A simple offset multi based around the Church of St James the Great, in Slapton village. Please note that parking is extremely limited in the village. Recommended parking is given as a Waypoint. You will need to walk to retrieve the cache, which offers a good view of the church, Chantry tower and the village. Please do not drive to the final location.
The roads in the village are very narrow, so please take care with children and dogs!
Slapton is a village located in the South Hams in Devon and was recorded in the Doomsday Book as Sladone. The Church of St James dates from the late 13th Century, or early 14th Century, and is a Grade 1 listed building.
The Parish Church of St James had its first Rector in 1274-5, and the altar was dedicated in 1318 by Bishop Stapledon. The chancel has been dated to this time. However, a Collegiate Chantry was founded in 1372 next door to the Parish Church, and the church then lapsed into poverty, with its tithes being appropriated to the Chantry, one of whose priests was appointed to the church. Chantry colleges were establishments of priests whose main role was to offer masses for the souls of the patron (in this case Sir Guy de Brian) and his family. It also housed the "deserving poor and elderly" and provided an educational facility for local children. The college at Slapton is one of only four chantry colleges in the South West. The college was dissovled in 1547, in the reign of Henry VIII, following the suppression of the monasteries. The remains of the Chantry Tower can be seen opposite the church.
Following the dissolution of the college, the church underwent repairs and adaptations over the centuries, and was restored in 1905 at a cost of £1000. There are some impressive carved wooden screens inside the church, and the benches in the nave, south aisle and choir date to the mid/late 19th Century. It is well worth a look inside during your visit.
To find the cache:
The headline coordinates take you to the War Memorial.
At the War Memorial:
1. How many men died in WW1? = A
2. How many men died in WW2? = B
Virtual Waypoint 2:
Find the Memorial to John Stabb. Convert the dates to "normal" numbers.
3. Year of death = CDEF
4. Age at death = GH
Checksum of answers = 36
The cache can be found at:
N50 17.F(A-H)(B/E). W003 39.G(D-E)(D-E-C)
If you would like to add to the Church Micro series yourself then please look here
http://churchmicro.co.uk/
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page that can be found at
http://www.15ddv.me.uk/geo/cm/index.html