Shotton Colliery War Memorial Multi-cache
Shotton Colliery War Memorial
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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Shotton Colliery War Memorial
Shotton Colliery's War memorial stands in a very prominent place at a busy T junction. Folk coming from Peterlee direction can't fail to notice the lone soldier statue on a plinth in a tidy and well kept Garden of Remembrance.
This is a multi cache. You will need to visit the memorial during daylight hours as it locked other times and gain the info to work out the final coords which are a short walk away.
The final can be found at N54 45.ABC W001 23.DEF
from the plaque on the left hand side
A - Number of letters in the third surname down, left column (Pte. P.)
B - Number of letters in the fourth surname down, left hand column (Cpl. C.S.)
C - Number of letters in the sixth surname down, right hand column (Gnr. J.B.)
from the plaque on the right hand side
D - Number of letters in the sixth surname down minus 3, left column (Sgt. W.)
E - Number of soldiers with the surname Wilson (right column)
F - Number of letters in the fifth surname down, right column (Pte. D.)
This was originally a memorial to those who died in the First World war. The Memorial consists of a Portland stone pedestal on three shallow steps with iron rails, surmounted by a life-sized white marble statue of a soldier wearing the badge of the DLI and resting on his rifle.
The front face of the pedestal carries a plaque that bears the dedication: "ERECTED 1920 / BY THE PARISHIONERS AND / FEDERATED WORKMEN OF / SHOTTON COLLIERY / TO THE MEMORY OF THE 152 MEN / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914-1919". This plaque was added to in 1947 with a dedication for the Second World War: "ALSO / TO THE MEMORY OF THE 38 PERSONS / WHO WERE KILLED BY ENEMY ACTION / IN THE 2ND GREAT WORLD WAR / 1939-1945". Underneath this is a wreath carved in half relief. WW1 names are on plaques on the left and right sides of the pedestal. Names of those who fell in WW2 are on a plaque on the rear face.
This is a Grade II listed building.
After restoration in 2007 the memorial is now set within a walled garden with wrought iron railings to the front, trees and stepping-stone path on a lawn to the rear and rose bushes in side borders. An open fronted shelter with a bench is located at the rear of the garden with a plaque giving details of the restoration and dedicated to Pte. Thomas Griffiths, 1st DLI, Borneo, 1966.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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