Harecastle Hideaway Multi-Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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The first Harecastle canal tunnel was completed in 1777 by James Brindley, to relieve congestion a second parallel tunnel was added by Thomas Telford in 1827. These tunnels were cut through 2,897 yards of Harecastle Hill and link Kidsgrove and Tunstall on the Trent and Mersey canal. It is said that Brindley's tunnel is so straight that if you stand at one end of it, you can clearly see the light at the other end approximately 1.75 miles away.
Today, only the tunnel built by Telford is still in use. This is due to the mining subsidence around the original tunnel forcing its closure. The area is also known for its distinctive orange-tinted water in the canal, which is caused by minerals rather than pollution.
The cache is located somewhere between the North and South portals of the tunnel.
You will need to visit both portals (in any order) and use information from each to calculate the cache co-ordinates.
The North portal is at: N53 05.077 W002 14.657
On the Canal & River Trust building there are three plaques, two blue and one black.
Find the back plaque, the first date is NNNN
The South portal is located at N53 03.777 W002 13.596
In what year was the replacement milepost placed? SSSS
The cache is now a small plastic container located at N53 04.(NNNN - 1552) W002 14.(SSSS – 1659)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Zbffl ebpx haqre urqtr