Westcott is a small village to the west of Aylesbury - often
overshadowed by the larger village of Waddesdon to the east. It is
perhaps most famous for RAF Westcott, which housed the OTU
(operational training unit) for the Royal Ordnance. After being
well used throughout WWII and well into the 90s, the base was
finally converted into a venture park for businesses in 1995.
An archaeological survey recently performed in the village found
evidence of a settlement as far back as medieval times. There is
also limited evidence of Roman activity in the area. The medieval
structural evidence is set well back from the road now known as the
High Street, suggesting that the layout of the village has changed.
Other sources such as the position of the original church and
remains of house platforms east of the village support this theory.
It appears that the main road through the village originally ran
North - South.
Find each of the micro caches. Inside each is the coordinates to
the next micro and some numbers you will need to find the final
cache.
The coordinates above take you the first micro. Park anywhere along
the road.
1st micro - Station
House
Opposite the first micro is Station House, a stop on the tram line
that ran from Oxford to Aylesbury. You can still see the old
station shed - the tracks used to run behind you, along the road
towards where the Venture Park is now. Since the line's closure,
the main house has been extended. The line would have run through
the left side of the house.
See this website for
more interesting information.
Inside the micro are coordinates to location 2...
|
The original booking office, then and now. |
2nd micro - The White
Swan
Near to the second coordinates are the remains of the village pub.
In 2003, it was discovered that the pub had been sold to housing
developers. The pub had been open on the same site since 1934, and
was closed in Autumn 2002.
A dozen locals turned up at the parish council meeting when the
plans to develop the site were submitted. In April 2003, letters
were written to MPs and flyers were distributed to prevent the
sale.
Unfortunately the sale went ahead and the pub was quickly
demolished. All that is left is the pub sign, as shown in the photo
to the right.
Inside the micro are coordinates to location 3...
|
The pub, as it was in 2002, and as it is
now. |
3rd micro - St Mary's
Church
On the way to the next micro, you walk past the village tap. Up
until 1942 this standpipe provided the only fresh water in the
village.
Just around the corner is the local school and next to it, St
Mary's Church. This was opened in 1867 by the Lord Bishop of
Oxford. It was designed by GE Street, a famous architect who also
designed Bristol Cathedral and the Royal Courts of Justice in
London. [more info]
The exterior walls are made of bluestone - a local material from
the nearby village of Blackthorn.
Inside this micro are coordinates to location 4...
|
The village tap, and St Mary's Church |
4th micro - Westcott
Venture Park
The No. 11 OTU (operational training unit) moved to Westcott in
1942. Training bomber crews on Lancaster and Wellingtons, they
provided a vital service during World War 2. Using planes such as
the Hercules Wellington, they also performed leaflet drops into
occupied France.
Since early 1943, bombers were diverted here when returning from
operations. Early on the 5th of April, Westcott played the role of
host to the famous 617 Squadron (The Dambusters), when 18
Lancasters landed from Toulouse.
An abrupt change came in May 1945 when Westcott became the
reception airfield for receiving repatriated Allied prisioners of
war. Seven Dakotas landed on May 3rd with the first load.
After the war, RAF Westcott's useful days were far from over. In
April 1946, German advances in rocket technology led to a 'guided
projectile establishment' to be set up here. The site, then owned
by Royal Ordnance, continued to be a popular location for rocket
motor research and testing for many years to come.
In 1987, Royal Ordnance plc was sold to British Aerospace, and in
1989 they moved most of their rocket motor activity to
Kidderminster.
In 1995, it was recognised that the site was being underused, and
so British Aerospace decided to launch it as a venture park.
|
These pictures date from the same time. Notice the buildings
and roads in the site plan of RAF Westcott ... and the rolling
fields and countryside shown on the aerial
photo! |
You should now have all the numbers necessary to find the final
cache. Follow the footpath to the Venture Park access road and turn
left - back towards the first micro. The cache location is not far
away...
|
Since we are in the middle of the football World Cup, all the
original contents of the cache are football related. Please try to
replace with similar items if possible. The cache originally
contained:
- Log book
- Pencil and sharpener
- England flag, badge and pen
- Football keyring
- England team media guide
- Bouncy ball
- Football scratchcard
- Foreign coins
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