The geocache
involves a stroll through Baldock’s past, followed by a short drive
and walk out into the surrounding country in search of the cache.
To find the cache you must collect dates from plaques on various
buildings which enable you to not only find the next building with
a dated plaque but also the coordinates of the final cache.
The first reference
to the town of Baldock is to Baldoce in 1135-54 and
The Place-names of Hertfordshire records that "This
town was founded by the Knights Templars in the 12th century as
shown in the statement in Dugdale 'in qua terra ipsi construxerunt
burgum qui dicitur Baudac.' Baldac is the Old French form
for Baghdad (Italian Baldacco), and Skeat rightly suggested
that the place was named by the Templars after the Arabian
city.
The parish church,
dedicated to St. Mary, was built by the Knights Templars, and
nearly rebuilt in the early part of the fifteenth century.
For those arriving
by car there is ample parking at the coordinates at the top of the
page.
Clue
1 : N51o 59.122
W000o 11.146
The building was
once the Kayser Bondor factory, built with a large park, a vast
facade build in a faux Romano-Egyptian style and an open swimming
pool that faced onto the high street from the top of an embankment.
In the 1980s it was bought by Tesco's to become a supermarket. They
retained the façade of the building built the supermarket
behind.
The number of
circular arches on the front of the building is A. Use this to
locate clue 2.
Clue 2
: N51o 59.2((A+4)*8) W000o
11.2(3*(A+8))
Mr John Wynn was the benefactor in 16B1 for
the magnificent Alms Houses used to house twelve aged widows. Use B
to locate clue 3.
Clue
3 : N51o 59.(B+1)6(2*B+2)
W000o
11.(B+1)2(B-1)
The commemoration stone was laid in 18C7. Use
C to locate clue 4.
Clue
4 : N51o 59.(4*C-1)7
W000o
11.(4*C+2)0
The pupils of Grove House School commemorate
over a century of service in 19D1. Use D to locate clue 5.
Clue
5 : N51o 59.(8*D+1)4
W000o 11.37D
The building was awarded a NHDC award in 197E.
Use E to locate clue 6.
Clue
6 : N51o 59.((E-2)*A*B*E+4)
W000o 11.1(E-1)7
Raban Court was
built circa 1F40. Use A, B, E and F to
find clue 7.
Clue
7 : N51o
59.(A*B*(E-1)*(F+1)+3) W000o 11.(51*F)
This building was awarded an NHDC award in
19G9. Use C, D and G to locate clue 8.
Clue
8 : N51 o 59.C*C*(D-1) W000
o 11.(31*(G+1))
The clock at this location was erected for 50
years of Rotary Service in the community from 19HJ.
The cache can be found a short drive away
at
N51 o
58.B(D+1)(F-1) W 000
o09.(A-1)CG
There is ample parking for the cache
at
N51o58.454 W
000o09.094.