***CACHE RELOCATED 2ND MARCH 2013***
Garendon Park was originally the site of a Cistercian Abbey, founded in 1133. After its dissolution in 1536 the site was granted to the Earl of Rutland and was subsequently bought in 1684 by Ambrose Phillipps, a successful London lawyer. In 1729 the estate passed to his namesake grandson, a talented amateur architect known throughout Europe as “The Handsome Englishman”. Phillipps designed and had built the Triumphal Arch on the Western side of the Park; the Temple of Venus visible from the A512 and the Obelisk which stands on the Eastern boundary of the Park.
The Obelisk stands 24m high and is Grade II listed. It is built of stuccoed brick and carried on a thick iron plate carried on four ball feet set on a stone pedestal. Phillipps originally planned a second obelisk on which would have been a statue of Hercules, but his early death at the age of just 30 cut short his plans.
Now one of Charnwood Borough's finest ancient parklands, Garendon Park lies next to Thorpe Acre in Loughborough. It has a fascinating history which you can read about in full at www.thorpeacre2000.freeuk.com/garendon.htm
Parking can be found at Morrisons supermarket in Thorpe Acre (on Maxwell Drive) (N 52 46.723, W 001 14.340); follow the Thorpe Acre Trail signs left from the rear of the car park. You should be following Black Brook upstream. Follow the signs for the Thorpe Acre Trail along Thorpe Acre Road and then Kenilworth Avenue to the end of Coe Avenue. Then just follow your GPS arrow! It’s about a mile round-trip.
For a slightly longer walk, try parking on/near the amusingly-named street in Shepshed at N52° 46.414 W001° 17.222 and follow the bridleway over the M1 motorway bridge and through Garendon Park to the cache. Approx 3 miles round trip.
The path can be very muddy and slippery in wet weather but is fine in dry weather. There is a clear path to the Obelisk from the main path, so no need to go “bushwhacking”, but beware of the nettles.
Please take care to hide the cache well after replacing it, and beware of muggles as local children use this area. Please try to make the camouflage as natural-looking as possible, there are lots of materials around so it should be easy.