The earliest mention of Lyminster is in 901 A.D., then called Lullyngminster; it is also recorded in the Domesday Book. It is highly likely that there was a church on the present site in King Alfred's day, there was also a Saxon Benedictine Nunnery on the site to the South of the church, at least a hundred years before the Norman Conquest. After the Conquest, the Nunnery was re-founded by Roger de Montgomeri, Earl of Arundel, as a priory of the Norman Abbey of Almanesches. The Priory was suppressed by Henry VI in the fifteenth century and all its possessions were given to the new foundation of Eton College. The Provost of Eton still presents the living of Lyminster. Today the land is a farm and nothing remains of the priory.
The present Church dates from about 1040. It was originally split in two, divided by a high solid wood partition. The main part (the Nave) was the Parish Church, and the Chancel (where the choir stalls are), was the Nun's Church. The North Aisle, where you now come into enter the Church, was added in about 1170. At that time the Priory church was still used as such and the East end of the North Aisle was used as a chapel. It has been a baptistry since 1892. The early history of the Church explains why the Chancel is so long, in proportion to the Nave.
To find the cache
Start at the published co-ordinates and note the number of shields on the gate, this is A.
You then have a choice:
If the church is closed or you prefer to collect clues out of doors, go to each of the waypoints and collect the information as follows:
At Waypoint 1 you will find the grave of Benjamin Mark Hall (in case of poor co-ordinates, it has a fossil depicted on the stone): Benjamin was born in 197C and died in 199B
At Waypoint 2 you will find the grave of Reginald James Pratt who fell asleep on 2D.E.19FG
At Waypoint 3 you will find the grave of Ronald Victor Cobden who died on HJ.1.198K
At Waypoint 4 you will find the grave of Doreen James who died on her LMth birthday
At Waypoint 5 you will find the grave of Abigail Hannah Spencer - how many black stripes are on the neck & body of the zebra? This is N.
If you do not like to wander around cemeteries, or simply prefer to explore the church, while it is open, the clues can be found on plaques working anticlockwise thus:
On the rear wall, a plaque will tell you that Mary Groome died on 6.B.18D0
Also on the rear wall, find the plaque for Martha Jane Lear, she died on HJ.3.190K
On the South wall of the Nave is a memorial for Alfred Baker who was shipwrecked aged EN years
In the chancel, among five members of the Blake family, Elizabeth Goble Blake is remembered, she died in 1FCG
Finally, in the baptistry is information about Kate Chandler who died an infant in 1L0M
Regardless of how you collected the numbers, the cache can be found at:
N50º M(L-G).H(F-B)K W000º (E+J-N)D.C(A-H)(D+E+K)
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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This cache replaces the original GC41AKK and therefore qualifies as part of the "Church Micro: Resurrection Challenge". To view, please click here