Chiltern Wells #7 - Highmoor Traditional Cache
Chiltern Wells #7 - Highmoor
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is part of a series of seven caches placed at or near wells in the Chilterns. At the top of the logs (of six of the seven caches), you will find a number - eg A=1, B=2 etc - which you can use to get the co-ordinates of a bonus cache.
If you want to do them as a circuit, you may want to do them in roughly numerical order - starting at Binfield Heath, then Rotherfield Peppard, Gallowstree Common, Kidmore End, Ipsden, Stoke Row, Highmoor and then the bonus...
Some geology/history...
Chalk is a very porous rock so a high percentage of rainwater just seeps through the cracks and fissures in the rock down to the water table, rather than collecting in streams and rivers. In previous centuries, villages up in the Chilterns often suffered from severe water shortages and relied on wells for their water supply - many communities didn't get piped water until the mid-1900s. Maharajah's Well in Stoke Row is almost certainly the best known well in the area, but there are many more, both beside roads and also in people's back gardens. Most of these wells date from the mid to late 19th century.
Highmoor Well
This well is next to the (recently closed) church. It is 284 feet deep and was sunk in 1865 by the Rev. H.G. Munro, who was the first vicar of St Paul's Church, from 1859 until 1877. It was operated by two people, each standing on a platform on either side of the well.
The wellhouse, a hexagonal brick structure, was paid for by a Miss Elwes of Highmoor Hall.
As there is another cache nearby (GC458MH) the cache is not at the well itself, but a few minutes walk away.
It's probably best to park in Holly Close and then head for the corner of the woods just beyond the bus shelter. If you go and have a closer look at the well, please be very careful crossing the road, especially with small children.
You are looking for a small clip-lock container with space for some small swaps.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs gerr!