Mickleton Meander (IK Brunel Bonus) Traditional Geocache
tarmacjohn: Looks like the cache is no longer there
Mickleton Meander (IK Brunel Bonus)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The Battle Of Mickleton Tunnel
Yo can park your car right next to cache and if you look down the valley to the left you can see a small group of trees covering the railway line and tunnel, unfortunately you cant get to the tunnel because its on private land?
I have wanted to place a cache here for ages to celebrate a little known fact that IK Brunel built a tunnel nearby and it was thought to have been the last battle fought by private armies on British soil. True or False only history can tell??
This a short passage from the Illustrated London News circa 1851
Riot At Campden, Worcestershire. (Head office for the contractors of the formation of a line of road through the Mickleton Tunnel.)
Some of those involved: Mr Marchant, who was having trouble with completion of his contract between Oxford and Worcester.
Peto and Betts, contractors for the whole of the rest of the work on the line.
Marchant having been told to remove his workmen to allow Peto and Betts completing the work. Peto and Betts agent was told to gather 500 men and march them to Muckleton Tunnel to occupy the site and prevent Marchant's men from pursue their work.
At the Worcester end of the tunnel, Mr Cowdery with 200 men from Evesham and Wyre carrying pickaxes and shovels, met Marchant who dared them to proceed on pain of being shot. He was carrying several pistols. Mr Brunel, unable to persuade Marchant to move told Peto and Betts men to proceed and take the line. A rush was made, and several heads were broken and three men had dislocated shoulders. A Marchant man who drew his pistols was set upon and his head nearly severed from his body.
Marchant and his men left for an hour and returned with three dozen policemen from the Gloucester constabulary and some privates from the Gloucester Artillery and two magistrates who read the Riot Act. Fights had again broken out and several received broken arms and legs.
At 4 Mr Charles Watson, of Warwick, arrived with 200 men and the Great Western Company sent a similar number to expel Marchant. The magistrates told Marchant’s men to start work and Peto and Betts men to stop work.
Marchant gave in and he adjourned with Mr Brunel to come to some amicable agreement. Whilst they were doing so a small number of navvies again started fighting and one had his little finger bitten off. Eventually Messrs Cubitt and Stephenson acted as arbitrators and work suspended for a fortnight.
CONGRATULATIONS TO WRIGHTY FTF
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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