Dorset Towns #3: Christchurch Town Tour Multi-Cache
DaBeEm: Think its time to let this go - free up some space! Thanks to everyone for finding.
Dorset Towns #3: Christchurch Town Tour
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Another in our series of urban tours.
Dominated by the 900-year-old Norman priory church which gave the town its name, the ancient borough of Christchurch can trace its origins back to much earlier eras with an Iron Age fortified settlement on Hengistbury Head and reputed Roman occupation of Purewell and St Catherine's Hill.
By the time of the Norman invasion Twynham, as it became known, was a thriving township on the fringe of the New Forest, with a natural sheltered harbour giving access to the trade routes of the English Channel and the River Avon navigable as far as Salisbury.
Started in 1094, building of the monastic Priory continued throughout the middle ages which saw the town, renamed Christchurch, prosper as a centre of healing and education based around the wealth and influence of the church.
While the Priors were banished and the trappings of Catholic monasticism stripped during the dissolution of Henry VIII, the townsfolk were able to keep their parish church - the longest in the country and larger than some cathedrals.
In the 19th century Christchurch was a centre for the manufacture of fusee chains using children from the town's workhouse to make the tiny links for watches but it was engineering on a larger scale which brought fame to the borough in the 20th century as the birthplace of the Bailey Bridge during World War II.
This cache involves multiple virtual points leading to a final micro cache. The cache does not contain a pen, so bring your own. Please be careful not to damage the cache container (you'll see what we mean). The cache site may get busy at some times so be discreet.
To get the final co-ords you need to visit all of the sites below, not necessarily in the order given. The co-ords given are for the priory, not the cache. The points are on three roads, and the quay.
Quay (on a bench near to the bandstand): Kenneth L. Smith, major of Christchurch, 1907 - 19c7.
Quay (Place Mill): This was valued at b0 shillings a year by the Domesday Survey of 1086
Bridge Street (plaque): Romney Green, Master craftsman who lived and worked here. 1872 - 19a5.
Castle Street (plaque): Benjamin Ferrey. No. of 8s in the dates of his life = g
High Street: (Various plaques):
Oldest surviving inn in town first mentioned in records in 1f30
Regent Centre was built in 19**- the 1st * minus the 2nd * = d Note: this plaque has now gone!! So the Regent Centre was built in 1931, 3 minus 1, therefore d=2
Town Hall was originally built in 17e6.
FINAL CO-ORDS = N50° ab.cdb W001° ef.bcg
9th December 2007 - cache container changed to a small from a micro, after it had gone missing again. It is hidden under ivy and leaves so please make sure it is well covered when replacing. Thanks.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
nccebk 2 srrg oruvaq n 9.
Treasures
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