We believe this to be the first Geocaching Trail which has achieved sponsorship from a local geocaching company, (NE Geocaching Supplies) working together with a local authority.
The Geocaching Trail should be completed with the optional Trail booklet (otherwise you might need to do some internet research prior to starting the Trail). Heritage Trail booklets are produced by Darlington Borough Council and are available free of charge at the Public Library on Crown Street and the Town Hall Reception on Feethams. Alternatively a PDF can be downloaded at:
http://www.darlington.towntalk.co.uk/trail/
We hope you like our heritage trail. We’ve enjoyed researching it and hope you'll enjoy discovering Darlington’s heritage - we did! On the trail you’ll learn historical facts about Darlington (some that might surprise you!) and visit both hidden and the more popular areas of Darlington.
Please take care with traffic but remember to look up above ground floor level to see some lovely buildings. We bet you’ve missed them in the past!
Please use the map which can be found in the middle pages of the booklet together with the “coin” markers embedded in the pavement (about every 50-100 paces) to walk the trail. Some of the names of things to see refer to former buildings but we tell you where to look!
The clock tower on the coins points in the direction you need to take. Silver coloured coins mean stay on the route (straight on). When you see a gold coloured coin, pay attention, it means you have to turn left or right – again, the clock tower will point the way.
Look out for the silver coloured wall plaques too, which tell you what there is to see in each area. Then, when you’ve finished, why not also try the easy quiz at the end of the guide just for fun!
For those cachers completing the Trail we have a special graphic which can be downloaded and used on your geocaching profile page. Details can be found at the bottom of this cache page.
Start the trail at the Town Hall on Feethams. (Question to answer 1 location).
We estimate that the full trail will take about 2-3 hours. You can always do it in two halves if you have less time?
The route is suitable for children, adults, pushchairs and most wheelchair users too, though there are some cobbled areas, where possible dropped kerbs have been used and the booklet that accompanies this Multi will also tell you where to retrace your steps.
There are lots of refreshment stops on the trail shown by the symbol in the booklet. Other symbols indicate venues which are accessible to wheelchair users and have an accessible toilet. A RADAR toilet is available at the side of the Dolphin Centre building and RADAR keys are available for a small fee from the Darlington Association on Disability office on the corner.
Please enjoy the trail and please tell other caches if you enjoyed it.
Parking is charged at £1.00 per hour in the car parks which are shown as waypoints.
As this is a Multi cache as well as a Heritage trail you will need to complete a series of question to find the Final Location and discover the cache.
Each question to answer is a waypoint, but further waypoints are shown for parking. The questions shown are in numerical order but the stage number (STG) are also shown and these correspond with the location shown in the Heritage booklet.
Here are the questions you need to answer:
Question 1 (STG2): Who sponsored the Civil Project Committee. It's the number of characters in the name of the animal on the plaque (single animal) that you will need here. = Answer Q1
Question 2 (STG9): Where were the 1908 Olympics held? You'll need the letters in the City name here. = Answer Q2
Question 3 (STG11): At this location you will see two plaques: a Bull with the shovel tail, and a lower plaque which mentions the married couple who ran an inn close to this spot. How many characters are in Miss Lasenbie’s Christian name? = Answer Q3
Question 4 (STG15): The phrase around the top of the Market Cross contains and old English word of Gaelic origin which is now spelt differently today. How many letters are in the Gaelic word? = Answer Q4
Question 5 (STG23): At this location you will find a plaque. What type of building was located at No: 22 Post House Wynd. How many letters in this business type? = Answer Q5
Question 6 (STG25): In Buckton's Yard you will find a Lego representation of the old Backhouse Bank now Barclays Bank which is situated on High Row. How many Lego figures are in the frame (including the one that has fallen over!) = Answer Q6
Question 7 (STG26): Clarks's Yard was once a stable. Where were the Troops heading? How many characters in the places name? = Answer Q7
Question 8 (STG32): Have a wander along Mechanics’ Yard to the end. What number is the small hand pointing to on the RHS clock? = Answer Q8
Question 9 (STG37): At the end of Grange Road how many shields can be seen in the stained glass 1st floor window of the mock Tudor shop? = Answer Q9
Question 10 (STG47): A plaque at this spot celebrated the opening of Hogarth Court in 1986. How many characters are in Bishop Hogarth's first name? = Answer Q10
Question 11 (STG55): At this location you will find a plaque. Who owned the Green Tree Estate? You'll need the total amount of letters in the county name here. =Answer Q11
Question 12 (STG58): At this location you will find a plaque which marks the birthplace of J.M. Dent. You'll need the letters in his profession here. = Answer Q12
Question 13 (STG61): Joseph Pease was a local industrialist and a Quaker as well as a sponsor of the Darlington and Stockton Railway. You'll need the amount of people tending the locomotive on the north side of the statue’s plinth here. = Answer Q13
Question 14 (STG67): Standing at this location you will see the Library which was started in 1884. How many decorations can you see on the chimney directly above the wording that tells you who sponsored this building. (It's only the one chimney!) = Answer Q14
Question 15 (STG73): At this location you will find a plaque. When was the well allegedly covered over? Add all four numbers together to get the answer here. = Answer Q15
Question 16 (STG76): On the bridge you will find a bronze plaque. When was the bridge rebuilt? Again add all four numbers together here to get the answer. = Answer Q16
Question 17 (STG77): On the front of the 1905 War Memorial is a Bronze Plaque. The war memorial was erected by how many subscribers? Add all four figures up! = Answer Q17
...and here is the calculation you need to solve to find the final location.
N(Q11 x Q2)
. (Q12 x Q9) - Q4
. (Q1 x Q5) x Q15 + Q4
W(Q17 - Q16) (Q16 - Q15) (Q7 - Q6)
. (Q10 x Q14) - Q11
. (Q11 x Q8) x (Q12 + Q13) and then add (Q7 x Q1)
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.
If you have completed the Heritage Trail please feel free to put this Heritage Trail logo onto your caching profile, all you need to do is right click, go to properties and then copy and paste the HTML code below into your profile via the "edit profile" function.
