Clapton Pond - Quick Multi
This short multi, which should take you less than 15 minutes, introduces you to the pond and its history.
The cache, a black push-topped nano tube is hidden near this small but well-featured urban oasis which is adjacent to the busy main road and provides a pleasant shady area for rest and reflection . . . and maybe to feed the ducks and pigeons!
The pond opens from 07:30 to dusk (see here for details of times).
As the area is in constant use during daylight hours, there will always be muggles around, so you will need to plan your movements accordingly and use suitable stealth tactics when retrieving and - carefully! - replacing the cache.
Step 1: at the given coordinates N 51 33.401 W 0 3.320 you will be able to note that the number of benches in this smaller section of the park = A
Step 2: nearby @ N 51 33.397 W 0 3.319 you can see that the number of metal bolt heads visible in each side of the wooden play creature (excluding the eye) = B
Update 26/1/23: the creature has gone, so use B=8 in the coordinates formula
Step 3: as you exit this section @ N 51 33.395 W 0 3.311 you can find that the padlock used to lock this gate at night has C levers.
Step 4: enter the larger section of the park and head for N 51 33.377 W 0 3.295 near the bridge. The number of hroizontal bars in the metal arch at the end of the bridge = D
Step 5: walk around the pond to N 51 33.350 W 0 3.276 and look on the side of the bench. You will see a phone number stamped on the metal. The last digit of this = E
Note: if this bench is occupied, you should find the same clue in a similar alternative location . . .
Step 6: continue around the pond to N 51 33.364 W 0 3.308 where you should be standing on a Thames Water metal cover. The number above the kite mark in the centre of this is B.S. 1F4
Step 7: finally cross the bridge. In the middle of the south side, you will find some padlocks attached to the bridge wires. The one to the left of the centre post has a name beginning with T which has G letters. ***Note 27/1/19: the padlock seems to have gone, so use G=8***
The cache may be found at:
N 51 33.E(D-G)F W 00 03.(A-2)(B-1)(C+3)
Check your solution here:
Clapton Pond, which is in two sections dissected by Newick Road, is a pond and garden, located in Hackney, east London. The name ‘Clapton’ or ‘farm on the hill’ is derived from the Old 
English words ‘clop’, meaning a lump or hill, and ‘ton’, meaning a farm. It has existed since the 1600s. The pond was re-landscaped for public use in the late 1800s to the pattern that largely survives today. In 2004 funds were successfully raised by the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group to implement modern improvements to this historic space. As a result of the restoration project, Clapton Pond has become a vibrant and well used community park.
Short History
For centuries the land was owned by the Bishops of London, and occupied by tenant farmers who grew hay and food for the City of London.
The villages of Lower and Upper Clapton lay on either side of Clapton Lane, which later became the Lower and Upper Clapton Roads. Lying about halfway between the two villages was Clapton Pond, fed by a natural spring. This would have been used to irrigate the land, and supply water for the farmers and their animals.
By the late 18th century Clapton had become a fashionable place to live, with many fine country houses built for the rich merchants of London. Huguenot and Jewish communities also moved into the area, helping to develop Clapton into a prosperous neighbourhood.
In the 19th century Clapton turned from being a sleepy backwater into a bustling London suburb and many of its grand houses were demolished to provide land for new homes. This rapid growth was increased by the opening of Clapton railway station in 1872, and the arrival of the tramways. By the 1890s, the houses on Thistlewaite, Newick, Mildenhall and Millfields Roads had been built, supplying much needed housing for newcomers.
Despite the decline of Clapton’s prosperity in the 1920s and 1930s, the first half of the 20th century saw Clapton Pond at its most glorious, a perfect setting for the unique buildings situated behind the pond - the 17th-century Bishop Wood’s Almshouses, the late 18th-century Pond House and the two mid 18th-century houses.
The pond and gardens have always served as a focal point for the people of Clapton, from the few farmers who worked the land hundreds of years ago, to the multi-cultural community living and working in Clapton in the 21st century, who use it for public events and as a place to relax.