War Post Letterbox Hybrid

This cache has been archived.

thebuttonmushroom: Sadly after 11 years it is time to call this one a day. Paid a visit back to this place this afternoon and there was no sign of the geocache anywhere. The footpath sign it was near has both been changed and knocked over and it looks like the cache has gone AWOL in the commotion. I think most locals have now had a chance to find it, and whilst I would still encourage people to come and visit the bunker and learn more about its history, I think it's time to open the area up to new geocaches. Thanks to all who visited, especially The Happy Panda who came with me so I could see the bunker for myself!

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Hidden : 5/29/2014
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

A straight forward Letterbox Hybrid type regular cache located near (but not in) an old ROC monitoring post.

Recently I have become quite well acquainted with some old abandoned Royal Observer Corps (ROC) monitoring posts. I have hidden a cache near one such post in Lockerley to educate geocachers about these fascinating pieces of history left over from the Cold War.

THE HISTORY:
The Cold War was a period of tension principally between the United States and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War right up to the early '90s, during which time the world braced itself for the possibility of a nuclear-based World War III.

One such measure taken in this country was the construction of approximately 1500 "monitoring posts" or underground bunkers which all had the same dimensions and layout and were fairly evenly spaced around the country. They were constructed with 12 inch thick concrete, reinforced with steel and buried 20 feet underground. Should nuclear war have commenced, these bunkers would have been manned by three members of the ROC whose job it would have been to take note of the blast's details and relay the information back to HQ where further planning could happen.

Life in a bunker would have been extremely testing. It would barely be big enough to house three people yet in the event of a nuclear attack they could have been stuck down there for weeks. Staple resources such as water, electricity and heating were not automatically supplied and only a simple Tele-Talk device would provide contact with the outside world, and even then it would be limited to the HQ and a few nearby bunkers. The occupants may have been able to survive a nuclear blast in these but that would have been little consolation given that it would still be unsafe to step outside for many weeks afterwards due to intense radiation, coupled with the knowledge that everyone and everything outside was destroyed. Living with two others in such a small, dark and damp room would have been no joy at all.

At the end of the Cold War the ROC monitoring posts were abandoned and many were destroyed. A fair number around the country are still in existence but in various states of disrepair. Whilst a few land-owners have embraced the piece of history within their boundaries and gone to great lengths to fully restore them (click for an example), others are now rather depressingly damaged by the passage of time and deliberate vandalism.


Locations of where bunkers were around the south of England


THIS BUNKER:
There is a bunker here near the cache location and if you walk around the area you should be able to spot the entrance. Getting to it in the summer is near-impossible due to the growth of the nettles and brambles but you can access the hatch when the plants die down around the winter. I have ventured down there myself with a good friend of mine (log and photos below) and certainly someone has ventured down there a few years ago (and this is what it looked like then!) but whilst I think it's a great place to explore, I would never go down there alone and I strongly urge you not to either. If anything were to go wrong, the remoteness of the location, coupled with the fact that you won't get signal underground means it's best if you bring a friend and take it in turns to go down. The "may require wading" attribute is partly a joke (all my caches have a joke attribute) but is partly true because there are 2 inches of water at the bottom. Wellies are recommended for the intrepid adventurer! This cache does not require you to go into the bunker or even to access it from outside.



THE CACHE:
I chose to hide a Letterbox Hybrid type because I feel they are an undeservedly rare cache type. Initially I had intended to make it a "proper" letterbox and provide a starting location followed by directions, distances and compass bearings to navigate you to the cache but after fighting through the crops to get to GZ, you may well want to approach from the opposite direction during the summer months! The name of the cache has a dual meaning - the "post" referring half to the fact the cache is a letterbox type, and half in reference to the monitoring post nearby. As a letterbox hybrid, it contains an ink pad and stamper (a dove to represent peace following the years of war) THESE MUST NOT BE TAKEN FROM THE CACHE. Please add your own personal stamp to the cache's log book and sign and write a comment, and use the cache's ink and stamp to mark your own caching/letterboxing book. Please then replace the ink, stamp and pen to the cache for future finders.

The cache is hidden on public land - it is in a field but a public footpath cuts straight across the middle and the cache is hidden along this. I have uploaded my recommended parking coordinates for a small layby down the road and coordinates for the trailhead. These are not particularly close together and to get from your car to the start of the track you will need to walk along a country road which can be busy at times and cars can come fast along here. Please exercise extreme caution getting from your car to the trailhead should you decide to park here. If you know of alternative parking at a different approach, I would be glad to hear it and upload the coordinates. Getting to the cache can be something of a battle in the summer as the crops get to head-height and begin to grow across the narrow public footpath. I'm not strong or tall and I managed to battle through it without a machete on four occasions now so I am confident it is doable! The highish terrain rating reflects this. It may be a totally different story in winter, and the bunker itself may become more accessible as the overgrowth dies off.


Be prepared for a fight during the summer!


At ground zero you are looking for a regular sized ammo can with all military insignia sprayed over and clearly labelled as a geocache! Please rehide it carefully so that it's always reachable but not visible. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy your visit! Photos are very welcome.

P.S. For further information about ROC bunkers and to find where they are (and were) around the UK, please check out this map.

Additional Hints ()

Jbeqyrff sbbgcngu fvta

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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