Please note that the stages are based on real historical
locations and are therefore quite far apart.
Church Lane - Walkern
N 51° 55.361 W 000° 07.283
Jane Wenham, an old lady who lived in Church Lane, was the local
wise woman in Walkern, and locally rumoured to be a Witch. In 1712
she got into an argument with a neighbour who called her a witch,
and as a result the local priest, Mr Gardiner, was called in to
mediate. Mr Gardiner ordered the farmer to pay Jane the sum of one
shilling (5p), but Jane was not satisfied with this and cursed the
priest and his household.
Mr Gardiner's Servant, Anne Thorn, a girl of sixteen, had
dislocated her knee. As she was sitting by the fire, she suddenly
bounded out of the house, ran swiftly down the road for about half
a mile, jumped a high gate with ease, and returned home after an
absence of only six or seven minutes, bringing with her, wrapped in
her apron, some sticks which she had gathered by the way! In the
eyes of Hertfordshire experts this was in itself ample proof that
Anne Thorn had been subjected, at the bidding of some naughty
wizard or witch, to the tender mercies of the Evil One. And the
only possible perpetrator none other than Jane Wenham of
Walkern.
The Village of Walkern is very pretty, although it has
probably changed a lot since Jane Wenham's time - The Church is not
right on the main road so the location is very peaceful
Find
the initial EC then look for the date
1F9D
Hertford Gaol
N 51° 47.777 W 000° 04.579
Sir Henry Chauncy, the local Magistrate, committed the woman to
Hertford gaol on a charge of witchcraft, and according to the
extraordinary evidence presented at her trial she was a witch
indeed. Here was cumulative and circumstantial evidence which none
could gainsay, but there was more behind. It was found that poor
Jane could not repeat the Lord's Prayer correctly and, most ominous
of all this damning evidence, cats would lurk in her presence in a
most peculiar manner. What need had an enlightened jury of any
further witnesses? Jane Wenham was declared, after full, and of
course impartial hearing, to be guilty of personal intercourse with
the father of lies, who conversed with her in the likeness of a
cat, and the jury considered her worthy of death.
The Judge Chief Justice Powell thought otherwise, and having
formally sentenced her to die the death of a witch, he sought and
obtained her a pardon from Queen Anne.
Nothing remains of the old Gaol at this site - the Corn
Echange that now occupies the site was built in 1858. It has been
used as a theatre and library in the past, but its future is
currently in doubt.
You are
looking for a small yellow marker on the building, with 2 numbers
and a large capital letter.
Divide the large number by the small number to give you the answer
GE
New Place - Gilston
N 51° 47.725 E 000° 05.181
Her case came to the notice of Col. John Plumer, who ten years
before had purchased the estate of New Place at Gilston, a dozen
miles from the scene of the trial, and the Colonel permitted the
Witch to live peacefully in a cottage on his estate.
Not much remains of New Place, only the entrance porch
remains in the garden of Gilston Park; in a niche above the doorway
is a bust of Queen Elizabeth I and the date 1585.
Close
to the more recent Gilston Park, you will find a Micro Cache
containing the digits C and
H
For Stroller/Buggy friendly access you can park in front of
Gilston Church (although perhaps not on a Sunday)
Hertingfordbury
N 51° 47.446 W 000° 06.240
Towards the end of her life, Jane was given shelter in
Hertingfordbury by Earl and Countess Cowper until her death in
1730. She is buried in an unmarked grave in the village.
The Cowper Family have had a profound effect on
Hertingfordbury and the Surrounding Villages. There is a local
School and Public House both bearing the name Cowper and also one
of the Houses at Hertford Grammar School (now Richard Hale Scool)
is named Cowper
Jane's
grave is unmarked, but immediately behind the church is the grave
of Sarah Lady Cowper, and nearby is the grave of a Poor lady called
Rebecca, who died on the JA June
1B29
Look
carefully at the numbers - for they are quite worn
The Final Cache
Now you have found all of the stages - you are ready to visit
the final cache at:
N 51°
AB.CDE W 000°
0F.GHJ
The final cache is only buggy/stroller accessible if you
approach from the nearest road.
Historical text based on the account in "Highways &
Byways in Hertfordshire", By Herbert W Tompkins, Macmillan, London,
1902