Note: during the summer this cache is likely to be much harder to find at times due to undergrowth at the final cache location. This could include head high bracken and significant brambles. The D/T ratings reflect the average difficulty of the cache - during high summer it might be Diff: 3; T: 3.5. Shorts and sandals are not advised during summer!
The final coordinates for this cache will need to be calculated: using N 52 16.ABC E 001 3E.FGH
To find the missing digits you have to visit seven locations and find key pieces of information. These should then provide a set of final coordinates when substituted in the formula above. There is a way of checking that you have the right coordinates towards the bottom of the cache description.
Starting at the beach...
Waypoint 1: the marshes
N 52 16.776 E 001 37.987
There are two information boards overlooking the marshes (a few metres to the right of the gate). This is a good place to find out a little more about the area.
In the Dunwich Today section there is a year. Use the third digit of the year as C.
Waypoint 2: the hospitals
N 52 16.700 E 001 37.951
Walk across the car park to find a set of information boards on the side of the toilets. How convenient...
Find the section dealing with the Hospitals. Two sums of money are mentioned. One number appears three times in these. Use this number as H.
Waypoint 3: the friary
N 52° 16.515 E 001° 37.889
Leave the car park and walk up the road towards the pub. You need to head up the hill to the ruins of Greyfriars - you could walk through the woods by following the path on your left just before the road junction up some steps - the prettier route and easy to follow if you simply take the obvious paths. Take care if you choose to use the road as there's no footpath here.
You'll soon find the friary ruins. These are the focus of my Greyfriars multi-cache which is a much shorter walk just around the friary area. There are two information boards located at the east entrance to the site (away from the road). You want the southern most board with the Your Are Here dot on it.
At the end of the 13th century there were XY friaries. Add together X and Y to get A
Waypoint 4: the museum
N 52 16.652 E 001 37.832
Now head back down to the main street - it's probably best to walk on the road this time, so go through the main gates to the friary complex and turn right. There's a footpath a little way further on the left which will bring you out right where you need to be (but it is very narrow - pushchairs might have an issue here).
This is Dunwich Museum, open from April to October in general and free.
Outside the museum is an anchor. A plaque on the wall has details about it. These include a date. Subtract the final digit of the year from the third digit (so, if the date is RSTU you need to have T - U). This will give you F.
Waypoint 5: the last church
N 52 16.683 E 001 37.582
Walk down the street away from the sea - you're heading for the church
St James' is the last church in town (there were once at least six other parish churches), built in the 19th century to replace All Saints as it fell into the sea.
Outside the church are some benches on the grass. You need the single bench (not the pair). This has a date marked on it. The third digit of the year will give you G.
Waypoint 6: the birds!
N 52 16.753 E 001 37.497
From the church you need to walk on the road across the bridge. Take care here, the road is narrow and there's no path. After crossing the bridge you need to turn right to follow the footpath to find the next number - look for the Dingle Marshes information board on the right hand side of the path (this can get covered by undergrowth at times).
The final word of the main section of text (the left side of the board) is a place name somewhere in the world. Count the number of letters in the name - this will give you E.
Waypoint 7: the forest gate
N 52° 17.148 E 001° 37.524
Head north on the path. Dunwich Forest soon appears on your left. Keep walking and you'll come to an entry "gate" on your left.
The forest here is being "rewilded". Commercial forestry in this part of the forest is no longer the primary concern and the area is gradually being transformed into a mix of habitats, including regeneration of the heathland habitats which once stretched all along the coastline here. You may see Dartmoor ponies at certain times of the year.
Either side of the entrance there are a number of horizontal flat-sided planks forming part of the fence (not rounded ones). There are the same number on each side of the entrance way. Take the number of planks on one side minus 1 to give you B.
The Cache
You should now have all the numbers you need. Plug them into the formula below to find the final coordinates.
N 52 16.ABC E 001 3E.FGH
Your final coordinates can be checked on certitude if you want some reassurance, although you may find a 3G signal hard to come by in these parts - certainly under the trees.
To reach the general area of the final cache is straight forward and shouldn't take too long. The cache itself is a little trickier to uncover (despite its size). In summer it may be easier to bushwhack through the trees rather than try to follow the "path" through the bracken. There is a path there, I promise. Just not always one that's easy to walk on...
There are likely to be thorns, brambles, nettles and bracken in the way and after rain it'll be muddy. There is no need to cross any fence.
The cache is located on open access land. The landowner (Forestry Commission East England) does not assess the suitability or safety of the cache location. The cache placer and the cache finder have a responsibility to take reasonable precautions to protect their own safety and the safety of others. Hazards observed at or on route to the cache location should be reported to the cache placer (that's me!)
Getting back to Dunwich
You could walk back the same way you came to Dunwich or extend your walk into a circular route through the forest to the south. A map would be a good plan at this stage, although some waypoints have been provided.