Heritage & Horror (Bucks) Multi-cache
Heritage & Horror (Bucks)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(large)
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Hidden away amoungst the Chiltern Hills & close to Prestwood & the Missendens, the seemingly tiny village of Great Hampden resides amoungst acres of beech woods and rolling countryside. Visitors could easily mistake this untouched location for a time gone by, & as well as possesing some beautifull views over the local valley, it also has an evil secret or two & a history stretching back years to the time of the Hampden Family, the most notable of whom was John Hampden, first cousin to Oliver Cromwell, who was called apon to, but refused to pay the Kings ship tax & then lead armies against him, finally dying for his beliefs at the Battle of Chalgrove.
This is a multi cache which will take you on a tour of the local area. In total you will be required to walk roughly 2 miles in a circular route. Before setting off for this one please note that a small amount of road walking must be completed, therefore please take care to control children. You will be searching for a large white tub with a green lid containing an appropiate selection of goodies at the time of placing! Parking for 1 car can be located on a large grassy verge at N51 42.599 W000 46.291, this will take you close to a footpath running directly towards St Mary Magdalene's Church, and this is where the coord's at the top of this page will take you.
St Mary Magdalene's is where the tomb of John Hampden himself can be located. He was brought back to his place of birth after his death at battle and he now rests inside the church. Around the church yard it is possible to find other memorials & graves to the Hampden name amoungst others. You must find one in memory of a George H.C near the rear entrance, and complete the following date:-
He died on - June AB 1CD4
Directly opposite the roadside entrance to the church is Hampden House. This was the Hampden residence for many years. However, in 1938 it was let to a girls school and more strangely when they left it became a film set, used by the Hammer Horror Group. It appeared in many of the shows shot by the company, which appeared on network British TV in 1980, on ITV, and ran for 13 weeks. Perhaps, if your old enough you'll remember watching Witching Time, The House That Bled to Death or The Mark of Satan amoungst others? Time to move on now, so make your way down the long drive back to the road. On the way take a minute to admire the views. Your now following the path of An Old Iron Age earthwork named 'Grims Ditch' after the Nordic god 'Grim', the purpose of which is unknown but this oddity can be regulaly spotted at many locations throughout the county. Once at the road, follow it directly ahead to a crossroads, where you should again continue directly forward until you reach a bend in the road. At this point take the first footpath which runs along the perimeter of a field.
50 meters along the trail you will find a wooden electricity post which is engraved at roughly head height. Complete the following for you next answers:-
The top line of digits reads - E023F
Continue through the gate and along the trail until you reach the road on the other side of the field. Turn left and walk along the road past Honor End Farm.
Within a minute or so you will be able to see the perfectly placed 'John Hampden Monument' which overlooks the valley. It was erected at the exact place where Hampden refused to pay the kings 'Ship Money'. At this location there is an information sign post. You now need to complete the following to gain your final numbers:-
On the Gth of August 1H35, By command of the king a tax was imposed.
Thats it, it's now down to you to find your way to the cache site. Complete this final set of Coordinates to find your goal:-
N51°GA.HDB W000°G(E+4).(C-2)(F+3)(D+2)
First, here's a final bit of advice to help you along the way. Walk back up the hill and take the footpath immediatly after the farm heading back towards the woods. You will be taken to close by the resting place, if your struggling to find it, use the clue which should be of help. After finding the cache follow the path till it reaches it's end and you should be returned to somewhere you should recognise. I hope you enjoy this little bit of History & Horror. Good luck, Dan...
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgnaq va gur zvqqyr bs n evat bs 6 ynetr gerrf jvgu yvtug ng gur raq bs gur ghaary. Jvgu lbhe onpx gb gur cngu gnxr 20 cnprf sbejneq, ghea 90° yrsg. Nabgure 20 cnprf shegure yvrf lbhe gernfher.