Sydenham Circular Multi-Cache

The published co-ordinates are for the grassed area where there is an information board with a pictorial map. Parking is usually possible close by. On the board, A = the number of place names that have two words in upper casing. Further information needs to be obtained to enable you to calculate the final co-ordinates. In all, it should take about one hour. Be aware that after rain, some parts of the walk can be very muddy.

Sydenham is a village which had a population of 451 at the 2011 census. It has a church, a public house and a cricket club. The church of St Mary is central with a timber-framed bell tower being a landmark from outlying locations.

The village had a settlement in the Anglo-Saxon era. Its toponym means ‘at the wide river meadow’. In the 12th century, a brook through the centre of the village was dammed to form a millpond which drove a water mill. It continued to function until 1945.

Several properties date from the 16th to 18th centuries, some being timber framed, whereas others are of brick, flint and wychert (a clay-like material) under thatch and old tiled roofs. The oldest has a cruck frame. Next to the church is the former National School which was built in 1849, but closed in 1948. Close by is the only public house, The Crown Inn which opened in 1939. There were two inns in the mid-1800’s. Some scenes from the TV series Midsomer Murders were filmed in Sydenham.

The information required are shown in Additional Waypoints. The walk takes you along a quiet road, footpaths, bridleways and across meadows where there are good views.

A = Stage 1: 42.630/56.674. The number of place names in upper casing that have two words on the information board i.e High Wycombe

B = Stage 2: 42.697/56.812. The number of large pipes in the bridge brickwork

C = Stage 3: 42.803/56.957. The number of four legged animals on the farm sign

D = Stage 4: 42.812/57.157. The number of chimney stacks visible on the first house to the left of the field

E = Stage 5: 42.773/57.199. The total number of footpath and bridleway signs on the post

F = Stage 6: 42.692/57.148. The last digit minus the seventh digit  

G = Stage 7: 42.500/57.040. The number of complete horizontal bars on the rusty gate

H = Stage 8: 42.548/56.857. The number of complete spikes on the rusty harrow

Now you have all the information to calculate the final co-ordinates.

The cache is at N51° 42.(E-G)(A+B)(C-D) W000° 56.(F+B)(H/11)(Gx2).