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The Wey End – Wey Arun Canal Series Multi-cache

Hidden : 5/10/2006
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

A 3-mile walk beside a river, a canal, a disused railway, a used railway, and a never-used railway.  The area is prone to flooding maybe once a year, but when flood-free, the paths are well made and only muddy in small areas after rain.  Care should be taken with dogs and children around locks, weirs and water.

Recommended car parking is on Broadford Park road (N51 12.696 W00 34.340), outside The Parrot Pub.  I suggest you cross the main road and walk on the right hand pavement until you cross again to get to the Start Point.  That should be the last you see of road traffic.  There are 4 stages before the final cache and you should stick to the defined footpaths until the last 3 metres.

There is a puzzle to complete at one point (well it is a Brambler and croquetmike cache)

Soon after the start of the cache, you will pass the unheralded north end of the Wey & Arun Canal.  If it just looks like a side cutting – then that’s it!  Once it carried goods and gunpowder to Portsmouth, but in 1865 the arrival of the railways you will be coming to next, sounded the canal’s end.  Much work is being done by an energetic group of volunteers (The Wey & Arun Canal Trust) "http://www.weyandarun.co.uk" to restore the canal and it was the recent posting of the excellent “Wey Arun Canal Series” "http://www.xisoft.co.uk/caching/WeyArunSeries.html" caches that prompted the naming of this cache.  One day soon, I hope there will be a long trail of caches the length of that lovely canal.

On the disused section of the railway, there are still some traces of its more glorious years beside the track, including old railway houses and star-shaped concrete blocks that carried the signalling along the line.

Can you spot the piece of railway line that was never ever used as a railway?  No track was ever laid down on it.  It was built almost as a bargaining tool to get the Guildford Horsham line leased to the London and South West Railway Company.

There is a rough theme to the hiding places for the micros on this cache.  You will find them all on the “obvious structures”, except for one.  On that exception, the cache is NOT on the “obvious and enormous structure”, so look elsewhere!  Taking the OS Explorer map #145 with you might help you too.

*** BEWARE  - The final cache spot has just sprouted the most amazing number of nettles, that were not there 2 weeks ago.  (No, I did not just plant the seeds myself).  BEWARE ***

At the starting point (N 51° 12.655 W 000° 34.436), there is a National Trust sign (ignore the rectangular notice(s) below it).  You need to count the number of each of the letters on the sign to get the co-ordinates for the next two micros.

Oh - and make sure you are at the right post.    There are two posts within 20yds of each other on either side of the road.   You need the southerly one.

A = number of As
B = number of Es x number of Rs

C = number of Ns + number of Os
D = number of Gs

W = number of Ts + number of Vs
X = number of Ys

Y = number of Rs x number of Rs
Z = number of Us + number of Ss

Micro 1 - N51 12.AB8    W00 34.CD4

Micro 2 - N51 12.WX8    W00 34.YZ8

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Zvpeb 1: Ybbx sbe zrgnyvp bowrpg gung vf yvxryl gb qngr sebz 1865! Zvpeb 2: Ybbx sbe zrgnyvp bowrpg gung vf yvxryl gb qngr sebz 1865! Zvpeb 3: Abg ba gur rabezbhf zrgnyyvp bowrpg! Ybbx orybj natyr veba Zvpeb 4: Onpx gb gerrf, ybbx ng jrve, trg nf pybfr gb jngre nf vf fnsr, oraq xarrf, rkgraq yrsg unaq. Nccebk. 1.2 gb 1.5z sebz gerr Pnpur: Ynetr snyyra gerr va n fznyy pbcfr. Arnere ebbg raq guna gur bgure raq. Frr fcbvyre cvp naq cyrnfr pbire jryy jura ercynpvat.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)