To log this cache, take a photograph which MUST include eithier yourself; part of your body or your caching name on a piece of paper, and MUST include the monument, and then upload it to the cache page. There are no questions to answer or tasks to complete on-site, but we would be grateful for a 'Fav-Point' !
The 'Bodmin Beacon' is a rounded hill lying in a prominent position in the centre of the town of Bodmin. At its highest point it reaches 162m with a distinctive landmark at its peak; the 44m monument to Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert built in 1857
General Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert was born in Bodmin in 1785 He was a descendant of the Elizabethan seaman Sir Humphry Gilbert, as well as being named after another even more famous seafarer of the past. At the age of fifteen he became a cadet in the Bengal Infantry. He eventually rose to the rank of major-general and became a national hero following his conquests in Northern India. He was the only army officer whose portrait appeared on an army medal, apart from the Duke of Wellington. In later years, he was the Chief Constable of the County of Cornwall and a retired Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Artillery and served with the 1st Cornwall Artillery Volunteers.
The 144 feet high memorial to him was funded and erected by the citizens of Bodmin, and stands on the hill overlooking the town. The accounts of Gilbert’s Sikh and Afghan campaigns are written on the four sides of the base. The days of empire are long past and these days the colonisers are no longer celebrated. However, General Gilbert has this lasting memorial in his own home town.
From the base of the monument, there are 360 degree views taking in Bodmin Moor, Helman Tor and Castle-an-Dinas. To the South of the base of the monumnet, there is a disused Cornish Wrestling Circle, which was used continuously from the 13th century up until the 1960's, and was re-instigated in 2010. Through a gateway 120 yards away is a disused underground bunker, which was used by the Royal Observer Corps, from 1961 to 1992. This bunker was used for aircraft observation and when demolished, the surface features were collasped into the shaft and the monitoring room still exsists below the surface.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.