Quick multi cache in Speldhurst.
Cache is a magnetic 35ml film canister. On placing cache
contained logbook and animal eraser for first to find. Please
remember your pen/pencil.
The listed co-ordinates are for the church.
Clue 1: N51 09.053 E000 13.195
How many words before the dates? AB
How many words after the dates? CD
Clue 2: N51 09.043 E000 13.176
Robin Brigstocke Hitchings 19EF – GHJK
The final cache is at N51 09. (B-C)F(D-K) E000
13.G(H-A)(A+B)
And for some history on the church…
St Mary’s Church Speldhurst: The people of this parish have
been coming here to worship for over 900 years. A charter book
compiled in 1115 names the church at Speldhurst and suggests that
it was founded before the Conquest.
This early Church stood until the 14th century, when the Tower,
at any rate, must have required rebuilding. The label of the West
Door, as well as the mouldings of the base of the Tower, are of
this date (circa 1320). But by 1415 the church had fallen into a
bad state of repair. When Sir Richard Waller of Groombridge (in the
parish) returned home from the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, he
brought with him a royal prisoner, Charles, Duke of Orleans, and
tradition has long declared that, from his share of the prisoner's
ransom and the monies he received for his maintenance, Sir Waller
rebuilt the Church of Speldhurst, placing the Orlean's Arms which
had been granted to him by his prisoner to quarter with his own
upon a stone over the South Porch.
The 15th century Church lasted 370 years, only to meet with a
tragic end. On October 20th 1791 the entire church, with the
exception of the lower portion of the Tower, was destroyed by fire.
This was caused by a lightning strike, or perhaps a thunderbolt. An
eyewitness account talks of a ball entering the shingled part of
the roof after 'the most awful clap of thunder', whilst other
accounts suggest that the vane on the wooden spire was first
struck, which then began the fire. However it began, it took only
four hours to reduce the church to ruins. The heat was so intense
that the six bells melted and the molten metal ran down the
hill.
The loss of the church was a serious blow. for Speldhurst was a
very large parish, taking in part of Tunbridge Wells. However,
there was a lack of both funds and design sense and this led to a
new and apparently 'wretched' church being opened in 1805. It was
too small and much less elegant than the previous building, and it
fell into disuse very quickly. After 65 years, with dry rot showing
and in a state of some disrepair, this church was pulled down and
the present Church, following the same design and dimensions as the
medieval church, was erected.
The first stone of the present Church was laid in June 1870 and
the Church was dedicated on May 6th 1871. The architect was Mr John
Oldrid Scott and the Church was built by Hope Constable of
Penshurst.
The 'meanness of design' of the old building was counteracted by
having a famous architect to recreate the medieval church, and by
having nine windows installed based on the designs of Sir Edward
Burne-Jones. Remarkably, a few relics of the old church survive,
including the coat of arms of the Duke of Orleans over the South
door, a sundial and the very weather vane which was struck in 1791.
Various additions have been made to the church over the years,
including the vestry in 1897, and the Priests' Vestry and the
Sussex spire in 1923.
The Church consists of Nave, North Aisle, Chancel and Tower, all
in Early English style. The pillars are of great elegance, with
fine mouldings. The lower portion of the Tower escaped the fire
and, together with the West Door, is 14th century work, with
portions, probably, of an even earlier date. Within the Tower have
been collected the monuments rescued from the previous Church,
among them a brass plate to the memory of the Waller family,
including the captor of the Duke of Orleans and the builder of
Speldhurst's 15th century Church.
The reredos of carved oak, presented to the Church in 1925, is
unusual in design. Dedicated in memory of one whose name was John,
the central Annunciation is flanked by four Saints of that name -
St John the Baptist, St John the Evangelist, St John whose surname
was Mark, and St John of Beverley. It was designed by Mr Charles
Oldrid Scott and is the work of Robinson of Westminster. The same
designer and artist executed the altar rails, the sedilia and the
episcopal chair in the Sanctuary, the chancel screen and the
priests' chairs, and in 1929 and 1930 the Chancel Wall and the
Arches of the Organ were panelled.
St Mary's is most famous for its stained glass by Burne-Jones
and William Morris.
If any body would
like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you
could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the
Church numbers and names to avoid duplication