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Ancient Health Suite Traditional Cache

Hidden : 11/9/2006
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Cache site is in a Cul-de-sac on Melyd Ave, off Meliden road Prestatyn. Look out for the Brown Tourist sign on main road (Meliden road). Easily missed little side road. Drive up to cache, parking nearby. The owners of the adjacent property are aware of the cache and know to be tolerant of 'strange' people acting 'furtively'.

The bath-house was built in about AD 120 and extended in about AD 150. It had a cold plunge-bath at the far end which was fed by a local spring by means of a timber aqueduct. The floors and roof were made with tiles transported all the way from the workshops of the 20th Legion at Holt near Wrexham, over 40 miles to the south-east, and may have been built by legionary masons. Some of these tiles, stamped with the legend LEG XX VV and their symbol of a wild boar, may be seen in situ to this day.
The site was excavated over successive seasons by Smith and Newstead until work ceased with the coming of the Second World War.
There things lay until 1984-5 when re-excavation of the bath house and surrounding area was undertaken by the Clwyd-Powis Archaeological Trust. Their work revealed part of a civilian settlement established shortly after AD 70. Samian Ware pottery discovered here indicates an occupation during the second century and there is evidence that the site continued to be occupied until the late 3rd or early 4th century AD.
Apart from the stone bath-house all the other excavated buildings were of timber. Preservation of organic remains was good because of waterlogging, and in some cases parts the timbers of the Roman buildings had been preserved.
Tantalising evidence also exists for the presence of other, more imposing stone buildings yet to be discovered within the settlement, in the form of fragments of stone columns and column bases which have been found in the immediate vicinity.
Once their work was finished, the bath house and its immediate surroundings were consolidated and landscaped by Rhuddlan Borough Council and opened to the public, much as we are privileged to see it to this day.
Once today's visitor has managed to find the site- there currently being little in the way of signposting- they cannot fail to be charmed by the compact remains set within a small landscaped park, and grateful to those responsible for its preservation.

Hope you enjoy the local site and this Roman History lesson.


Please bring a Pencil, thank you.
sign initials, cheers

Congratulation's to Mancunian Pyrocacher, Dolly Girl and 4PawDrive who was the 1st to find this Geocache on 10/11/06.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Nf lbh ragre gur tngr tb evtug gb gur evtug unaq jbbqra srapr naq purpx oruvaq gur 6” k 2” (arne gur pbeare) hcevtug svaq gur ubbx/pnpur ng gur erne.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)