Celebrating Stone in the Landscape ! Traditional Cache
HighwayHazel: Originally established in 2014 as part of the "Beyond Graffiti" stone awareness project by The Milestone Society, this GC has sat in various locations around Oakwell Hall. It's been very popular but is frequently muggled so it's time for someone else to set up a new cache in the locality. But do look out for the ancient milestone too !!
Celebrating Stone in the Landscape !
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Oakwell Hall is a great example of a friendly ancient property is a fantastic setting - acres of country park with trails and things to explore. It also has stones used in lots of ways - how many can you spot?
The Hall is furnished for a family in the late 1600s, after the Civil War which raged in this area. It's built of stone - and in the West Riding, we take that material for granted. Lots of ordinary buildings are made of it, not just churches and town halls. And it is very beautiful, different textures and colours, with different characteristics. Beside the corner of the wall at the front of the Hall, there squats a little milestone, its carved faces indicating the way to Halifax and Elland, Leeds and Wakefield. It dates from 1733 and has been moved from its original location on the Leeds Road at the edge of Mirfield Moor. On the bridge over the lake, there's a carving of an alphabet with 'God save the King' added - maybe a demonstration piece carved by a stonemason's apprentice many years ago. Some new 'apprentice pieces' carved by students at Kirklees College will be laid along the Country Park's trails in autumn 2014, as waymarkers. Then there are the dry stone walls. How do they stay up, with no mortar? They are laid by master craftsmen and women, two walls interlocked and filled with rubble for strength. Now look for the cache, hidden beyond the garden wall of the Hall. Also enjoy some of the many events that take place at the Hall and in the Courtyard, especially during the school holidays! The Country Park is open every day, parking and admission is free. There's a small charge for visiting the interior of the Hall, which is closed on Mondays and Fridays; the Visitor Centre in the Courtyard and the Discovery Room are closed Mondays. GZ is awash with muggles - please take special care!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Svaq gur napvrag zvyrfgbar naq jnyx 40 lneqf gb gur abegu - ybbx vagb gur vil oenapurf ng gur onfr bs gur gerr gehax ba lbhe yrsg - vg'f n fznyy cbg yhexvat orarngu.