Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford (13 May 1788 - 14 May 1861) - Marquess of Tavistock 1802 - 1839
My grandparents would have witnessed much of the "modernisation of that time" achieved by this man.
Look at all of the buildings around you, down to this one man. A Whig politician and peer, who created extensive building projects funded by 19th Century mining wealth.
He paid for the construction of the current Town Hall (the large building to your left in front of the square), and the Pannier Market . All achieved by clearing away the slums and providing newly built cottages for the inhabitants. These cottages are still here, so stood the test of time. To the right of the statue is a range of public buildings including a police station (my Dads workplace during WW2), a fire station and most imposing the Guildhall.
To claim a find on this cache you need to:
1. Take a photo of the back of the Statue.
2. There are 3 benches behind you. What is the surname on the silver plaque on the middle bench. Send a message via my profile on the cache page.
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.