Saint Lazarus 8 Letterbox Hybrid
The Bonhams: Due to placing a new 40 cache circuit in the area and this circuit needing replacements we have decided to close this one down.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Letterbox/Hybrid. DO NOT REMOVE THE RUBBER
STAMPS, they are not swappables.
If you have a personlaized stamp for signing log books then
please use it.
If you don't you should draw a small picture
instead!
This circuit of caches takes in a 3 mile walk around a large field
of slightly bumpy ground which was once the site of St. Mary &
St. Lazarus Hospital, founded by Roger de Mowbray in the 12th
century for the Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem. The Order of
Saint Lazarus established leper hospitals with the first being in
Jerusalem in 530 A.D. The English branch of the order was based at
Burton Lazars, Leicestershire in 1150. It was suppressed by Henry
VIII in 1544. Building foundations still remain of the medieval
Lazar house, which was the headquarters for the Crusading Order of
St. Lazarus in England. The walk also circles (but does not
actually visit) RAF Technical Site Buildings which formed part of
RAF Melton Mowbray. We avoided this area because of the derelict
buildings and rubbish that is regularly dumped at the site, but is
a short walk down a track if you want to see it, between caches #3
and #4. You can catch a glimpse if you look over your left shoulder
while walking down Sandy lane too. Before turning back to the start
you will walk along part of the old taxiway at the end of an
airfield. RAF Melton Mowbray was active between 1942 and 1964. The
'Class A' airfield was originally intended for aircraft maintenance
but was taken over by Transport Command. Many types of aircraft
were flown from the airfield, including Spitfire, Mosquito,
Corsair, Vengeance, Hellcat, Dakota and Halifax aircraft, plus
Horsa and Hadrian gliders. Melton Mowbray served as a Thor
Strategic (nuclear) missile site between 1958 and 1963, when 254
Squadron operated a flight of three missiles from the base. The 3
launch facilities can clearly be seen in the middle of the airfield
today, each having 2 'L' shaped high, thick concrete blast walls
which all remain. You will also see more buildings at GZ of Saint
Lazarus 8. The last feature of note on this walk will be the
stunning views across the vale below Burton Lazars toward Little
Dalby before swinging back to the start through the St. Mary &
St. Lazarus Hospital site. This is Open Access area so feel free to
explore. Don't forget the Bonus Cache after all this excitement!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cvcr