This cache is now archived as I've moved to live in a
different area and nobody I've talked to was interested in adopting
it. The winner of the lottery that was set up in this cache was
Deep Digging Mole - should he accept the prize, it's a Binatone
DECT cordless phone.
The cache is a multi-cache in that you will need to go to 8
locations to solve some clues to generate the final cache location.
It can be tackled in three ways. Either all done on foot from the
station or in stages by car (free parking is available nearby
almost all clues both on street and in car parks). Alternatively,
the majority of the course is suitable for cycling, but be aware
that the last section is a public footpath and you may need to
leave the bike at a nearby stile. Please note that the final cache
will still require some of walking and relatively steep uphill
gradients.
The final location will be sited at:
| N51° |
A |
B. |
C |
D |
E |
E000° |
F |
G. |
H |
J |
K |
| N51º |
2 |
|
|
|
|
E000º |
2 |
|
|
|
|
Snodland has quite a history. There is evidence that there was
Bronze Age activity as well as a Roman Villa (complete with mosaic)
and a saxon burial. The name probably derives from a person (Snod?)
from the saxon era. The earliest record of the town's existance
dates to 838, giving the name Snoddingland.
Until the 19th century, it was a largely agrigultural village,
but the arrival of the aggregate industry, making use of the chalk
and sandy land caused the population to explode. There are still
concrete factories along the Medway today and a new large one is
planned to be built just outside the town in the future by Blue
Circle (Lafarge).
Location: N51°19.806 E0°26.896: The railway came to
Snodland in 1859, causing the population of the town to treble
between 1861 and 1881. Up until very recently the station had its
own signal box to control the level crossing and semaphore signals,
but these signals are currently being decommissioned. For much of
its life, the little station house has served the station well, but
in recent years has seen a different use.
Where once you bought tickets you now buy curry. The answer is
in the number 2G5762.
Location: N51°19.783 E0°26.975: A slight detour to a
place of worship.All Saints church is one of the churches that
would have been visited by pilgrims following the Pilgrim's Way
track from Winchester to Caterbury. The nearby river Medway would
have been crossed nearby via a ferry which ran until 1960.
Nearby can be seen paper factory, one of several in the
region.
The Pilgrim's shell was placed on A.D. ???D
Location: N51°19.799 E0°26.587: GR - but which one? The
answer will give J.
This is the heart of Snodland. Not far from here at the
crossroads you can look to the north and see Snodland's clock
tower, the town's most prominent landmark. This used to be the
home of Medway Film Studios until the War intervened in 1939. Today
only the clock survives.
Location: N51°19.825 E0°26.486: A sport where newton's
laws of motion are relied upon. This place has a dominant number
both phone and street. This reveals C.
Location: N51°19.850 E0°26.403: To reveal
H, find out the second digit
in Clara's date of birth.
This location reveals the era when the majority of the housing
in this region of Snodland was built, when people came from all
over the country to work in the new concrete works. As you move
further on, you'll pass the oldest house in the village to your
right. To your left you'll see the more recent face of Snodland,
which was built between the 1970s to the late 1980s. Snodland is
today a commuter village with links to both rail and major
roads.
Location: N51°19.919 E0°26.066: K is the number of basketball hoops in this
playground - but count carefully as it's an odd number!
Location: N51°19.993 E0°25.011:Be careful on your way
to this location whether you walk or drive - people seem to drive
down this country lane as if they're the only ones ever using
it.
Another place of worship, though now closed. This is St.
Benedict's, a Norman church, which served the lost village of
Paddlesworth. When the plague ravaged through the surrounding
countryside, entire villages such as the one that existed here
where wiped out of existence almost overnight. The wooden houses
were soon lost but lone churches still stand as a testament to the
lost souls.
Years afterwords, it served an ajoining mannor and agricultural
settlement though by the 1800s it was only in use as a barn. Since
then it has been restored and is once again a consecrated
building.
Today, the church is maintained by the Churches Conservation
Trust. It's open most weekends and a key can be obtained from
Paddlesworth Farm when it's closed. It's worth a visit if you're
interested in church architecture and have the time.
Should there be an emergency, a number is provided -
E09336 adds to our quest.
Location: N51°20.360 E0°25.086: If you were driving to
the clue locations, this is the time to get your walking boots on.
You can either walk to the next location from St Benedict's church,
though the parking isn't ideal there. Prefferably you can go back
to the car park near to the park and recreation ground where a
public footpath leads around behind the cemetery.
The clue is on a bench, but not the sit down kind. Take the
second digit from the last digit of the year it was placed to
reveal B.
You should now have all the digits to reveal the location of the
cache.
The cache is an average sized tupperware container wrapped in
some neutral coloured plastic bags. Contents when placed: Box of
blank CDs, Playing Cards, Highlighter pens, colouring pens, Percy
the Penguin TB
Please take care in hiding the cache. It's close enough
to the path to be visible to passers by if not covered
correctly.
Penguin's Lotto
As well as the usual contents, you'll find a sheet containing
some numbered tabs. This is Penguin's Lotto (actually it's more of
a raffle than a lotto!). Take a tab and write your geocaching name
next to the tab you've claimed. When all tabs have been taken, I'll
pull a number out of a hat and the person who signed next to that
number will be presented with a bonus prize! Don't forget to let us
know in your log entry which tab you took - that way we'll have a
permanent record even if the cache gets muggled.
Last Modified: 2nd April 2006