Weighing it up Traditional Cache
Hidden : 3/17/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This is a traditional cache located next to a bridlepath in an attractive part of South Shropshire. It includes some historical information about the industrial origins of the area.

The cache is a plastic clip box located next to a bridlepath. It is 5 minutes walk along the bridlepath from a parking place on the B4363 at Rays Bridge (grid ref SO 715834). The path can be a bit muddy after rain, but the walk is easy and level. 

Nowadays this part of rural South Shropshire is quiet and attractive. However, this rural image hides a significant industrial heritage. The cache is next to the New England Weighbridge, a disused building that formed part of Billingsley Colliery's transport route to the outside world. The colliery was part of the Wyre Forest coalfield, a coalfield that was active up until the late 1960's. The bridlepath is the line of a mineral railway that ran from the Severn Valley Railway near Borle Viaduct right up to Rays Bridge. Here there were exchange sidings and a tramway up to Billinglsey Colliery itself. 

All that is now left is the weighbridge building and some collapsed birickwork alongside the brook. Billingsley Colliery itself was next to the hamlet of the same name. It closed in 1921 and not much is left other than a few disused buildings. 

The bridlepath isn't too busy, so I hope not too many muggles will be around. I thought about placing it nearer the brook, but it is prone to spectacular flash floods, so it is safer where it is. There is a lot of tree cover, so you may struggle getting a good signal (I placed it when the trees were quite bare) but an approximate reading should help you find it.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ebhaq gur onpx haqre fbzr oevpxf

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)

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