The first thing to be aware of is that the arches are not actually at Alston, but at Haltwhistle. The name is given to the viaduct that crosses the South Tyne and formed part of the Haltwhistle - Alston branch of the Newcastle - Carlisle railway. It was opened in 1852 to cater for the lead industry of Alston Moor in the North Pennines, and eventually also served as a passenger railway for the population of the South Tyne.
The line closed in 1976 and the Arches were restored in 2006 by the North Pennines Heritage Trust. It is now open as a footpath and forms part of the South Tyne Trail.
Restoration included the creation of a wildlife corridor along the railway embankments to encourage native plants, as well as animals such as the otter.
Make sure you look underneath the bridge - an unusual feature is the line of openings through the piers which were probably intended to take a smaller bridge for pedestrians and carts.
The given co-ordinates are for the location of the viaduct, not the cache, although the cache is in fact not far away, and there is plenty of parking on the minor road just off the A69, adjacent to the Arches.
Cache location
N 54° 57.93?
W 002° 27.??4
To find the missing numbers you will need to go on top of the viaduct (there is a footpath), and look for a plaque at the northern end. Look at line 4 and find the 1st number to complete the Northing. The 3rd and 5th numbers complete the Westing.
Clue/hint (if you want it)
UNDER ?????
To find the missing letters look at line 8 on the plaque, and letters 21,3,4,17,5 fill the gaps.
The cache is next to a popular footpath so please be on the alert. It is also suitable for children but careful supervision will be needed (falling hazard and fast flowing river).
Update, October 2007 - following the disappearance of the original cache a new box is now in place at a slightly different location. It's now a small decon container with a log book and pencil and will only take very small swaps. The final co-ordinates and clue have also been changed.
