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This cache is a tribute to one of my favourite authors, who was inspired by this area of London.
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Crouch End is a short horror story by Stephen King, originally published in 1980 in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, and republished in a slightly different version in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection.
The cache is not at the headline coords, which are for the old Hornsey police station. This is where the story begins: “Outside the Crouch End police station, Tottenham Lane was a small dead river. London was asleep… but London never sleeps deeply, and its dreams are uneasy.” An American woman visits the police station to report her missing husband, who disappeared in mysterious circumstances. It turns out that Crouch End is on a ‘thin spot’ where dimensions merge and otherworldly horrors can cross over.
The short story was inspired by King’s real-life visit to Crouch End to see his friend Peter Straub in mid-October 1977. Apparently he had trouble following the directions and got lost on the way there.
Photo: Stephen King in Crouch End.
In the story, the route taken by the characters is described as follows:
"The route to their friend‘s house looked pretty straightforward. Crouch Hill Road to Hillfield Avenue, and then a left onto Vickers Lane followed by a left onto Petrie Street. Brass End, which stuck off from Petrie Street like somebody‘s afterthought, was no more than six or eight houses long. About a mile, all told. Even Americans should have been able to walk that far without getting lost."
(Most of these are not real streets in Crouch End, otherwise my original idea for this cache would have been to follow the route they took).
About the old Police Station
Built in 1884, the police station in Tottenham Lane originally formed part of a complex of civic buildings including a fire station and library. It was closed in March 2021 to save money, and is to be converted into housing, providing 29 homes. I believe they are planning to keep the building exterior intact however.
The Puzzle
To find the cache, you will need to solve this puzzle to get the final coordinates. N51 W 0 can be assumed.
Bat
Dog
Elephant
Shardik-Hare
Horse-Fish
Wolf
Wolf-Garuda
Maturin
Rat
Update 5-3-26: Since people have reported conflicting sources, this is the source I used.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
The cache is a Letterbox hybrid and so there is a (somewhat themed) stamp inside, this should remain in the cache.
According to information online the final location is open 24/7, I would recommend going in daylight hours however.
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This cache is one of two in a mini-series themed around fiction stories that include a real London location where something of importance to the plot occurs. The other is GCAJGTG. I might add more entries to the series at some point.
Update: There are now many entries in the series - check the full list.
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