The co-ordinates listed are for the first question. The cache is not in the grounds of the church. You can park in the lane by the posted co-ordinates. There is a car park which I have waypointed, but it was locked when I visited. Please respect the neighbours and do not attempt this cache after dark.
The Church
The first record of a church in Oxenhall is in 1186 - dedicated to Saint Anne, to whom only 23 churches in England are dedicated.
St. Anne's sumounts a small, pronounced hill above the Ell brook in the South of the parish. The medieval church had a chancel, a West tower with recessed spire and a tall nave with South porch.
The Norman South doorway with typical tympanan suggests the nave was build in the 11th or 12th century. Added in the 14th century, the tower contains two bells from that period.
In 1865, it was decided to rebuild the church as by that time the old walls were leaning badly. Only the tower was considered worth saving. The nave, chancel and South porch were rebuilt during 1866 and 1867 to designs by John Middleton of Cheltenham.
In 1972 due to extensive repairs required on the spire, the top part was removed and the remainder a few years later after a hugh fund-raising campaign.
There are three bells hanging in the tower, only two of which are ringable. The third doesn't have a rope, and is on the highest frame, right under the truncated spire.
Nave and chancel: Completely rebuilt in 1867 by the most talented Gloucestershire architect of the period, John Middleton the design is imitation 14th century decorated style. The walls are of local sandstone with Painswick stone dressings around the windows. The carved corbels are of caen stone from Normandy, and in the nave are carved characteristically with leaves, flowers and fruit. A carved bird, angels and angels playing musical instruments are also to be found. The corbels were carved by R.L. Boulton of Worcester and Cheltenham and sculptors brought over from Italy.
The stained glass windows are by Hardman, Swaine Bourne and Wailes and all completed between 1867-1891. The East window over the altar is a memorial to Mts. Onslow, wife of R.F. Onslow, the landowner who lived at Stardens, who died suddenly in 1866, and it show three scenes in the life of St. Anne.
The choirstalls were added some time after the main restoration. Music had always been part of church services - in 1793 a gallery was built in the church for singers, and in 1851 it was agreed that four pounds was allowed out of church rates for the benefit of the choir. In 1860 it was agreed to sell the cello belonging to the Parish and put the proceeds towards a harmonium. In 1905 the organist asked for a rise but was refused for lack of money! The choir continued until shortly before the last war, some of the men walking long distances to sing both at Oxenhall and Pauntley.
The pulpit is another older survivor and is carved with the initials W P W W 1632, probably the initials of the churchwardens William Pippet and William Wetherlock and the date it was made. The old Black Letter Bible belonging to the church, circa 1613, used to be kept in Hereford but is now in the Gloucester Records Office.
During the Reformation the old High Altar was removed and replaced by a communion table, placed by the Puritans in the middle of the chancel. In 1636 the churchwardens were ordered to restore it to its traditional position.
The Cache
To locate the cache, find the answers to the following questions:
Q1: The wooden notice board was erected in memory of two people. How many letters in the man's first name? = A
Q2: How many letters in the ladies' first name? = B
Q3: How many letters in their surname? = C
Q4: How many stone faces are there in the porch? = D
Q5: What are the numbers carved into the headstone leaning against the tree beside the bench? = 18EF
The cache, a micro tube, can be found at:
N 51° 56.(C-A)(D+F)B W 002° 25.(C-E)(B-D)A
Checksum - A+B+C+D+E+F=33
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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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