Rutland Water provides a scenic setting for the outstandingly beautiful Normanton Church, a structure that appears to float on the lake when the reservoir is full. Normanton Church is the county of Rutland’s most famous landmark. Yet it could all have been very different.
Today we are grateful for the public outcry of 1970 that saved Normanton Church from destruction when plans to flood the area around it were being set in motion. When the demands of a growing population had to be met, consultation took place to decide on a suitable site for a much-needed new reservoir and the Gwash valley in Rutland was chosen.
The valley, including a handful of villages, had to be cleared and so Normanton Church was deconsecrated and scheduled for demolition, but the general public had other ideas and their protests were successful. When it came time to flood the area, it became obvious that the church would be partially submerged once the high-water level was reached. This would mean the gradual erosion of its lower walls and foundations. A hastily formed trust was organised with the aim of rescuing the building from a watery demise and various proposals were considered.
Finally, it was decided that the lower level of the church should be filled with rubble and topped with concrete to create a new floor. This would be approximately 60cm above the water level. The church would become a small island once the reservoir was filled, and so a causeway was built connecting it to the nearby shore of the lake and an embankment was constructed around the building. A layer of boulders was then put in place as a defensive breakwater.
Although officially opened in 1976 the reservoir wasn’t formally completed until 1977 which was also the year KaosCL was born! 2017 would see them both celebrating their 40th Birthdays and happened to coincide with the offer of new virtual reward caches.
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To claim this virtual cache you must complete the simple tasks below:
Task 1)
Take a seat on the bench at the listed coordinates, overlooking the water.
What is the last word of the middle line on the plaque? (6 letters).
Email/message this answer to me please.
Task 2)
Take a photo of the view (see below for details)
This can be of the church or across the water, whatever you like. It should include a part of you but it's up to you how much of you you want in the pic. Selfies would be awesome, but if you're camera shy then just your hand or your GPS, or even a sign with your caching name on, whatever you are comfortable with that proves you were there.
Please post this with your log but ensure that the answer to the question is not visible!
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Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.