Tredegar's Treasure Trove Multi-Cache

we apologise for this cache being offline but there are building works taking place in the area which prohibits access to part of the route. We will look at solving this situation as soon as we can.

This series of caches has been placed with the kind permission of the National Trust Management team at Tredegar House who took over the management of Tredegar House, its gardens and parkland from Newport City Council in March 2012.   

The cache route is situated in the setting of the beautiful 90 acres of parkland of Tredegar House Country Park and replaces Morgans Treasure which was a series of eight caches placed around the park; unfortunately the decision was taken to abandon these caches due to persistent muggle activity and replace them with a multi-cache. 

There is free access to the Country Park from dawn to dusk and the closing times are displayed at both entrance gates and you are advised to look at these times before starting out. The route is about 2.5km over fairly level terrain and should be accessible to wheelchair users but some assistance may be required to reach one of the tree numbers.

Car parking is available in the National Trust car park for £2 per day, National Trust members can park for free.
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Tredegar House is one of the architectural wonders of Wales and one of the most significant late 17th-century houses in the whole of the British Isles. The house is of great importance to Wales, not only because of its historic interest and architectural merit but also because many similar properties have been lost in the last 100 years.

You may wish to visit this grand and beautiful 17th-century mansion, whose rooms and walls reverberate with fascinating stories about the Morgan family, later Lords Tredegar. One distant relative of the Morgan family was Captain Henry Morgan, a Welsh privateer who preyed on the Spanish fleet and colonies. He was feted by King Charles II and then went on to become Governor in Jamaica; a well-known rum is named after him.

This cache trail will require some arithmetical skills and each clue takes you on a journey around the park finishing with the treasure trove hidden in a clip lock box in a cammo bag.

Enjoy your walk.

Your journey through time starts in the carpark at Tredegar House {N051 33.606 W003 01.635}, originally the buildings in front of you would have been open with farm implements stored in them for use on the local farmland which no longer exists.  The current use of visitor reception and craft shops is gained through large arched doorways, but how many? (A)

As you make your way to your first point you will see a 300year old tree, {N051 33.580 W003 01.693}, this is one of two Oaks in the parkland which date back to a time when the Morgan family were first developing the site. Please be careful as you cross the road to the entrance to a car park leading to N051 33.623 W003 1.800+(7*A)  You will now be walking over the area known as The Redgra, simply named because of the red gravel used to lay out the carpark for use by the local office units, depending on your visiting time will depend on the volume of traffic.  In front of you is the second of the oldest oaks, can you find its Identification Number? (add up all the digits to give you (B))

From here we are looking for the oldest entrance to Tredegar Park, which is now used for a much more modern activity. To get to N051 33.700+B W003 1.864 you will not have to scramble through any woodland as there is a level footpath available accessed from the North East corner of the Redgra.  As you approach along the road way you will see a curved set of railings which has no definite start or finish as one of the pillars has been lost in time.  Next to the remaining pillar is a short set of railings which contains how many tall spikes? (C)

As you proceed to N051 33.794 W003 02.0(C x 6) you will pass a distraction for the younger members of your team and you might also encounter runners on the track which goes round the perimeter of the parkland (in wet weather this area can get quite muddy) you are looking for one of their guide posts to give you a tree number (D)

Follow the running track to take you to N051 33.991 W003 01.(900+D) and you have now arrived at the Lodges you will note how conveniently built Trdegar House was for access to the motorway! Although the last time the gates were opened was to give access to Prince Charles on a visit to the House in 2014 but how many stone Urns did he drive between? (E)

To get to your next point N051 33.(Dx10)+(CxE)+A W003 01.739 you have a choice of following the level footpath or the slightly more challenging, but still level, route keeping the water just to your left, this will take you to an interesting feature at N051 33.938 W003 01.837 (this route is not considered suitable for wheelchairs) both will bring you to a place to practice your Pooh sticks, but how many planks are needed to cross? (F)

You might be forgiven for thinking that you are in the wrong county or indeed the wrong era as you approach N051 33.(Fx40)+B-C W003 01.687 but fear not it’s not a time loop but merely a feature which was placed in 1988 for the Welsh Eisteddfod, but how many stones did they place in a ring? (G) (hint: count them all but the one you’re standing on!)

Proceed to N051 33.703 W003 01.(Gx55)+(G/E) if you look to your left  you will be able to see a majestic tree which is a Sweet Chestnut which is approximately 250 years old, behind that is the boathouse which sadly is no longer in use.  Looking back to the house you will see part of the Victorian frontage which is a much later addition to this historic manor house. unfortunately the answer to the original clue is hidden behind the scaffolding necessary for the "Raising the Roof" work, so to help you on your way the answer is eight.  (H)

The treasure trove can be found in a cammo bag at N051 33.((D-E)xH)+G W003 1.(F+C)xB . In this area you will see the Old Mill with its old pulley wheel for lifting sacks of grain to the upper floors and the round window for venting the upper storey, if you look carefully you might find an arch at low level which once bridged the water race for the wheel which supplied the power for the Mill, and look up to see a funny shaped slot in the wall – do you know what that was for? As you look back at the Lessor Barn you will see a number of stable doors which would have housed the working horses for the farm.

We hope you have enjoyed your walk around the parkland, which is managed and maintained by the National Trust and is free for visitors at all time of the year, we have tried to pick out some of the interesting features around the park but have not been able to capture everything.  If you would like more information about the Morgan Family or Tredegar House and Gardens in particular please visit our website http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tredegar-house or call into visitor reception where you started your journey.

Safe journey home.