Little Bow Peep Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The little village of Waterstock lies in a loop off the A418 between Wheatley and Thame and is surrounded by farming land in a bend of the river Thame. The name, meaning ‘waterplace’, indicates Anglo-Saxon origins and there is much evidence to show it was a small medieval village. Many of the fields still show ridge and furrow strip cultivation. In 1279 there were probably about 200 inhabitants but after the Black Death the population decreased to 51 persons over the age of 14. Today there are about 70 inhabitants.
St Leonard’s church is very much the hub of the village. There is no post office, pub or village shop. The earliest record of the church dates from about 1190. It was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century. Since then there has been much rebuilding with thorough restoration in the 19th century. The oldest part is the tower with its unusual little bellcote, recently restored.
On the bridleway leading to Waterperry, Waterstock Mill stands on a small island on the river Thame. Originally a 15th century timber and brick house, it was rebuilt in the Elizabethan period and converted into a modern dwelling in 1957 when it was sold. By that date most of the other properties had been sold up by the Ashhurst family and the feudal system had released its patronage and its grip. Beyond is the delightful little Bow Bridge built by Diana Ashhurst in 1790 over Black Ditch. It is a single brick arch and curves outward with stone-capped parapets. Swans and moorhens and the occasional flash of a kingfisher give added pleasure.
On to the cache. The above co-ordinates are a suitable location for parking. Best to park on the opposite side of the road to the church.
Your first location is N51° 44.729 W001° 04.843 where you should find Oswald.
Find when he lived from and to.
ABCB - ABBD
Now on to the second location N51° 44.643 W001° 04.949. Here you will find a set of 4 numbers standing on their own. Add each separate number together to get E.
To the Final Cache: Don't be fooled if it looks like you are walking on to someone's property, you are! But it is part of bridleway so you can go on through.
N51° 4(C-(A+A)).(B-A)(E-D)(B-C+(A+A))
W001° 0(C-A).(D-C)(E-C)(B-(A+A))
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
[Location 1:] Ab uryc fubhyq or arrqrq urer!
[Location 2:] Nyy ba vgf ybarfbzr.
[The Cache:] Arne gur onfr bs gur ynetr Yvzr
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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