Oohh Matron! (Downside) Multi-Cache
Hidden : 8/31/2009
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Continuing the series based around Eastbourne's Hospitals.

This cache trail is for the Downside Hospital as it was known in it's latter years. It started as the Borough Sanitorium for 25 years in 1885, Municipal Isolation Hospital (1914 - 1948) before becoming Downside Hospital. Many knew it as 'the Sanny' or Fever Hospital. The theory was that people with infectious diseases (such as scarlet fever and diptheria) would be sent here to either recover or sadly die. Typically a stay here could be about 6 weeks with all personal items being burnt as a risk of harbouring the disease. Remember in these times antibiotics or immunisation had yet to be discovered/invented. The hospital was isolated too in it's location to local housing also as an infection control plan. Starting this cache trail at Downside Court which from the plans (see gallery) I believe this to be the Lodge from the hospital estate. On the white sign in front of you there is a black arrow pointing to two numbers....AA. Follow the wall up the road to the next clue point, noticing the filled in doorway as you pass and also a hydrant sign take note as the top numbers are B2C (now removed.....see gallery). At the next clue point is another clue as to what was here before. This is the electricity substation. There is a sign In An Emergency Telephone - 0800 DE6 5F87 and another Sanatorium Eastbne G7343H. Thanks to the book 'The Princess Alice and other Eastbourne Hospitals', John Surtees, 1993, for reference. Follow the road up again - you should be able to spot a bench on the junction of two roads under some trees. Sit a moment to work out the puzzle. When done please take a moment to see the view in front of you and to the left (over the wall) to the sea. The cache is child friendly, but please be careful of the road as this is a rather busy one.

SE Caching Regional Forums

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

v) Lbh znl jvfu gb cnex va gur ynlol arne gur lbhgu ubfgry vv) Trg gb gur ebbg bs gur uvqr.

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)


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