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We are often told (correctly, if somewhat ideologically), that geocaches should take us to somewhere "interesting", and not simply be placed just for the sake of it. The aim of this series is to try and adhere to this ideal by basing caches around details given on an Interpretation Board about the area in which it is situated. By definition, it is hoped that this information will be "interesting", and will help the cacher discover things about the area that would often not be revealed by a traditional cache.
I came across this spot by chance when I was looking for a place to hide the cache container for the Oxenhall Church Micro. I parked in the lane and thought it looked interesting so walked down the footpath to check it out.
It is so lovely and of historical interest, so I thought I would hide a cache down here too. I hope you agree it is worth bringing you here to show you this.
Oxenhall Cottage and Lock
The lock was originally constructed in 1795, but as a result of the Canal Company’s finances, the cottage alongside was not constructed until 1838. This section of canal was not destroyed by the construction of the railway in 1881, as the railway diverged from the line of canal just below in order to avoid the need for a tunnel on the route to Ledbury.
Following closure in 1881, the lock gradually filled with silt and debris, and trees grew alongside, their roots causing considerable damage to the lock walls and the overspill channel than ran beneath the cottage and past the lock.
In 1996, the owner of both the cottage and the lock gifted the entire section of canal including the cottage, lock and aqueduct, to the Trust. In 1998, the lock cottage alongside House Lock was sold by the Trust, and then sympathetically restored to its original appearance by the new owner.
Further information can be found on this website http://www.h-g-canal.org.uk/html/Restoration/Oxenhall/Oxenhall.html
Further north along the canal is the Oxenhall Tunnel, in which the 5/5 cache called Hippos Below is placed. I have done this cache twice now because it is so brilliant, therefore I obviously recommend it.
The Cache
At the posted co-ordinates, you will find a big information board. To locate the cache, find the answers to the following questions:
Q1: How many members did the Trust have in excess of in 1998? = ABC
Q2: At what time on 20th February 1998 did water flow over the Byweir again? = D:EFpm
The cache, a small screw top pot in a camo bag, can be found at:
N 51° 56.(D-C)(A-E)(B-F) W 002° 25.(F-D-E)(B+E)(A-F)
Checksum - A+B+C+D+E+F=22
I hope that you find this an interesting variation on the caching experience. For a full list of all FYI caches in the series, please go to https://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?code=BM4RZ8H For more details of the FYI series as a whole, you can visit the dedicated website at fyigeocaching.co.uk where you will also find details of how to place your own FYI cache (I'm sure you know of some interesting Interpretation Boards in your area!)