Roundhay Historical Trail 3 Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

SpikyTyke: It has been my pleasure to look after an elderly relative for the last 2 years - however I haven't found the time to either go geocaching or maintain the caches I have. Unfortunately therefore I am archiving all my caches. I hope to be able to come back to caching at some point. Best wishes to all.

More
Hidden : 7/4/2008
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works
Looking for a different adventure?

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:

The walk is about two-thirds on pavements and one-third in Gipton Woods. I wouldn’t advise going into the woods alone late in the day! Please read all instructions before setting out as 1 clue needs to be found on the internet first. Cache site exposed! - stealth required. Parking could be difficult when Farmers Market is being held on 3rd Saturday of month from 9am to 12.30pm but on the other hand, it may be a shopping opportunity!

The initial co-ordinates are a good place to park – and the start point for a short walk. Most of the walk could be classified as being in the area of Oakwood, but this is still within the ancient boundary of Roundhay, or Anglo-Saxon 'Rund-haeg', meaning circular hay or round enclosure. Roundhay was originally a hunting park for the De Lacy family during the thirteenth century. Ilbert De Lacy was granted the estate by William the Conqueror in return for his support during military campaigns.

The final Co-ordinates are N53 49.ABC W001 30.DEF

From the car park it should be relatively easy to see Oakwood Clock. The clock was installed at Oakwood in 1912 after previously being in Leeds Market (visit link) It was moved when a new main entrance was developed for the market and a new, larger clock commissioned. How many sides are there now to the roof beneath the clock = E.

Stand in front of the clock facing the traffic lights. To your immediate left there is a sign saying ‘Park Avenue’. On the patch of grass behind once stood Park Lodge, an imposing entrance to the park (visit link) Sadly this building was demolished in 1937 although not before witnessing in 1933, King George V and Queen Mary have a brief stop on their on their way to Leeds (visit link) Trams used to run up Princes Avenue to the turning area near the tennis courts (visit link)

Over the lights and to the left there is the old library. This was built about 110 years ago as 2 residences - Bolton House (to the left) and Oak Lodge (to the right). Oak Lodge became the branch library in 1953, and in 1961 extended to include Bolton House. Between these years the back of the library was also used as a police station – the entrance is to the right side and the iron work is still visible on top of the near gate post where the blue lamp used to be. Number of flowers in library balcony railings = A.

Cross over the road to the side of the library – towards William Brown’s Estate Agency. William Brown’s was once the post office and the curry restaurant was once a garage (visit link) On the corner of the old post office there is a blue plaque telling the story of the clock.

Continuing into Oakwood, the next shop is the fish bar, amazingly a grade 2 listed building for the 1930s Art Deco renovation. Next up HSBC – this was opened in 1901 as a branch of London City & Midland Bank Ltd and including mergers has remained in the same hands ever since. A little further down is a Pizza takeaway – thought the elaborate fall pipes to either side of the premises were worthy of note.

Somewhere else on the parade was a chemists originally owned by T.I. Preston, with his initials engraved on the building with the date abcd where d-a=C. The shops on the opposite parade were built in the 1920s.

Proceed down to the end of the parade, immediately before Gipton Woods. The gap between the two is Boundary Road, and marked one boundary of Roundhay and Leeds. Just up the lane a few yards is an entrance to the woods – follow the footpath as it bears left and upwards to a metal bench. Number of bars to sit on divided by 12 = B. The area in front of the bench is a late prehistoric enclosed settlement as determined by a survey in 1984 and is listed as monument 31496 on the English Heritage schedule of Ancient Monuments. If the footpath directly in front of the bench is followed, after 40 yards there is a dip in the path and a clear ditch can be seen to the left – this used to completely enclose the settlement, no doubt reinforced with a high wood palisade.

Continue on the footpath for a few more yards until it meets the main footpath which can be followed to the left – and then to the right when it forks. This then comes to a tarmac path at right angles – follow this to the right and out of the woods. If anyone gets lost, the 1st interim location is the exit to the woods. At the exit there are some lovely mosaics – number of vertical mosaic panels grouped together on a wall = D.

That’s probably enough walking (including getting back to your car - up the road to your right), and the cache site is nearby – but one additional piece of history with no additional walking (if you get the internet clue). Facing the main road – to the left there is Homebase and then Tescos. On the site of Tescos there used to be the Blackburn’s Aircraft Factory – Olympia Works. Formed at the start of WW1 in 1914 primarily to build the B.E.2C biplanes, many aircraft were built there over the years, including the Swordfish. The site had originally been a skating rink and the bandstand was still there in the middle of the shop floor, converted to a small office, when airplanes were being built. Soldiers Field, now part of Roundhay Park, was used for testing planes and in 1919 a commercial airline operated between there and London and Amsterdam – using converted WW1 bombers! (visit link) For your final clue – the blue plaque for the Olympia Works is at the customer entrance to Tescos. It states that the factory operated between 1914 and 193F – you can either walk to the plaque or look it up on the internet in advance. It’s a bit strange that the the end date is in the 1930s, but it appears it was derelict for a few years before being re-started and extensively re-built prior to WW2.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Va vil ol gerr - bccbfvgr 40

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


Advertising with Us