Ghosts at Goodrich Mystery Cache
The Blorenges: Thanks to all who've visited this one over the years. We went and collected the cache container today and it was still in great condition considering how many years it's been in place. Archiving because we no longer do much geocaching, this one has had a good life, and fewer geocachers bother to do mystery caches these days. We continue to maintain our other caches which are nearer to our home.
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As evenings become darker, the wind rustles the crisp leaves and we invite you to solve the coordinates of our ghostly cache. The cache is close to Goodrich castle and the 2 mile walk will be enjoyable throughout the year. It is suitable for older children (not buggies) but parents should be aware that it is close to the river where there are steep banks. Please note that the River Wye floods 3 or 4 times annually and the path may be inaccessible at these times.
A doomed love-story is closely linked with Goodrich Castle. Alice Birch, the niece of a Parliamentarian colonel was in love with Charles Clifford, a Royalist. She had eloped with her lover and was hiding at Goodrich Castle, when in 1645, the Parliamentarians led by her uncle, Colonel Birch, besieged Goodrich Castle. On a stormy night she and Clifford escaped from the castle on horse back, but in attempting to avoid the enemy lines, missed the ford and drowned in the river Wye. Their ghosts are now said to haunt the castle and to this day, on the anniversary of their death each year, people claim to have seen a horse with two riders drowning in the river. Please don’t try hunting this cache in the dark or you too could come to a watery end!
To find the cache coordinates you’ll have to answer some ghostly questions….
In which play does Banquo’s ghost appear?
Number of letters in the name = A
In which year was the first Rolls Royce Silver Ghost put on show to the public?
_ _ _ _ = B C D E
Where would you be most likely to see Miss Wilmott’s Ghost? Choose your answer:
Either "in a children’s novel" F = 6
Or "on stage in a magic trick" F = 2
Or "in a garden" F = 3
Who wrote the book “The Ghost in the Machine” in 1967?
Number of letters in the surname = G
Caldicot Castle in Monmouthshire has a ghostly lady, but what colour is she?
Number of letters in the colour = H
When you’ve found all the numbers use them to solve these equations to get the cache coordinates:
N51° (H+B) (C-G) . (E+F) G D
W2° (A-H) (C-F) . (F+H)(C-G)(H-D)
RECOMMENDED PARKING at Bishopswood Village Hall (the coordinate of this cache page) where there are picnic tables, public conveniences, and the start of your path. Total walking distance about 2 miles. Please note that the car park gates are locked at dusk.
Alternatively, if you wish to visit the castle (and have a much longer walk!) use Goodrich Castle car park where there are light refreshments, public conveniences and picnic tables.
We thank COPPETT HILL COMMON TRUST for kindly giving us permission to place this cache on their land: Please observe their request that no vehicles should park on the unclassified road between Goodrich village and Welsh Bicknor.
The original contents of the cache have a ghostly theme: A Silver Ghost Rolls Royce, ghost earrings, Creepy book, flashing ghost brooch, ghost tie that wails nicely, Ghost perfume sample, Goodrich postcards, log book and pen.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Hc fybcr sebz gur cngu – Gvzore!