Charlcombe has one of the country’s major toad migration routes. Every year toads, frogs and newts migrate down the hillside from the surrounding fields to their breeding grounds at a nearby lake. They have to cross Charlcombe Lane and because they travel slowly and there are few openings onto the fields, in the past there was considerable carnage with many of the amphibians being killed by passing traffic.
Since 2003, Charlcombe Lane has been closed to through traffic for six weeks during February and March, the peak of the breeding season, to reduce the chances of the amphibians being killed by passing traffic and to enable volunteers to collect up toads, frogs and newts from the road and release them safely further down the hillside.
In a typical year around 1,500 toads, 1000 frogs and 500 newts frogs are helped on their way. Volunteers from all over Bath take part.
To find this cache there is a little puzzle for you to solve.
Let’s assume there are x number of Toads who need to cross the lane, as well as x number of Frogs needing to cross the lane from the other side. There is a gap just big enough for one Frog or Toad in the middle between them. The photo below is an example where x=2 at the starting position.
The Frogs and Toads can move with the following rules:
Toads only move rightward; Frogs move leftward. Every move is either a Slide to the nearby position or a Jump over one position, which is allowed only if the latter is occupied by a fellow of a different kind. In any case, no two animals are allowed in the same "square".
The image below shows the scenario after 2 moves. The first move was the left most frog sliding to the left. The second move was the right most toad hopping over the frog.
If a wrong move is made, eventually you will reach a state where no move is possible. For example see the photo below.
Let the function Toad(x) = The number of moves to swap the positions of x toads and x frogs across Charlcombe Lane.
Note that for any value of x there are only two solutions: one where the first move is by a Frog and one where the first move is by a Toad. The two solutions are symmetrical and use the same number of moves and the same combination of Slides and Jumps.
| x |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
| Toad(x) |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
J |
K |
L = The number of Jumps in the solution where x=3.
Additionally, take the solution (the detailed sequence of moves) for x=3 as a binary number, such that a Slide=0 and a Jump=1. Convert this to its decimal equivalent and take the last 2 digits of this decimal number as MN
The cache can be found at
N 51 24.Y W 002 21.Z
Where
Y=B+N+G+J+K
Z=(C*K)+M+D+L
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
Note: There is a wall not far from the final coordinates; the cache is not in or by the wall.
The Pilgrimage
The other part of the name for this cache relates to the fact that Bath has 3 Holy Wells.
The first is believed to be St Winifred's Well in Winifred's Lane, Sion Hill. It dates from 1730-1780. It is reported that it is situated halfway up the lane but only the wellhead remains in a private garden. Be careful if you go walking up this one way lane as it is very narrow and little space for pedestrians, especially ones with children. (You do not need to go anywhere near here to find the cache.) From one source I have found it was reported that women hoping to fall pregnant visited it and drank it's water. Although another source has said it was used to cure leprosy and skin ailments.
The second well is St Alphage’s Well in Lansdown and is now on private property (we think) although it is still marked on the OS Maps. It lies at the foot of a clump of trees at the top of Lansdown Lane. It was the freshwater well for the village of Weston until 1918. The well belonged to St Lawrence Hostel for Pilgrims. (Now Chapel Farm, a beautiful fifteenth century building opposite the racecourse.) Here pilgrims bathed their feet in memory of St Alphage, hermit of the parish and later Archbishop of Canterbury until his martyrdom by the Danes in 1016.
The third is the one near this cache site and is referred to as St Mary's Well.
See the Well Co-ordinates waypoint to visit the actual well as it is worth the slight detour.
It has provided water for the village for centuries. Traditionally the water was used for diseases of the eyes. Cures are recorded in the manuscripts held by the Royal Society of Antiquities.
Information taken from the previous "Frog Pilgrimage" cache originally set up by 'Jemalong & family', which in turn referenced The Catholic Churches of Bath & an article by Rupert Bevan also an article by JM Harte.
St Mary’s Charlcombe
St Mary’s Charlcombe is a Grade II* listed building of Norman origin, over 1000 years old and is the oldest ecclesiastical building in use in Bath. The author Henry Fielding was married in the church in 1734.
The church has a distinctive castellated bell tower with a single bell dating from 1845. The church underwent a significant restoration in 1861 by Sir Gilbert Scott. The organ is a rare example of a small organ built by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and installed in 1916. Only one similar small organ exists, in St Paul’s Cathedral. Full size Harrison and Harrison organs can be found in Westminster Abbey, King’s College Chapel, Cambridge and St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol.
The church maintains a “Quiet Garden” in which can be found the ancient “Holy Well” fed by a spring. The water is famed for being good for the eyes. The well was re-dedicated in 1989 by George Carey, Bishop of Bath and Wells and subsequently Archbishop of Canterbury.
The church is part of the benefice of Charlcombe with St Stephen. Sung Eucharist is held every Sunday at 9 am. The church is kept open on a daily basis by a rota of local volunteers.
Source: http://www.charlcombeparishcouncil.org/component/content/article/10-notice-board/30-st-mary-s-charlcombe.html
