).(A+C)B(C-2) / W00° 4(A-2).(A+3)C(A+B). It's a way-marking post with multiple arrows on it.
To reach it you'll need to follow the footpath which passes close to a beautiful house and pass through the most secure looking kissing gate I've ever seen.
At the post you'll need to turn left, climb a stile and locate a Black Pawn ahead of you. I say black, he's more of a red really. At his base you'll find
an S and a four figure number. I've called this number DEFG.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° 4(A+C-B).EDB / W00° 4(A-2).(C+3)(F+B)G.
To get to the cache, continue along the footpath to the road and then either follow the arrow carefully down the hill and through a gap in
the fence quite some way away,
or cross the road and follow the footpath away from the cache. Some distance along is another footpath which splits off to the left and
heads back into the wood. I'd recommend you follow this course in the name of safety, especially if you're caching with children. It's also the
more scenic route to the cache. You might even get to see a Mountain Biker falling off and hurting themselves! Woo!
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Green rubber ball
1x Postcard
1x Candle
1x Keyring
1x Ceramic letter opener
1x Travel Bug!
Plus the usual: Log book, pen, pencil, plus a red bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out my
Puerile Photo-cache No.1 - RUDE LADY (Bucks) or Dan & Pid's
The Chiltern Summit (Bucks).
They're both only a short drive away.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden behind / under the remains of a fallen tree to the left of the path, beyond a small ravine.
My eighth chess themed procession through regal Buckinghamshire landscape will carry you high above the Vale of Aylesbury... and off the chess board altogether. There's my customary assortment of odd objects, views and places which I hope you will enjoy along the way.
Please take a printout of this page and a pen (or a brainy person) with you
as you'll need to make notes and do some maths along the way. This 'cache trail' is approx. 3 miles long and should take around two hours by foot.
Start by going to N51° 50.675 / W000° 36.169 where there's off-road parking at the foot of Ivinghoe Beacon, next to the B489. From here climb the path to your initial target, a white pawn at N51° 50.532 / W000° 36.500. He has a message for you on the plate at his base. It's a four digit number proceeded by an S. We'll call this number ABBC. While you're way up here I'd suggest you do Pid's Beacon View - Round in Circles cache, which is just a short walk away. I also urge you to admire the view, if available. You can see the Black Queen from here, as well as the distant Black King and the White Queen on the horizon.
Your second target is a brass plate on a wall at N51° 5C.(B-A)(B+1)(A+2) / W000° 3(B+2).(A+3)(B+2)C. To get here either return to your car or use the Ridgeway Path (which starts up here) and then a footpath that branches off it as you leave NT property. Once you've located the plaque you'll notice it's dedicated to the son of that blackest of British Queens, Victoria (1819-1901). The colour is synonymous with her because it's all she wore after the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861 until her own death in 1901. The date on the plate in the format day/month/year is D/E/1DCF
The third location is at N51° 4D.DCB / W000° 3(E-1).(F+B)DB. Have a look at the information board on the way in. It makes for an interesting read.
Next to the door there's a large stone bearing the date 18GH.
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° 4D.(G-F)EH / W00° 3(E-1).(G-1)(A-1)H.
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Thing for getting crumbs and fluff out of your keyboard
1x Roll of sticky tape
2x Candles
1x Flyer for Stowe Gardens (Home to D&P's Secret Garden cache)
1x 1 Krone coin from my January '04 trip to Norway (Worth about 9p!)
1x 20c Euro coin. (Value unknown)
Plus the usual: Log book, pen, pencil, and cache note.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out Pid's
Beacon View - Round in Circles or Dan & Pid's
The Hole.
The first is a short walk and the second only a short drive away.
Additional Hints:
It's hidden next to a fence post.
My ninth chess themed ramble through rich Buckinghamshire countryside will take you to the village of Mursley.
There's my customary assortment of odd objects, views and places which I hope you will enjoy along the way.
Please take a printout of this page and a pen (or a brainy person) with you
as you'll need to make notes and do some maths along the way. This 'cache trail' is approx. 2 miles long and should take just over an hour.
Your initial target is Mursley Church Gate at N51° 56.980 / W000° 48.718. There's convenient parking off the main road in a cul-de-sac called The Beechams. It's named after the man behind Beechams Little Liver Pills, Beechams Powders, etc. He used to own a big house at the end of this road, now demolished and built over. Some exotic trees from the grounds can still be seen in the gardens of the less grand homes which now share the site. The church also has a colourful history. It's said to be haunted by an armless wailing ghost. The story (which I heard in the great local pub, The Green Man, so it must be true) goes like this: A young woman's body was dug up not long after she was buried by grave-robbers. For some reason they removed her arms and made off with them. One can only assume the corpse was wearing some fine jewelery which just couldn't be removed at the graveside. I seem to remember there's some swelling after death... Anyway, I'm being ghoulish. The legend is that her ghost haunts the tower of the church, still looking for her missing arms. More historic, and less hysteric, is the fact that many Fortescues are buried here. They were the local gentry, owning the manor at nearby Salden. They were close to Elizabeth the First (A White Queen if ever there was one. Not just for her virginal status, but also for the lead makeup which she wore, as was the fashion of the day. The rich liked to look pale. Only peasants were brown, through both mud and outdoor toil under the tudor sun) and she's said to have visited Salden House in 1602, the year before her death. Back to the business in hand: The church gate has a date on it, 1ABA
Now walk to your second target at N51° 56.AAB / W000° 48.(A-4)(A-3)(A-4). To get here you have to pass a handsome red brick wall made from very small, weathered bricks. It's said these were reclaimed from the tudor Salden House when it was demolished. They certainly look like they could be 450 years old. At the target you should find yourself standing in front of a house with a remarkable display in the front garden. This is house number CD.
Your third target is a single dwelling called Vine Cottage which oddly has two addresses, both of which are a bit 'obvious'. A serious lack of imagination over road names has been demonstrated in this village! It can be found at N51° 57.C(C+D)C / W000° 48.(C+D)AA. It's both number C and number ED. Getting here will take you past some lovely old thatched properties, plus the most school-like school I've ever seen. It even has a proper school bell.
Passing a Best Kept Village sign, and two buildings that suggest the Baptist movement isn't currently enjoying its heyday, the fourth location is at N51° 57.(F-D)BD / W000° 48.A(F-3)(E+C), where you can't fail to spot a date in Roman Numerals. This year is 1FFA.
Now the big one! No need for coordinates, just go to the water tower. You can't miss it, it hangs over the whole village like something from War of the Worlds. Near the front gate you can read the tragic story of four men who met their maker here. In the day/month/year date format, they died on (A+G)/E/1AEH
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° 5(A-G).HCD / W00° 4F.GF(H+E).
To reach it, return to the village and follow the appropriate footpath.
Hopefully you'll notice a degree of irony at the hiding spot. The tower, which is a landmark for miles around, is nowhere to be seen! However, other silent sentinels are watching, so be quick about your business here!
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Thing for getting crumbs and fluff out of your keyboard
1x Party Popper
2x Candles
3x Postcards
1x Simply Paul Compilation CD - Warning, contains Parental Advisory Lyrics!
Plus the usual: Log book, pen, pencil, and cache note.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out rp44's
Third London Airport? or
Station X by Lunchbox.
Both are only a 10 minute drive away.
Additional Hints:
Look below twisted old metal
My tenth, and last, Chess themed Geocache is an Event Cache, to be held in the heart of the historic town of Aylesbury.
The location is given - However the time and date need to be calculated by taking answers to questions posed on my other nine Chess Caches.
After the event this cache will be re-cast as a partly map-based multi, due to the difficulty getting a good GPS signal in the town centre.
The event will begin at:
N51° 48.990 / W000° 48.627
Parking nearby by will be easy, and at the allotted time a map with questions to be answered by visiting local locations will be handed out. The first cacher or team to return with the correct answers will be deemed the winner(s) and will need to pass a final test to collect the secret prize.
Who will be crowned the King or Queen of Simply Paul's Chess Themed Geocaches? Do you have what it takes not only to attend, but to succeed? There will be ample opportunity to escape to a nearby pub for a relaxing sit down after the event.
To be at the right place at the right time, you'll need to know the answers to the questions below. They've all been taken from the other caches in this series:
Chess Themed Geocache No.1 - BLACK ROOK
How many planks are there on the bridge by the fairy tale house? Answer ?A
Chess Themed Geocache No.2 - WHITE BISHOP
What is the last number on the plate at the base of the white pawn? Answer B
Chess Themed Geocache No.3 - BLACK KNIGHT
On the telephone pole where the path crosses the road, what number's nearest the letters BT? Answer C
Chess Themed Geocache No.4 - WHITE ROOK
On the signpost near the gatehouse, how many miles is it to Whitchurch? Answer D
Chess Themed Geocache No.5 - WHITE KNIGHT
What date is on the huge sundial on the church? Answer 18E8
Chess Themed Geocache No.6 - BLACK BISHOP
Opposite a 'comedy street sign' are dates set in stone. Answer ?? June ???F
Chess Themed Geocache No.7 - WHITE KING
Lionel Martin drove a tuned Singer car up Aston Hill on which date in April? Answer G
Chess Themed Geocache No.8 - BLACK QUEEN
On the white stone near the door there's which date? Answer 18?H
Chess Themed Geocache No.9 - WHITE QUEEN
Which year did four men die at the site of the Water Tower? Answer 1??I
Now, the basic maths bit. The gathering will be at:
EA:00 (24 hour clock) on the B+C+F+G+H day of the D+I month of 2004.
Simple!
I hope to see as many cachers here as possible. There will be something well worth winning at the end of it! If you work out the answers, please keep them to yourself. You can meet up with caching mates any time, but this will be the only chance you will ever have to win this one, and the less competition you have the better! Oh, and bring a pen. :-)
Happy hunting!
Additional Hints:
The event will take place some distance above ground level!
My second 'non-multi-cache' is in the grounds of Thame Park, on the outskirts of Thame (pronounced 'Tame') in Oxfordshire.
This cache requires a walk of approx.
a mile and a half, and should take about 40 minutes. It would, I believe, make an ideal night-caching location - But bring a torch!
The Cache is located at:
N51° 43.498 / W000° 57.765
There's been something of an air of mystery about this house for a long time. Allegedly it fell into disrepair having been bought by a cartel of Japanese businessmen as some sort of weird off-shore tax thing. I've no idea if this is true, but the house has been under repair for several years now. One fact I am sure of is that among many other TV shows and movies, some of 'Saving Private Ryan' was filmed here. I worked close-by at the time and vividly remember my office being over-flown by dozens of very low helicopter gunships while explosions sounded in the distance. I turned to the guy on the next 'pod' and said "This is it Chris. It's all kicked off." However, I later discovered that it wasn't a long-awaited military coo...
Learn more about the house and grounds here.
To reach the cache, follow the B4012 out of Thame towards Postcombe. Around N51° 44.086 / W000° 58.432 there's parking next to one of the entrance archways into the grounds, as seen below. I suggest you park here with care. A little further along the road, opposite a house, is the start of the footpath which crosses the park. Here you'll see more signs and evidence that you're not wholly welcome. It seems strangers wandering about are not tolerated! However this is a public footpath and you've every right to be here. I suggest you keep to the path - the 'cache is accessible without leaving it. On the way you might see an ominous folly on a hill to your right (which is rapidly vanishing - see the pictures below!), as well as the house, a church and a 'blasted tree'.
Take care on the various stiles you have to climb to reach the cache site, as they're not in great repair.
Anyway, happy hunting for the treasure!
The cache originally contained:
1x Thing for cleaning gunk out of your keyboard
1x Tealite candle
1x Bag of marbles
1x 'Smiley' rubber ball
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try my
Puerile Photo-cache No.2 - SPLASHING OUT which is up the road in Cuddington. No camera? Try my
Chess themed Geocache No.3 - BLACK KNIGHT, which is in Upper Winchendon.
Both are within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
The name of this cache is all the clue you need!
This teasing multi-cache is set in and around the grounds of Claydon House, occasional home of Florence Nightingale, not far from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. I grew up in the next village, Steeple Claydon, and I've used my kids knowledge of the area to set a stinker.
It will require a walk of anything up to three miles, and could take several hours, if Lady Luck is against you! Or you could use a car to take the sting out of some of it :-D
The starting location is:
N51° 55.286 / W000° 57.343
I recommend you park next to the road in Middle Claydon, around N51° 55.550 / W000° 57.189 , where a public footpath starts. It's also near a letter box, and can be found just a few hundred yards up the road from The Hornets Claydon Spooks cache. Follow this footpath into the grounds of Claydon House to reach the start location. This is National Trust property which means the house and grounds are officially closed out-of-hours, and for the winter months. However, the footpaths (which follow the access road out of the 'front gate', as well as passing the front of the house and exiting to the south) and cache locations are always accessible - for free!
You may recognise Claydon House from the cover of OS map 165 (a very useful thing to own!), or because it was featured in BBC's Vanity Fair and the Hollywood production of Emma. Learn more about this amazing house and grounds on the National Trust web site. Some history and a chilling tale to get you in the mood:
The Ghost of Sir Edmund Verney
There's a famous tale of the split between a father and son who argued about whether to support the King or Parliament during the English Civil War. They were the Verney's, and this is the story of the father, Sir Edmund, who is said to haunt his family home at Claydon House in Buckinghamshire.
Sir Edmund Verney became a Royalist standard bearer who carried the King's flag into battle. He was killed in the battle at Edgehill in 1642. According to legend, Sir Edmund was captured by Cromwell’s men who demanded that he give up the King's flag. Sir Edmund refused, saying, "By the grace of God, they that would wrest that standard from my hand must first wrest the soul from my body." So, unsurprisingly, he was killed. However when the Roundheads tried to take the standard from his lifeless hand, they found they could not unlock his grip, so they had to hack off his hand to finally capture the standard instead. Later in the battle, the King recaptured the standard and discovered Sir Edmund's hand still grasping the pole. Charles I recognised it by the signet ring with the King's portrait on it. Sir Edmund's body, like so many others, was buried somewhere on the battlefield. No one knows where, but his severed hand was returned home to Claydon. Even now, above the altar hangs the very armour that covered the standard bearer's hand, still holding on to the pole.
When the family vault below the church was opened some years ago it was discovered there was no coffin for Sir Edmund , only a casket large enough to contain a hand. Sir Edmund reputedly haunts the house, wandering pathetically about the little chapel, seemingly looking for his lost hand. It's said he has been seen by many visitors to the house. There are also stories of a spectral glowing hand, drifting around the churchyard, hunting for its long lost body. Spooky!
At the start location, locate a topless column, traditional symbol of the end of a bloodline, and the boxy ornate tomb next to it. Here you need to read the birth and death dates of a later 'Edmund Verney', Edmund Hope Verney. Convert these dates into the format d/m/yyyy. Now fit those numbers into this table:
Born: A / B / 1CDC
A=____ B=____ C=____ D=____
Died C / E / 1FGH
E=____ F=____ G=____ H=____
Interestingly, he was Liberal MP for North Buckinghamshire between 1889 and 1891. On the
12th of May 1891 he was expelled from Parliament, after being sentenced to a years imprisonment for a misdemeanour. Namely, 'procuring a girl under the age of 21, Miss Nellie Maud Baskett, for an immoral purpose'. An MP in a sex scandal? Never!
Now comes the tricky bit. Further clues to three possible 'cache locations can be found at:
Location A) Easy access to N51° EE.DDF / W000° E(B+D).GFG,
where Sir Henry Verney left you a clue in [1ij5]
He leads you to N51° EE.j(j+1)(j-1) / W000° E(C-G).H(i+G)(i+G)
N51° ___ ___.___ ___ ___ / W000° ___ ___.___ ___ ___
Leads to N51° ___ ___.___ ___ ___ / W000° ___ ___.___ ___ ___
Location B) Take marked footpaths across fields or the disused iron road to N51° EE.F(D-1)G. / W000° E(B+D).CBH,
where X markes the spot! Sign: X over [kl]
It sends you up the line to N51° EA.(k-G)(k+k)(l+G) / W000° E(A+G).(l-k-k)(l+D)(k+l+G)
(Note: My GPS went a bit crazy here -all the iron around?- so just stick to the obvious 'path')
N51° ___ ___.___ ___ ___ / W000° ___ ___.___ ___ ___
Leads to N51° ___ ___.___ ___ ___ / W000° ___ ___.___ ___ ___
Location C) Take marked paths across fields or drive to N51° EA.GBC / W000° EC.A(B+D)A,
where a 'hello sailor' date on a wall [1mnn]
leads you to one possible resting place at N51° EA.H(m-1)n / W000° EC.nn(m-n)
N51° ___ ___.___ ___ ___ / W000° ___ ___.___ ___ ___
Leads to N51° ___ ___.___ ___ ___ / W000° ___ ___.___ ___ ___
At the two 'fake' locations you will find 'fake' caches, complete with a note of apology from me for making you run about all over the place. [Please imagine an evil laugh here] Only the REAL cache has a log book and trinkets in it, but if you find either, or both of the 'fakes' you are welcome to leave a little something behind as a consolation prize to any unlucky souls that follow in your footsteps. I've popped a black bag in both, in case anyone fancies a little cache 'n' trash fun.
Finders of either of the 'fakes' are allowed- no, encouraged to take it to swap with the real geocache when they eventually track it down. The real cache would then need to be located, logged, transported and hidden back where a fake was picked up from. What I'm trying to achieve here is a cache that's never guaranteed to be where you think it might be, even if you've done it before. To that end, please don't say which location (A, B or C) you found the real cache at, or whether you moved it to one of the other locations, when you log your find online. Thank you!
Anyway, I hope that's clear, and happy hunting for the treasure- wherever it's got to!
The 'real' cache (a small tupperware box) originally contained:
1x Egg-shaped candle
1x Flyer for The Phoenix Trail
1x Wooden eggcup
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pencil.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try The Hornet's
Claydon Spooks which is a quick walk up the road. Fancy something more demanding? The Planks by Jaq is the other side of Steeple Claydon. Or else try my own
ROMING IN THE WOOD traditional cache.
The last two are both within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
[Location A] Lightly covered at the foot of the tree
[Location B] Near a '26', behind the ivy
[Location C] Hidden around head height in the middle one
My third 'non-multi-cache' is on The Phoenix Trail, a resurfaced disused railway line between Thame in Oxon and Princes Risborough in Bucks.
This cache requires a walk of approx. a mile or more, and could take at least 40 minutes. Better still, do it by bicycle in no time at all!
The Cache is located at:
N51° 43.966 / W000° 54.430
This location will take you to meet a sculpture called Three Characters on Poles by Lucy Casson. It's one (three?) work(s) amongst many spread along the fairly flat, fairly straight track. This makes it an ideal 'cache to cycle to, but be warned, at busy times lots of other users on foot, pushchair, bike, wheelchair and horse will also be using the track, which may make recovering the cache tub without alerting curious muggles rather tricky.
Learn more about the Phoenix Trail and the National Cycle Network on the Sustrans web site.
To reach the 'cache by bicycle, park in Thame or Princes Risborough and enjoy the exercise. If you're walking, I'd suggest parking nearer Towersey or Forty Green. Either way, you can't miss the Three Poles, or the Characters there on.
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Thing for cleaning gunk out of your keyboard
2x Tealite candles
1x Audio tape, with 'Future Chill' tracks on it
1x Phoenix Trail flyer
1x Dull keyring
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil and a bag for trashin'
While you're in the area, I suggest you try Happy Hippo's
Four Greens and a Ford or my own
THAME TROLL cache. Both are within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is under constant observation!
This multi-cache is set in and around a Chiltern hilltop village called The Lee. It's as picturesque a place as you can find in Buckinghamshire with a rich history, including close connections with the Liberty family. The hunt requires a walk of about a mile and should take about 40 minutes. Bring a pen & paper, calculator or brainy person as you'll need to make some notes and do some light maths along the way.
Park near the Green with its odd cairn of "pudding-stone", a type of conglomerate caused by the action of ancient river flows, at N51° 43.829 / W000° 41.967 or close by, behind the excellent Cock and Rabbit Inn and gather figures at the following locations (Note: If walking on the road, keep to the right side to face on-coming traffic and take extra care if caching with children.):
- There's an old fashioned road sign in a front garden at N51° 43.797 / W000° 41.856.
How many miles is it to Wendover? Answer A
- The rather lonely grave of William Parsons is between The Lee's two interesting Churches that share a graveyard at N51° 43.858 / W000° 42.035. One is a 13th century chapel of ease, which boasts rare 13th century stained glass above representations of Oliver Cromwell, John Hampden (whose refusal to pay the ship money tax demanded by Charles I led to Civil War) and Miles Hobart, who as MP for Marlow in 1626 was imprisoned for two years for locking the door of the House of Commons against the King's Messenger.
How old was William Parsons when he died? Answer BC
- The two ton figurehead of Admiral Lord Howe was taken off the Navy's last wooden warship, the HMS Impregnable - formerly HMS Howe.
The ship was broken up in 1921 and some of its timbers can be seen holding up the famous mock Tudor Liberty shop in London.
Find him at N51° 43.601/ W000° 41.912.
The name of the house he's guarding is on the gate.
Convert the six letters into numbers in the time honoured way (i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.) and add them all together.
Answer DE
The Cache is located at:
N51° 43.(A+B)(E-B)(D-E) / W000° 4B.(D+B)(D-C)D
Happy hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Torch (needs batteries!)
1x Party Popper
2x Candles
1x 'Axis' flyer
1x Chiltern Walks guide
1x Roald Dahl Gallery flyer
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
While you're in the area, and have a camera, I suggest you try my
Puerile Photo-cache No.3 - GETTING WOOD or else Dan and Pid's
Pathway to Heaven cache.
Both are within short driving distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is tucked inside a tree
My ???? chess themed crusade amongst splendid Buckinghamshire countryside, with my traditional selection of curiosities to enjoy along the way.
Take a print-out of this page and a pen (or a really brainy person) as you'll need to make notes and do some tricky maths.
Your starting point is a White Pawn best reached from a small lane that branches off the A41 to Upper Winchendon road, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
Drive down this lane until you see the cluster of footpath signs on a post - as pictured below. Park beside the road near here
and take a footpath into the field heading for N51° 49.907 / W00° 54.037.
Here you need to make a note of the four digit number which is on a plate near its base. Let's call this number ABCD.
Now return to the road and walk towards your second target, a metal plate on the ground with six letters on, which can be located at:
N51° B(C-D).(D-C)(B+C)(B+C+D) / W00° BA.AB(B+C+D).
Once there, convert the letters into numbers in the time honoured way. i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3 etc.
Now times all these numbers together to give you a six digit number.
For example, if the word was BELLOW, the numbers would be 2, 5, 12, 12, 15 and 23. 2 x 5 x 12 x 12 x 15 x 23 = 496,800.
Take your number and divide it by ten thousand. The easy way to do this is stick a decimal point in
after the first two digits. Add 16.432 to this number to get ANSWER-ONE, as used below.
ANSWER-TWO requires you to take your original six figure number, ignore the first digit, divide the five digit number by a thousand
to give you a ii.iii type figure. Add 12.098 to this number and you have ANSWER-TWO, as used below. (Well done!)
Your third target is a road junction at N51° (ANSWER-ONE) / W00° (ANSWER-TWO).
To get there, follow the footpath behind the buildings and down into the woods.
Continue along it until you reach a farm road and turn right to follow the arrow to the co-ordinates.
Along this road you'll cut across the route of a Roman road, Akeman Street.
It's worth noting that to reach your target you need to dog-leg around the grounds of a house - which for the purposes of this cache
I like to think of as An Englishman's Home. That is to say, a Castle or White Rook, if I may stretch credulity a little.
If you've reached the correct location, you should be able to see a road sign which gives distances to
Quainton, Oving and Whitchurch. In that order, the distances are XYZ.
Your fourth target can be reached by backtracking or via the road. If you choose to risk walking along the road,
please take care and walk on the right-hand-side to face on-coming traffic. In the cause of safety,
I'd recommend people caching with children backtrack. The fourth target is located at:
N51° Y(XxX).(X+Y)Y(X-1) / W00° ZY.Z(Y-X)(Z-Z).
Your quest is nearly at an end! There's a 'mounting block' to take the weight off your feet for a while, before making a note of the year
this building was built. Looking at it, perhaps this is another White Rook? The date of construction is above the door or on the
information point by the gate. Call this number EFGH
Your final target, the Cache, is located at:
N51° YG.(X+Z)B(Y+Y) / W00° ZY.(D+G)ZB
You need to backtrack along the road to reach the cache. Again, please take care as this can be quite a busy stretch and is
narrow in places. If you see 'The Sign of the Big Dog' you're going in the right direction. Happy Hunting!
The cache originally contained:
1x Handy tin box
1x Thing for cleaning fluff out of your keyboard
1x Squeezy ball thing
1x Pringle 'carry case'
2x Tealite candles
1x The Phoenix Trail (Thame to Princes Risborough) leaflet
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil, all in a bag to keep them dry, or to pinch to use 'Cache In Trash Out'-ing.
While you're in the area, I suggest you check (another vague Chess reference there. Did you spot it?) out Dan & Pid's
Spooky Graveyard II
my first cache,
Chess themed Geocache No.1 - BLACK ROOK (Bucks) or Chess themed Geocache No.3 - BLACK KNIGHT (Bucks).
They're both within energetic walking distance.
Additional Hints:
The cache is hidden at the base of a large tree.
