Z to A - The King Alfred's Curry Milestone Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

Professor Xavier: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it. Please note that as this cache has now been archived by a reviewer or HQ staff it will NOT be unarchived.

If you wish to email me please send your email via my profile (click on my name) and quote the cache name and number.

Regards

Ed
Professor Xavier - Volunteer UK Reviewer
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Hidden : 5/29/2013
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Nano milestone cache that can be a cache and dash or a cache, curry and dash. Stealth required.

This cache is outside the former King Alfred pub, now an Indian restaurant. 

Chippenham's beginnings are not documented, but it is believed it started as a Saxon settlement some time after their final defeat of the Britons at Dyrham in 577.  The first written record of the town dates to 853.  The town had developed into a centre for royal administration and for hunting in the local forests. 

 In 874 the Danes set out to capture Saxon Wessex and reached as far as Exeter, before withdrawing to Gloucester.  In May 879 the Danes were decisively defeated by Alfred the Great at Edington. The Danes then fell back to Chippenham, holding out for two weeks before they finally accepted terms. The Danes stayed in Chippenham for the summer before the high cost of parking drove them back to East Anglia which they went on to systematically occupy.

This milestone comes from another age. The Chippenham Roads Trust dates from 1726, and lasted until 1870. From 1767, mileposts were compulsory on all turnpikes, not only to inform travellers of direction and distances, but to help coaches keep to schedule and for charging for changes of horses at the coaching inns Around 9000 mileposts are thought to survive in the UK. Most however were removed or defaced in World War II to baffle potential German invaders and not all were replaced afterwards. See the Milestone Society website for further information.

This milestones probably dates from the mid C19.  The milestone marked the main route from Chippenham to Malmesbury. Swindon traffic would at that time have gone along the Langley Road, and continued to do so until the M4 opened in 1971. The Chippenham Roads Trust maintained the Malmesbury road as far as Stanton St Quinton, where the Malmesbury Road Trust took over.

The cache itself is a very small nano so please handle with care. Thanks to Dr Billyo for supplying it as a FTF prize for O' Hints Stop. The restaurant has kindly confirmed you can park in their car park to retrieve the cache, but please do not overstay your welcome.

Congratulations to Kermitcar for the First to Find (still some other Z to As to do....).

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Sebz gur onpx, ybjre yrsg

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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