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Green Circular: Stannergate Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

jmc66: Looks like this one's gone for a swim.

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Hidden : 7/17/2010
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The Green Circular is a long established walking and cycling route which circumnavigates Dundee. This 26 mile long leisure route links the city’s parks and places of interest. The cycleway through Dundee port is accessible to cyclists with photo ID or apply to the Port Authority on 01382 224121 for a security pass. No caches have been set within the Port.

The "Dundee Cycle Map" which maps the Green circular is available free from libraries, visitor attractions and council premises.

STANNERGATE

This section of the Green Circular takes in parts of National cycle Routes 1 and 77.

For a route guide and further information visit www.dundeecity.gov.uk/outaccess

THE STANNERGATE
The Stannergate today is a pretty non-descript area of the Green Circular, lying between the Port and Grassy Beach. (Access through the Port is available to cyclists with proof of identity, otherwise it’s take the long route down Broughty Ferry Road to City Quay). The Stannergate’s wartime past is, however, more interesting.

Opened in 1914 at the behest of First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill (who just happened to be the MP for Dundee), Stannergate was one of a series of air bases along the east coast from which the new Royal Naval Air Service could protect the movements of the Home Fleet. The Admiralty leased a large area of reclaimed land for the new base and the first operational aircraft, a two-seater Borel ‘hydroplane’ flown by Major Gordon and Leading Seaman Shaw. Long patrols were flown over the North Sea convoy routes and, working with Naval patrol craft, Stannergate-based aircraft carried out a vigorous campaign against enemy U-boats. In 1918 Stannergate was home to 249 Squadron and two flights of 257 Squadron.

Several hundred personnel were based there and the base had expanded to include officers’ accommodation and a wardroom in ‘The Wick’, a large villa off Broughty Ferry Road, a large hutted camp between what is now Craigie Drive and the railway, a powerful wireless station, its own carrier pigeon service, large aircraft sheds (some of which survived into the 1980s) and two long slipways jutting out into the river. Among the many extraordinary characters stationed at Stannergate during the First World War was ‘Mad’ Major Chris Draper who used to pass the time by flying back and forth through the arches of the Tay Bridge.

After a brief flurry of activity during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War which ended in 1920, the base closed and the tall wireless masts and remaining aircraft were sold off to local joiners for scrap – a welcome source of raw materials when supplies were short

Stannergate reopened (minus the hutted camp which had been demolished to make way for the new Broughty Ferry Road and housing) in the Second World War as HMS Condor II, a satellite station of HMS Condor, the RNAS shore base at Arbroath, and was primarily involved in training as part of No.2 Observers School and the Naval Air Signals School. It closed for good in 1944.

This cache is a film canister. It is not necessary to go over the stone wall to find it - but it may help. The wall is NOT a dry stane dyke.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Evire fvqr bs gur jnyy orgjrra pbcvat fgbarf.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)