The Wench is Dead Multi-Cache
Apiglet: Phil has died.
Gill
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This cache is not set in Inspector Morse’s Oxford, but in Rugeley, Staffordshire. Colin Dexter’s novel is based on the story of the murder of Christina Collins, a passenger travelling from Liverpool to London by canal boat (Pickford’s, no less).
The cache involves a walk along the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal, so you can expect mud, fishermen, dogwalkers and moored boats.
Park at St Augustine’s Church (plenty of roadside parking outside the church unless parents are picking up children from the nearby school). It should take about half an hour to walk from the church to the cache.
Virtual cache 1
The coordinates are for Christina Collins’ tombstone. ABCD is the year she died and EF is her age when she died.
You now need to calculate the coordinates for Virtual cache 2 as follows:
N52o 45.(D (C-A) A) W001o 56.( (E-C) F (D-C) )
Virtual cache 2
The canal lies to the east of the church. Access to it is across the road from the church and on the far side of the bridge.
Before you read about William Palmer, note the centuries mentioned in the context of the Old Chancel and the North Chapel (GH and IJ). And how many hours can you moor for? (KL)
You now need to calculate the coordinates for Virtual cache 3 as follows:
N52o 46.( (H+I) (L-G) L) W001o 56.( (I+K) (G+L) K)
Virtual cache 3
At Location 3 you are looking for a number on a tree (MNOP) and just round the corner a bridge number is mentioned (QR). The Bloody Steps are on the other side of the canal here, near the splendid waterworks building.
You now need to calculate the coordinates for Virtual cache 4 as follows:
N52o 46.( (Q-M) (Q-O) (Q-M) ) W001o 56.( (Q-O) Q O)
Virtual cache 4
Number of miles to Shardlow (ST), number of miles to Preston Brook (UV) and the year (WXYZ) of the unveiling of the plaque from Bognor Regis.
At last you can calculate the coordinates for the final cache:
N52o 46.( (U+W) (S+T) (V-Y) W001o 56.(U S X)
XXXXX The cache is a very large marine flare container (just unscrew the lid), so there is plenty of room for swaps. XXXXX
PLEASE READ THIS - VERY IMPORTANT
Oh dear, the cache box was indeed totally exposed (see pic, and logs for 21st and 22nd May 2012), so we have replaced it with a clear plastic tube, now that the magnetic nano has also gone. It is in the general area of the co-ords. This should be temporary, we hope, while the ground recovers a bit.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Pybfr gb gur oyhr