A simple multi-cache with the final location a short distance away.... you can walk down the lane from the church to the final location or there is parking for a small car close to GZ. PLEASE NOTE: The final location is close to water and a level crossing so please be extra cautious if you are with younger geocachers or geohounds!
We cannot know when this building first arrived at Oddingley, but an early, wooden church was explicitly mentioned in 1288, as a dependent chapel of St Helen’s church in Worcester.
In the fifteenth century the wooden construction was replaced with the current stone building, constructed from limestone that was probably quarried nearby. Originally there was no tower, but the wall at the back of the nave was removed and a tower introduced in the seventeenth century. The original west window, shown at the top of this page, was preserved during the construction and fitted into the west wall of the new tower.
The church was used throughout the next few centuries, as the parish passed between numerous owners including the wealthy Mortimer family, the House of York, the Tudor King Henry VIII (who gave Oddingley manor to Catherine of Aragon), the Wintours of Huddington and the Galtons of Hadzor. The church building, however, was neglected, and began to fall into disrepair. Under the Galton family, the decay was at last rectified. Much of the stonework was rebuilt, particularly in the chancels. New pews were created, reusing some of the wood from the older ones they replaced. Many of the windows were preserved or restored, including the beautiful East window, and others were introduced.
A fascinating story of nineteenth-century murder and treachery surrounds Oddingley church. To delve a little way into this darker aspect of the church’s history, read on about the Oddingley Murders
... AND SO TO THE ACTUAL CACHE: Once in the churchyard, the waypointed grave co-ordinates take you to the grave of Revd. Charles Tookey. He was born on February 10th ABCD. He died on March 16th EFGH. (Looking at the church from the car park, the grave is towards the left hand side and around the 'back' of the church).
The final location can be found at N52 A(A+H).(C-H)B(F-E) / W002 0(G-A).(H+H)DH
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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***CONGRATULATIONS TO STARLEMUSIQUE ON A FIRST TO FIND***