This is the first part of a three-cache multi, based around two
pretty churches in the Pirbright and Worplesdon area of Surrey. The
first are two micro-caches which each contain half the co-ordinates
to the main cache nearby. The caches are listed as Church Trail
Part One, Part Two and Part Three.
Once the full set of co-ordinates have been gathered and the
main cache found, we will give £10 to the charity of choice of the
person who first logs their find.
This cache is a small plastic container hidden near St Mary’s
church, Worplesdon.
History
From The Worplesdon Parish website: “Worplesdon Parish church is
dedicated to St Mary and mentioned in 1086, in the Surrey Survey of
the Domesday Book. The oldest part, the Chantry Chapel (where the
organ currently stands), is not later than the 11th century.
Nothing Norman now remains above ground unless it be the very rough
masonry visible at the west end of both aisles. It is probable that
a round apse is hidden under the foundations of the 13th century
Chancel; it is not on the same axis as the Nave, which suggests a
re-building at an early date, when the Chancel was also
lengthened.
After the Church is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, two
hundred years of silence follow until "Ladereyne de Valoynes"
releases the advowson of Worplesdon Church to Sir John de Cobham in
1292 - though we know that James de Cobham was already Rector of
Worplesdon in 1282, when he was granted license to study in Paris.
He was presented by John de Cobham. The advowson remained with the
Cobham family, and his descendants (with the exception of the King
in 1398) until the attainder of Henry, Lord Cobham in 1603. After
that the advowson passed into the possession of the Crown, which
retained the patronage until 1693, when it was exchanged for
Petworth, which belonged to Eton College. Worplesdon thus became
vested in Eton, and remains so still.
The parish was at one time part of Windsor Great Forest, in King
John's reign, which at one time extended as far as the Guildford
boundaries.”
The website (www.worplesdonparish.com) contains a
great deal of detail about the features and architecture of the
church, which may be of interest prior to visiting.
The Cache
Off-road parking is available outside the church, which is
located off the A322 opposite Coombe Lane. The cache is hidden just
outside the church grounds, not within the churchyard. GPS signal
can fluctuate a little near the cache location due to the
overhanging trees, but should point you in the right direction. If
you really get stuck, the clue below reveals the location of the
cache.
Please take a pen and paper to write down the co-ordinates
contained in the cache... do not remove the original!