This cache is placed with the kind permission of Environment
Services, Cornwall Council.
Thanckes Park in Torpoint was once the grounds of Thanckes
House, formerly the home of the Graves family. Thanckes House was
built by Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves (1680 to 1775), whose son
Thomas (1725 to 1802), also an Admiral, became
Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1761.
“Thomas Jnr” became the first Baron Graves in 1794.
The original Thanckes House was demolished and rebuilt in 1871
and the new house moved stone-by-stone to the nearby village of
Portwrinkle to reopen in 1911 as the Whitsand Bay Hotel. The
council acquired the grounds in 1952 and it has been managed as a
park ever since. The local bowling club and the newly opened (26
Sept 2009) Benodet Friendship Garden now occupy the site of the old
manor house and cherry orchard.
The major feature at GZ is what’s left of the old slate
quarry. At the time the cache was placed, this was fenced off at
the top and you should not go between the fence and the cliff edge
at the top of the quarry. Please take particular care if you have
children or pets with you.
My GPSr suffered from reflections etc. when I obtained the
coordinates, which might thus not be as accurate as I’d like.
However, staying in the quarry bottom and thinking where you might
hide a cache should pay off.
This is a popular park, so some stealth is required.
The original cache was a half-litre Lock & Lock box that
originally contained a logbook, pencil, sharpener, stash card, and
some trinkets for swaps. However, this was muggled in August 2011
and has been replaced by a 200ml sample container. In accordance
with the GAGB guidelines issued after the Wetherby incident, the
container sides have been left clear and so this container is much
easier for non-players to spot and hence care should be taken that
it is fully covered when replaced.