About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath-taking view. It is a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More information can be found at the SideTracked Website.
About Manor House Underground Station
Manor House is a London Underground Station on the Piccadilly line, located at the easternmost corner of Finsbury Park.
The station was built as part of the Cockfosters extension to the Piccadilly line. It was designed by Charles Holden and opened on 19 September 1932.
It is on the boundary of Zones 2 and 3, and is also on the border between Hackney and Haringey.
A remarkable feature of Manor House Station is that it has no significant above-ground presence. It is the only one of Holden’s stations that does not include structures at street level.
When first constructed, the station had nine entrances. Two of them gave access to tram routes, which were later shut down and the associated exits were closed in 1951.
There are still plenty of exits to choose from; if you are exiting the station to get the cache, the best one to use is Number 1 as you will not have to cross any roads.
Manor House is named after a public house which used to be located here on the crossroads. The Manor Tavern, later the Manor House, was built here in 1832. The public house boasted of a brief visit by Queen Victoria. The Rolling Stones played weekly gigs at the Manor House in February and March 1963. The Who also performed at the Manor House, in 1965.
The station features solid brass ventilation covers originally commisioned in 1922 with a design by Harold Stabler, presumably representing the nearby Finsbury Park.
About the Cache
This is the resurrection of SideTracked Manor House, GCA0A6P, which I archived due to issues with the location. As a multi, this version can be further away from the station, allowing a different kind of hide.
The cache is not at the posted coordinates. To find the cache, first enter the main area of the station (you do not need to pass the ticket barriers). Locate a brown sign on the wall, with the underground roundel and the title 'Heritage Information'.
The first year that appears on the sign = ABCD
The last year that appears on the sign = EFGH
The coordinates of the cache are:
N 51° 34.(H-D)DB' W 000° 05.HC(C*D)'
I do not recommend searching for this cache after dark, as the area is not lit. Neither Manor House Station itself nor the final cache are wheelchair accessible.