An 18th Century Launderette Traditional Cache
An 18th Century Launderette
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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A nice easy find as our first cache. There is no parking close to the cache but the (one way) lane is very little used and you should be able to pull up for a few minutes.
The co-ords lead you to a large granite lavoir which was the communal washing place for the women of St Saviour in the 18th and 19th century. Please feel free to bring your washing powder with you…
Prior to using Lavoirs, the washing of clothes was done in one of the many streams in Jersey. Gradually a washing-place was formed by trapping the water under the stones, either in a rough and primitive manner, or by constructing enclosing walls, which were sometimes roofed over.
The lavoirs (or douets a laver) could be communal or individual, and the right to use a lavoir and the preservation of the path leading to it were most important matters, and often referred to in contemporary documents. In St. Helier, one of the main washing-places was the open brook, Le Grand Douet, which flowed through the area now known as Springfield, appropriately named.
“Droit au douet” involved obligations as well as privileges. When a lavoir (sometimes incorporating an abreuvoir for watering animals) was erected it often happened that a contract was drawn up, with the contracting parties agreeing to share equally in all expenses and to observe certain rules. For example, a 48 hours notice might be required by any person wishing to wash his linen. The duties of those who had the right to use a certain douet or lavoir, were to keep the channel clean and free from obstruction, and to abstain from fouling or diverting the water.
As this is our first cache the FTF prize is a nice, big, fat, juicy FTF Geocoin.
We have also both left our first TB’s in the cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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