Tamworth Trail Multi-cache
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Paul
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
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We’ve lived in Tamworth for 35 years and really enjoy Geocaching, especially multi-caches. We were disappointed there wasn’t one local to us, and wanted to do something about this.
For this cache there is plenty of parking around the town centre - we suggest parking at N 52° 37.783 W 001° 41.885. This car park costs £2.50 a day, but is free on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Please enjoy!
This is our first Multi-Geocache and we’ve really enjoyed putting it together. Let us know what you think, together with any teething problems.
Our multi-cache is an approximately 2½ mile circular walk taking in a selection of popular, and not so well known, sites around Tamworth town centre.
There are plenty of opportunities to take a break or have a toilet stop along the way.
You may not be able to complete the cache if the car park is flooded or if there is snow on the ground.
Clue 1 - N52° 37.885 W001° 41.703
When arriving at the first set of co-ordinates you will feel that you are at the centre of the universe! You need to follow the footpath and then the 'red rocket' trail to what must be Pluto.
The 'red rocket' trail was part of the millennium project by Tamworth Twinning Association aimed at placing scale models of every planet along a specially created walkway.
The, so called, vandal-proof models were mounted on plinths containing information about each planet.
When you reach Pluto, you need to very carefully, (as they are easily miscounted), count the number of rings.
The number of rings = A
Clue 2 - N52° 3A.89A W001° 41.6AA
The trees commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the twinning of Tamworth with Bad Laasphe. What year did the twinning actually take place? - 19B0
The third number of the year = B
Clue 3 - N52° 3A.94A W001° 41.B4B
This statue, standing just inside the grounds by the Holloway Lodge entrance to Tamworth Castle, is The Ethelfleda Monument, of Ethelfleda and her nephew Athelstan and was built for Tamworth's Millenary Celebrations. The Millenary marked the 1000th anniversary of when Ethelfleda, the Lady of the Mercians, freed Tamworth from the Danes and fortified the town.
The Millenary celebrations were in 191C.
The fourth number of the year = C
Now, continue along the path past the anchor on your right towards the castle and Clue 4.
Clue 4 - N52° 37.96A W001° 41.B2(B-A).
Tamworth Castle is a Norman Motte and Bailey castle set in the south-west corner of what was a Saxon burgh, it is located to dominate the approach over the two rivers which meet below the Castle. Its sandstone walls and superb herringbone wall, all that survives of the "curtain wall" of the bailey, are believed to date from the 1180s. They replaced a palisade and wooden tower, built on the present artificial mound shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
On your way to the next set of co-ordinates you will pass the herringbone wall so be sure to look out for it.
In our younger days we used to believe that the stone seat at the front of the castle was a wishing chair. It was said that if you sat in it, closed your eyes and made a wish, then ran all the way round the castle and sat back down, then your wish would come true. This does appear to have been a complete myth and though we may have lots of wishes, our days of running round the castle are long gone, but feel free to give it a go.
At the co-ordinates is a flight of metal steps - how many are there?
The number of steps less 4 = D.
Clue 5 - N52° 37.9BB W001° 41.A(A-C)(B-C)
Sir Robert Peel , who was twice Prime Minister, was credited, whilst living in Tamworth, with the development of the Tamworth Pig by breeding Irish stock with some local Tamworth pigs. When he was Home Secretary, he introduced far-ranging criminal law and prison reform as well as creating the Metropolitan Police - the terms 'bobbies' (England) and 'peelers' (Ireland) come from his name.
What day in July did Robert Peel die?
The day he died = E.
Clue 6 - N52° 3(D-E).0C(C-E) W001° 41.(CxE)(CxE)A
A more recent famous Tamworthian has been recognised for his underwater exploits.
Able Seaman Colin Grazier was one of three British servicemen whose brave actions shortened the Second World War by as much as two years. Until recently this bravery remained virtually unknown and uncelebrated.
Colin was serving on HMS Petard when in October 1942, he and fellow seaman Lt Anthony Fasson lost their lives retrieving vital German codebooks from a sinking U-boat. The third sailor, Tommy Brown, survived the war, only to die in a house fire while still a teenager.
It was the precious documents they seized which enabled Bletchley Park’s code breakers to crack the Enigma codes and so win the Battle of the Atlantic. Now recognised as a pivotal moment in world history, the mission was cloaked in secrecy for decades and not even their families could be told they had paved the way for peace.
Colin Grazier was born in Tamworth and married only days before he left to go to sea on the mission in which he lost his life. This memorial to his bravery and that of the two other seamen now stands in St Editha’s Square.
Add together the two digits of his age when he died.
The two digits added together = F
Clue 7 - N52° CB.(A+C-D)BC W001° 41.(D-F)(B-E)(B-A)
Which number is included in the day, the month and the year that William Collins died?
The digit that appears in all three aspects of this date = G
Clue 8 - N52° CB.GGA W001° FG.(F+E)GE
Founded in 1673 by another MP for Tamworth, Thomas Guy, these buildings were originally to provide housing for 7 poor women. They stood for 234 years before being demolished in 1912 and were rebuilt and later amended and extended twice. The people of Tamworth were banned from living in them, as a result of Thomas Guy being rejected for re-election as MP for Tamworth in 1708.
What year did Thomas first become an MP? 169H.
The last digit of the year of when he first became an MP = H
Clue 9 - N52° CB.(D-B-E)FF W001° FG.(D-G)(F+H)A
Sir Robert Peel wasn't only known for the peelers and the pigs, he also founded and endowed this local school. Add together the first two numbers of the year showing on the plaque to give you I.
The first two digits on the plaque added together = I
Clue 10 - N52° 38.0(D-A-C)0 W001° FE.GHE
This building, located on Lichfield Street, is one of Tamworth's oldest surviving buildings. Built in 1572 by the Comberford family,the future King Charles I stayed there in 1619 and it remained a private residence, surviving the English Civil War until 1815, when it became a hospital for the mentally ill (then known as a 'lunatic asylum').
In 1950 it was offered to Tamworth Borough Council free-of-charge. Bizarrely, they declined, so it was sold privately and converted to a pub and restaurant, which it remains to this day.
Given its history, it is perhaps unsurprising that this building is said to be extremely haunted. A number of encounters have been recorded, including in the beer garden, where a shadowy figure has been seen rushing towards the river and back again. This could be the apparition of a lady who drowned there in the 1920s. She was employed at the asylum and although the official verdict was suicide, her family have always disputed it, believing foul play may have been involved.
As teenagers we used to drink here when it was an Inn known for steaks in the 70s, how cool we thought we were!
A close friend definitely believed it haunted and we had lots of fun following her to the ladies to give her a fright.
You need to carefully count the chimney pots to give you your next clue. Add the two digits together to give you J.
The two digits of the total number of chimney pots added together = J
If you pass to the right of the house, you may be able to take the gate at the back as a short cut to your next, and final, co-ordinates.
Co-ordinates for final cache
N – HE° (F-G)(C+F).(H+C)0(C+E)
W - 00G° (A-C)G.BI(J-E-F)
You are looking for a small, camo'd lock and lock box.
As this has gone once before, PLEASE, PLEASE re-hide very securely and well hidden. Any extra stick-o-flage or leaf-o-flage will be much appreciated.
When retrieving / replacing the cache, PLEASE be extra vigilant for teenage and other Muggles. They generally congregate under the Weeping Willow trees.
Sincere congratulations to Four Rocks on their FTF.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
N cbc'yne fcbg