A geocache with a local story.
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The name Moonrakers has for a long time been associated with those who were born in Wiltshire. It all started many years ago when the smuggling of brandy was a side-line of many a countryman. The story has several versions, and this is but one of them.
A group of farm-workers was transporting some casks of brandy to a Devizes inn when one of the lookouts came dashing up to them shouting: "Zizemun's cummin! Zizemun's cummin!" (The Excise Man is coming.)
The Excise Man was a feared character and they all knew that to be caught with the brandy meant a stiff punishment. As they were near the town pond, known as the Crammer, and it was a clear night with the reflection of the full moon in the water, they quickly lifted the casks off the waggon and rolled them into the Crammer where they held them down with their rakes.
When the Zizemun came upon them he found them all grabbing and fishing about in the water with their rakes. When he asked what they were doing at that time of night, the reply was: "We'm rakin' fer thic gurt cheese, but nun ov uz can ge' un." (We are raking for that great cheese, but none of us can get it.) The Zizemun roared with laughter at the foolishness of the yokels and went on his way.
On arrival at the Bear Hotel in the town centre, he recounted the story to those in the bar where it was met by peals of laughter. Little did he realise that the laughter was at himself for being so easily taken in!
The image above, drawn with a certain amount of artistic licence as there is no bridge at the Crammer, was commissioned by a Devizes amateur radio enthusiast back in the 1930s or so to print on the postcards that he sent to those people with whom he had spoken. The original has been owned by The Chens since 2006.
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We've had a bit of bother with this one. It's gone missing several times from three separate locations, but we think that it's now in a secure spot.
There is limited, free, on-street parking near the cache but if this is full there is a convenient supermarket nearby with free parking. Waypoint below.
There are likely to be fewer muggles here than the previous locations, but some stealth will be required.
You are looking for a small container holding a logbook only. Please bring your own pencil.
On the other side of the Crammer is a plaque (waypoint below), mounted on a Wiltshire Sarsen stone, commemorating the story in a slightly different version.
A bag of bird food, not bread, might be useful to feed the swans, geese, ducks etc that are often found on the Crammer.
We should like to record our thanks to the Churchwarden who assisted us with the placement of this cache.
