The Area:
This cache is based around the Furnace Lane area. This is, of
course, where Kettering Furnaces used to be.
"It was real men's work in the sweat and toil of Kettering
Furnaces, which was a local landmark of the 20th Century until
1959. Kettering Iron and Coal Company began operations off
Rockingham Road in 1878, at first working district quarries by
hand, wheeling the iron ore in barrows across narrow plank bridges.
Later little narrow guage trains puffed to and from the works,
which began with 2 blast furnaces, each producing 250 tons of iron
a week. A third was built by the turn of the century, to be
replaced with a much larger furnace in 1908, capable of producing
1000 tons a week. By the early 1930s the plant was virtually
rebuilt to raise output at full production to 100,000 tons of iron
per year. At their heightthe furnaces employed 600 men, with three
generations of some families working for the company. Their glowing
embers were extinguished in 1959, along with other works at
Cranford, Irchester, Loddington, Cransley and Wellingborough, and
the plant was demolished four years later" (Tony Smith)
"20th Century Kettering: A book for the Millenium" by Tony
Smith.
The cache:
The listed coordinates are for the first stage cache. Within
this first stage cache you will find the coordinates needed for the
final stage cache.
Notes:
1st Stage:
You will need tweezers for the 1st stage cache.
Final Cache:
I had problems with getting consistent coordinates even over a
period of a few days... I settled on those provided in the first
stage cache. They should get you in the correct general area.
You will need tweezers and a pen for the final stage cache.
IMPORTANT:
Please beware of falling rocks! Many of these rocks ARE loose
so please be careful! For that reason I am
recommending that you do not let kids attempt this!
Protective headwear might be a good idea!
Please replace the cache exactly where you found it.(so it is
hidden from view)
Please do not mention or post photos of the location of the
cache, the type/size of cache or method of retrieval in the
logs
Have fun!