Mapperley is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but it did not become a parish until 1870 - prior to that time, it was part of the parish of Kirk Hallam. The first church was built on this site in 1851. However, the whole area was subject to particularly bad mining subsidence, and by the 1950s the church at Mapperley was in a poor state. It was closed in 1959, with a temporary replacement being provided by the National Coal Board.
The new church which you see today, built on an A-frame design, was opened in 1966. Its position, at the top of Mapperley Hill, gives excellent views over the valley between Mapperley and West Hallam.
The cache is not at the given co-ordinates - these are the location of the lychgate at the entrance to the churchyard. All the information you need to find the final co-ordinates for the cache is within a few yards of this location.
The final cache is less than half a mile away - an easy walk, but if you choose to drive there, it is possible to park near to the cache.
The cache can be found at N 52 58.abc W 001 21.def, where:
a = the first digit in the vicar's telephone number (excluding the area code)
b = the second digit of the date in May when the village stocks were erected.
c = the hour of the Sunday service.
d = the number of letters in the name of the diocese which covers Mapperley.
e = the third digit of the area code of the vicar's telephone number
f = the number of words on the second line of the plaque on the village stocks
The cache is a micro, so please bring your own pen(cil)
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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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