Braunston Tunnel Multi-cache
Roy_Beasley: Now taken out of service.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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An easy walk of just over 2 miles along a canal towpath (that's 2 miles along the path and 2 miles back again!), followed by a climb of about 150 feet where the public footpath goes over the top of the tunnel. Parking at the start location given above.
Park up at the start location. You'll be crossing over the busy A45 so take care, especially if you have small people in your party. However, before you cross the road, make a note of the number on the nearby street lamp. It's a two digit number.
Write them down here AB= _________
Cross over the road and down onto the towpath. Follow it, crossing the footbridge over the Oxford canal until you get to N52°17.340 W001°12.955. What is the number of this bridge?
Write it down here CD= _________
Continue along the towpath to N52°17.302 W001°12.699
where you can find some information about a family of boatmen who spent their "retirement" here at Braunston. Find the year that the coal trade to London ceased - 197E - and the year that Arthury Bray was born - 19F5.
Write the answers here E= _________, F= _________
You might like to have a look around the marina while you are here.
Continue on to N52°17.351 W001°12.028 and note the number of the bridge.
Write it here G= _________
Have a look at the pumphouse building as you pass. This used to house a steam engine that was used to pump water from the bottom of the flight of locks back up to the top, thus recycling the water. Usual canal practice was to have a large reservoir to keep the system "topped up", but this pump reduced the amount of water needed.
Continue along to N52°17.296 W001°11.810 where you may like to pause at the Admiral Nelson for refreshment - Just watch out for the ghostly figure that is said to walk straight through the wall into the adjoining Nelson Cottage!
Here you will also find an information board that tells you a little more about the history of this stretch of canal, and the tunnel that is just a short distance further East. It says that the locks here are HJ feet 6 inches wide.
Write down the answer here HJ= _________
Continue on to the tunnel entrance at N52°17.073 W001°11.090 and check out the commemorative plaque on the wall. The tunnel was officially opened at 2pm on 2K June 1796, and the plaque was officially unveiled almost exactly 200 years later at 2pm on 1L June 1996.
Write down the answers here K= _________, L= _________
The location of the cache is given by entering the
numbers you have picked up along the way into this matrix:
N52° (HJ+B).(EFE)
W001° (C+D).(LKA)
You are looking for a 1 litre plastic container. When first placed, it contained a few Geocaching.com goodies (lanyard, mini compass), a dice keyring and a log book and pencil. I also released the The Narrowboat Travel Bug. Please be sure to reseal the lid properly, to keep the contents dry.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gur pnpur vf nobhg sbhe zrgerf Rnfg bs gur jbbqra znexre cbfg, uvqqra haqre gur urqtr ba gur Fbhgu fvqr bs gur genpx.