Hanham Mount
A short multi-cache, taking in the sights and history of Hanham Mount.
HanhamMount may look like a small hill overlooking the South-East of Bristol but it is an area steep in history since Baptists first preached here in the mid 17th Century with the two most famous preachers of the site being George Whitfield and John Wesley in the 18th Century. Services are still conducted here every Easter. It was declared a World Methodist Heritage Site in 1996 and thousands of Christians (of all denominations) still take pilgrimage to the site every year.
Stage 1: The Early Bristol Baptists
The growth of the Baptist and non-conformist movement was seen as a direct threat to the sovereignty of the Church of England during the mid-17th century which resulted in severe persecution. Such non-conformists were forced to hold secret meetings in the nearby Hanham Woods in the 1650’s. Preachers often swam the flooded Avon to be able to preach in the area risking imprisonment and death. This was believed to be the start of the tradition of open air preaching in the area
At N 51° 27.109 W 002° 30.554 there is a plaque commemorating the early persecuted preachers of Bristol. On this plaque you are looking for two dates side by side in the format 16AB/16CD. ***Unfortunately this plaque is no longer present the dates you are looking for are 1658/1684***
Stage 2: The Bristol Colliers.
By the end of the 16th century 80% of the local population worked in agriculture but during the first half of the 17th Century there was a thirteen to fifteen fold increase in the number of people working in the coal industry. By the time more dynamic personalities George Whitfield and John Wesley preached in 1739 a large proportion of the 1500 crowd would have been colliers who lived and worked in the local area.
The local congregation would have stood, facing North towards the preachers at N 51° 27.086 W 002° 30.536. Obviously the area today looks very different to that over 250 years ago. To get E, face towards the Mount and count the number of bungalows on the left.
On your right is an information board if you wish to learn more about the area. About 20 metres north on the wall are also plaques with more history especially about George Whitfield and John Wesley.
Stage 3: The Pulpit
Many significant persons have preached at the mount over the years including John Wesley, George Whitfield, John Cennick the Moravian and Victory Purdy known as the Human Bible.
The current pulpit was erected to commemorate these famous preachers in 1983 and refurbished in 1996 and 2007, based on the chapel pulpit from the Colliers’ School, Kingswood, established by John Wesley and George Whitfield for the miners’ children.
If you stand at N 51° 27.107 W 002° 30.515 you too can also preach on Hanham Mount where divine intervention may give you letters F to J. If that fails, on the entirety of the barrier of the pulpit, count the number of black vertical poles with round tops to give you FG. If you are facing out towards your congregation then about 8 metres behind you is a bible quotation, taken from Isaiah HI:J, engraved into the floor.
Stage 4: The Beacon
Perhaps the Mount’s most famous feature is its 80ft beacon erected during the 1950s Festival of Britain in honour of the early local Baptists who suffered persecution. In 2007 (completed in 2008) it was replaced by a newer, taller and brighter beacon, the former one having been considered unsafe. The beacon can be seen from throughout the Kingswood and Hanham area and is best appreciated at night when its green light is visible.
At N 51° 27.112 W 002° 30.549 you will see two blue plaques commemorating both the original and replacement beacon. For the final number you need for the cache the original beacon was erected in 195K?
Stage 5: The Cache
The cache can be found at N 51° 27.(F+K-G)(B-A)C W 002° 30.(J-I)(H+G)(D+E)
Checksum letters A to K = 45
You are looking for a small tupperware box with the usual array of goodies.
Please note the cache is NOT placed on the Mount but very close by. The area is a site of great historical and religious significance. If your co-ordinates take you onto the actual mount you may wish to revisit some of your answers. The site is rarely used for religious worship these days other than at the aforementioned Easter service but if any such worship is taking place please be respectful.
The cache involves steps and slopes (paved) and some grassy terrain in places so it may be unsuitable for people with some mobility difficulties. This cache is ideal for children but there is a busy road near to Stage 2 so as always keep a close eye on them.