The starting co-ords are for the first clue.
1. Wetzlar Garden
This garden was created to commemorate the twinning, in 1969, of Colchester with the German town of Wetzlar. It's a lovely space and it's well-worth resting here a while. There are two dates associated with the garden:
19F9-1989
2. St Botolph's Priory Church
This was the first Augustinian priory church in England, and was founded in the late eleventh century. All that remains today is the ruins of the nave, which is looked after by English Heritage.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the buildings surrounding the priory church left the ownership of the church. However, the priory church became a parish church.
Now that the external surface has been worn away, the flint and Roman brick construction of the priory church has been revealed.
How many of the upper arches remain intact? L
3. Scheregate Steps
This exit is believed to have been cut into the wall in the Norman/mediaeval period and would have given swift and easy access to St John's Abbey. It would also have let straight to Colchester's 'Red Light' district during mediaeval times. 'Schere' means narrow and it's clear that this access could only have been used for pedestrian traffic.
Close to the top of the steps is an ancient doorway which is now incorporated into a shop front. What is the date that this is believed to have been constructed?
1CD0
4. Balkerne Gate
Balkerne Gate was built sometime around 55AD and began it's existence as a dual archway over the London road. After the Boudican revolt, when the town walls were built, the arches were built into the new defences. Four openings were then installed, two for carts and horse and two for pedestians. It is 107 feet long and the structure extends 30 feet out from the wall. By the 4th century, the gateway was filled with rubble to bolster the town's defences against the Saxons, leaving only an arched pedestrian entrance.
What is the date stated on the plaque by the gate? cJ00
5. Jumbo
The Reverend Irvine wasn't best pleased when the huge Victorian water tower was built near to his rectory, so he called it "Jumbo", a derogatory comment, referring to the name of an elephant at London Zoo. Strangely enough, the building of the tower took 20 months, which is the gestation period for elephants. It was 'born' in 1883 and is topped by a tank that can hold 1069 cubic metres of water. Inside the central pier are 157 steps, and there are several windows in this pier.
How many windows are there (including those that are filled in)? AB
6. Town Hall
Work on Colchester's Town Hall began in 1898, after John Belcher's design won a competition in 1897. The Baroque design houses several interesting features, notably the custom-made organ in the Moot Hall. There are also several splendid stained-glass windows, two of which feature the town's Roman history.
One of the most impressive parts of the building, is the magnificent, 162ft tower, dedicated to Queen Victoria. Just to the left of this tower, by the main flagpole, there is a date. 1E01
7. The Red Lion
Originally owned by the Howard family, the Red Lion hotel may have originally started life as the White Lion, as that is what is displayed on the family arms. It was built sometime in the 15th century. A carved wooden panel forms the entrance to the courtyard and depicts St George and the Dragon. Sir John Howard was a knight of the garter and, probably because of this, there are carved depictions of these knights on the panel, but how many are there? K
8. Roman Theatre
A small portion of the Roman Theatre in Colchester's town centre is viewable through the windows of a converted house.
The continuing course of the theatre is shown in the different coloured paving stones outside the house in Maidenburgh Street. The theatre was possibly destroyed in Boudica's destruction of Colchester in 60AD. It was a large venue and held around G000 people.
Once you have the required information, continue along the road, following the line of the theatre in the road, and on the right you will find a footpath which leads to the final location.
9. Lucas and Lisle
When the siege of Colchester ended, the Royalist commanders Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were captured and put to death in the grounds of Colchester Castle. This unusual move was justified by the Parliamentarian leader Sir Thomas Fairfax on the grounds that Lucas had executed prisoners in cold blood and that the Royalists had prolonged the siege and caused more death and suffering than was necessary, by trying to defend an indefensible position.
The spot where the two men were executed is marked by a monument. They were executed on Aug 28 16H8
The cache can be found at:
N51° 53.(L-[A+B])CD E000° 54.(E-F)(G+H)(J+K)
Some clues are only accessible from dawn to dusk, so don't try it at night!
Please note: due to the interference caused by the buildings, some of the gps readings are a little erratic and may vary on different gps units. However, the descriptions for each waypoint are quite clear and you shouldn't have any trouble finding each location. The final location co-ords may also be a few feet out, but again, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the spot.
Good luck and enjoy the history!