St Nicolas Church Mystery Cache
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Paul
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A nano cache hidden in the grounds of St Nicolas Church. Please bring your own pen for the log.
St Nicolas Parish Church
St. Nicolas Buildings and History
This church building is the only Grade 1 listed building in the town. There has been a church building on the present site since at least 1130, and it is believed that a Saxon church was there before that, though no trace remains today.
The oldest part of the present building is in the Leeke chapel on the south side of the Church and dates from 1350 when the church was rebuilt in the reign of Edward III.
The tower is 14th century, containing a bell chamber with a full peal of eight bells and also houses an ancient clock dating from 1670.
On the outside of the south facing wall of the Church there can still be faintly seen the remains of ancient Mass Dials. These were to indicate the times at which Mass was said.
On the same wall on a window ledge, there are marks where arrows were sharpened. These were probably created in the 17th century when the vicar held archery lessons for the Grammar School boys.
The Grammar School itself started originally in the Leeke Chapel in about 1512. Lessons were held there for 40 years. A new school building was erected in the churchyard in 1596. However this was badly damaged in the blitz and was then rebuilt in the same style. It now serves as the Parish Office.
In the meantime, in 1879, a larger building was built to house the Grammar School which has since become King Edward VI sixth form college but is often still referred to as KEGS –King Edwards Grammar School.
George Eliot Connection – Milby Church
St Nicolas was well known to George Eliot who attended services here whilst at the nearby girls’ boarding school “The Elms” which was demolished in the 1960’s
In George Eliot’s first book Scenes of Clerical Life (published 1857) the Church is depicted as ‘Milby’ Church and plays a major role in the third of the Scenes, Janet’s Repentance. The story depicts the stormy and violent relationship of the prominent Milby lawyer Robert Dempster and his wife Nancy and is based on an actual event in the religious history of the town. In the church yard can be found the tomb of John Williams Buchanan and his wife who figured as “Lawyer and Mammy Dempster”
Recent Developments
2010 saw the completion of a new community building linking the church and the Old Grammar School. The interior of the Church was also reordered. This is with the desire to follow in the rich tradition we have inherited by making St Nicolas Church better able to meet the needs of the local people in the 21st century.
The Cache
There is usually parking at N52° 31.245 W001°27.754 but please be sensitive if a large event is happening in the church.
All of the clues are visible from a path so there is no need to walk on the grass.
The cache is to be found at N52° AB.CDE W 001° FG.HIJ
Your first clue is at N52° 31.261 W001° 27.742 where you can
find a young African Chief who died at the vicarage on KL June 18MN
Journey down the path to find William Ballard who died in 1867
Aged 7P and Mary his wife who died aged XQ years.
Stroll a little further and then rest.
Amy Mills was born in the year 18R1
The vicar’s phone number is 02476 ST6900
Now you can find the cache:
A = Q+K
B = P-K
C = S-Q
D = R-Q
E = L-P
F = M-N
G = X-Q
H = S+T
I = M+K
J = R+Q-M
Congratulations to Swiftcharisma and 3 Hearts are 1 to be FTF - especially when it involved clearing snow to find the clues!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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