History of Great Baddow Mystery Cache

The name Baddow is inextricably linked to an older name for the Chelmer River which was Beadewan in AD975 before the Norman Conquest, Badveen in 1086 and Badewe in 1274.

Reference to “the village” of Great Baddow may give rise to a wry smile in some people who regard it as a suburb of Chelmsford. Yet most local residents still talk of “going to the village” when off to the shops, village Hall or Library. In the early 1900s the parish was largely agricultural. Twenty-one local farms provided work for several hundred villagers. The village remained virtually unchanged until WWII. Bombs damaged many buildings but it has changed much more significantly in the last 50 years as a result of the vast programme of expansion. From a small agricultural village it has expanded into a suburb of Chelmsford but it has managed to hold onto much of its village character. There are 30 listed buildings around the village.

For the cache there is plenty of parking at N51 43.100 E000 29.896 (the starting co-ordinates above).

Walk East from the car park for your first clue at N51 43.105 E000 29.955. Notice the pub sign and the year. Add the first two numbers together = A

Continue East to the next clue at N51 43.101 E000 30.095. You should be outside Jeffery House (unfortunately the owner has just had the house painted and as yet the name has not been put back up). When schools were dissolved at the reformation the only education available was Dame Schools or private tutors. The void was partially filled nearly two centuries later when Jasper Jeffery, Cooper and citizen of Whitechapel London, bought a house for a school master and built a school. He endowed it in his will in 1731 for “20 poor boys of Great Baddow or failing that a Sunday School, to read and write true English well, to know vulgar fractions perfectly”. The school would be under the supervision of Coopers Company. The House and School are before you. Add the two digits of the house number together = B.

Proceed (taking care here crossing any roads) to N 51 43.094 E000 30.132. This was known as Jackson’s corner and a while ago was a petrol station with two petrol pumps on the forecourt. What a bottleneck it would be to stop here for petrol today! Looking back north the two houses facing you are what are believed to be the oldest two houses in the village. The number of pots on the first chimney (on your left) = C.

A short walk takes you to the shopping area of the Vineyards at N51 43.041 E000 30.088. Here you can take a break, if you need one already, at Tiffany’s or have a look at the village's self contained shopping area. The original Vineyards were built in 1740 but have not survived. In the 1960s the country house/hotel was pulled down and the vines removed and the current multi-storey shops, housing and offices rose on the site. How many banks are at the Vineyards = D.

Go back to Tiffany's and head south again to N51 43.010 E000 30.088. Here is Duckingstool cottage; a beautiful cottage though at present the hedge is very high and this makes it difficult to see it. The cottage had a well inside it. It is so named because it is near the site of the former village pond where there was a Ducking stool.

Pass this and continue into Bell Street. Stop at N51 42.969 E000 30.081. Mr Russell the village plumber and builder owned many properties in and around here. In 1985 this block of property was sold off by the family. The deli had been his hardware shop and the area behind had stored building materials. The new owner wanted to restore the barn at the top of the yard. The council however listed it on a grade 2 preservation order as it is a 14th or 15th Century Essex barn. However he was still allowed to convert it and it is now Russell’s restaurant named in memory of the Russell family. How many (X) steps up from the road is the entrance? X – 2 = E

Our tour continues to N51 42.950 E000 30.113. Now the office of St Mary’s Church, this small building to the north of the church would previously have been a village chantry school. There has been a school in Gt. Baddow since 1392, when Margaret, wife of Thomas Coggeshall, endowed the Chantry School. The building is thought to have been used as a school until late 1880 early 1900s. What century was this built? Deduct the first number from the second = F

From here, cross the churchyard (visiting the micro cache at GC1G67Y if you wish) to the main road and continue to N51 42.870 E000 30.232. You should now be opposite house number 31. This used to be a small shop in a block of cottages - note the lettering above the window. The owner discovered this ancient lettering during recent repainting. The number of letters in the 5th word of the heading over the window = G.

Further down the road is the old brewery building but we will keep on this side of the road and walk back to N51 42.922 E000 30.111. Take a seat. You are now sitting on the very site where in 1381, from here opposite the church, Jack Straw led the men of Essex to London in one of the risings – the peasants’ revolt in protest of the Poll Tax. However they were no match for the wiles of the ruthless young king. As you sit here you will notice the village well to the left of the sign. The year the well was constructed was 1**7. Take the 2nd number away from the 3rd this = H

On your left there is a public house N51 42.945 E000 30 104 The view you have here is virtually unchanged for two centuries. There are many local legends about ghosts and underground tunnels here. The carpet shop and the Munnions opposite have underground tunnels linking them – these properties go back to pre-Reformation – old monastic buildings attached to the church. The carpet shop to the pub was also one building, this was owned by Henry VIII being part of the Manor of Great Baddow, given to Katherine of Aragon in the divorce settlement, you could walk from one end to the other through the loft space. The number of letters in the pub name - 1 = I

Proceed now along the High Street to N51 43.016 E000 30.021 This is the new village library. The area to the right was originally a pond where the village ducking would take place (hence the cottage we passed earlier). The library was built in 1991. Its design is based on the style of a traditional Essex barn. The first and sixth numbers of the phone number are the same = J

In 1770, a nationwide survey declared "Great Baddow as being one of the sweetest villages in the kingdom". We hope you enjoyed your tour and now have all the co-ordinates to find the cache.

The Final cache is at

N 051 F B.C J E minus 8

E 000 D A.I G H minus 13

The cache had to be relocated on 26.09.09. The deductions of 8 and 13 above will correct the coordinates to the new location.

Please take care at the cache site which at times can be frequented by muggles.