Local Knowledge
Whitesheet Hill has a long and deep history from the mesolithic hunter gatherers who were using the area through to the nuclear age. At the western end - a Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure. There are only about 60 of these in the country (Knap Hill being another), it has a single causewayed ditch and it sits out on the spur of the hills. It could be 5000 years old. There are Bronze age barrows half way along the down (mind the reckless model plane fliers here!) At the far east end of Whitesheet Hill is a pretty small Iron age site. It really is an ancient landscape and was important as a place even 8000 years ago.
Present day, there is a abandoned Royal Observer Corps Nuclear Bunker which opened in July 1965 and was closed in September 1991. An aerial mounting on the ventilation shaft indicates this was a master post. The green paint is flaking badly and the hatch has been welded shut.
This cache will take you on a bit of a walk over the hilltops and can be a bit exposed on a winters day, but on a clear day from Whitesheet Hill you can see South Cadbury Hill and Glastonbury Tor in the distance to the west. When you've finished the walk try a well earned pint at the Red Lion, co-ordinates are N.51.06.998 W.002.18.354.
Parking
N51º 06.831 W002º 17.428
- Plenty of parking spaces can be found here. The whole area is part of the National Trust, including this large carpark - free of charge. To get here take the single track lane at the Red Lion pub. This runs from the main road(B3092) up towards the hills. If you want to try going up the hill you can drive up to the top - drive slowly and carefully, there is a range of enormous potholes to park in. Don't follow the track down the other side - unless you're in a landrover! and can cope with off-road terrain.
Waypoint 1
N51º 06.683 W002º 16.785
- From the carpark follow the trail up past the Neolithic settlement, across the ridge to the Iron Age Fort. Here you'll find the first digits required to locate the cache proper. You are looking for a 4 digit number preceeded with the letter S. Use this number as follows: Sa22b
Waypoint 2
N51º 06.851 W002º 16.968
Again you are after numbers.
- What was the Year Lord Stourton was Hung'? Use this number as follows: (c)55(d)
- The phone number to call for more information? Use this number as follows: 01747 efghij
Main Cache
Using the letters you gathered generate the location of the final cache. The cache is a small ammo tin painted black at:
N51º 0(b-a).(e+g)(a)(g)
W002º cd.(h)(e)(f-g)
