You can cycle or walk this route, it will take between half an hour and an hour to walk.
Please note that at the moment the sign is missing from waypoint 6. I have add the answer to the hint temporarily
The final cache is located at N53 AB.CDE W53 F.GHI. Find clues along the walk to work out these co-ordinates.
Waypoint 1: Start here and read the sign. N 53° 56.779 W 001° 06.093
The Tyburn: Executions in York took place here until 1801 (when executions moved to the castle). Arguably the most famous person to be executed here was Dick Turpin (who was hanged for horse theft in 1739). There is a Geocache at his final resting place: GC26247.
Read the information sign to find the clue. Use the second and penultimate numbers of the date when 18 men were executed for insurrection to find A and B.
Waypoint 2: Find the milestone N 53° 56.654 W 001° 06.197
In medieval times the field behind the milestone, now mostly grass with an avenue of trees running through it, was farmed. When the grass dies back in winter you can still see the ridge and furrow marks created by the ox ploughing. C = the number of letters in the city name on the right hand side of the milestone as you face it.
Waypoint 3: Feeling energetic? N 53° 56.527 W 001° 06.287
You can enter the Knavesmire from here, a short walk down the path (heading roughly east) will give you a view of the race course and the grandstands as well as the old Terrys Chocolate factory. The white house, which is now the Marriott Hotel, was built in 1876 as a private residence for John Close (3 times Lord Mayor of York). Read the sign next to the gate. D = the length in miles of the longest route.
As you walk to the next waypoint you will see on the left several cottages, these were mostly built in the 17th century, some have 18th century additions
Waypoint 4: The Gatehouse N 53° 56.439 W 001° 06.356
Goddards gatehouse can be seen from this location. The house was built in 1926 for Noel Terry in a Tudor style. It is now a National Trust property with a Tea Room. It's open from March to November from Wednesday to Sunday between 11am and 5pm, why not pop in for a look around? Looking at the gatehouse from the road add together the two numbers on the right hand side of the gateway and subtract D, this will give you the value of E.
If you look over the road to the left of the filling station the building that is now a hair salon used to be a dairy, with cow sheds out the back.
Waypoint 5: The Church N 53° 56.405 W 001° 06.390
The Church of St Edward the Confessor was built in 1849 replacing the smaller St Helens Church, hence the name of the road opposite. The church contains some interesting features, the stained glass and wooden panelling behind the altar are of particular note. If it is open there is a fact sheet to guide you which is available near the main door. It is also home to Dringhouses Scout Group. F = the hour of the latest Sunday service.
As you walk to the next point the Holiday Inn Hotel is on your left. This was the site of the Manor house and used to be completely walled. A single tree is all that remains of it. You will also cross Cherry Lane, which has been there since 1624 and leads to the Knavesmire. (There used to be a great Geocache there, but it is no longer active sadly.)
Step 6: Lost Sheep? N 53° 56.325 W 001° 06.472
A Pinfold: If you lost your cow this is where you would come to find it, of course there was a fine to get it released! (Kind of like getting your car impounded now.... or maybe not!). There's a cache here too: GC1N5Q5. Add up the first two numbers mentioned on the sign, this gives you GH.
Cross the road now and you'll pass the Fox and Roman a half-timbered building built in 1900. Originally it was called the Fox, but in 1998 Roman remains were found in the former stable block behind the main building hence the Roman was added to the name.... I wonder who found the fox and when? Incidentally, if you take a "break" here and you're cycling ask at the bar and they'll give you a key to lock up your bike in the same stable block that the Roman remains were found in. The food here is quite good too!
Step 7: Scholarly in more than one way. N 53° 56.358 W 001° 06.465
The local library: pop inside to find even more local information, if you cannot find anything ask Lucy, she's really helpful! From 1852-1904 the building was home to the local school, which then moved to St Helens road, where it still is. This is also the site of the medieval manor and the chapel of St Helen. Look for a sign outside the building I = the first of three numbers shown on the sign.
Just up the road (to the north) is Calcaria Court. This was once the site of a Roman mansio (an official building for official travellers to rest... kind of like motorway services but only for Roman Officials). Calcaria was the Roman name of Tadcaster, a town to the west of York.
You now have all the clues to find the site of the cache: N 53 AB.CDE W001 F.GHI
At GZ stealth is required, please move away to sign the log and replace the cache exactly as you found it taking care not to show the location to passers by (on foot as well as in cars!).
I wanted to place a large container here since the Cherry Lane cache was archived, but it is a really busy location so please take care so that it can hopefully stay here for a long time!
The final cache location is on private property, but the landowner is aware and happy for you to have a look for the cache or even to pop in and have a drink. Being private property please be considerate. Check the hint if you need more of a clue to the exact location.
Thanks to YorksRicknSue for the (unfortunately) live testing of the clues and on the FTF and to Z3ROIN for more friendly feedback, this is only my second cache after all and first multi.
Clues modified 25-08-2014 16:34