REALLY SideTracked - Abingdon Traditional Geocache
REALLY SideTracked - Abingdon
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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Please could the cache be pushed back out of sight in it's hiding hole.
A big micro, space for geocoin or a few very small swaps.
Not to hard to find but having people around makes this a 3 star difficulty rating I think.
Please say when paper is getting low. Pencil and sharpener are not swaps.
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First in a series along the old railway line. Get the secret numbers from each one to reveal the location of the bonus cache. This contains letter A for the bonus.
Now onto cache 2.
The station was built by the Abingdon Railway and the Great Western Railway had operation rights. The relationship between The Abingdon Railway company and the GWR was never a good one and ultimately the Great Western Railway took over the entire branch in 1904.
The line passed on to the Western Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948, and was then closed to passengers by the British Railways Board in 1963. However the branch was used by freight, notably MG Cars, and the occasional passenger excursion, the last of which took place in 1984.
The branch track was lifted in the late 1980s.
(visit link)
If you want to see photos and other memories from this station look at this web site that is really good and contains lots of good stuff.
(visit link)
Try the google earth plug in on the download tab, can see where the line went to join up near Radley.
There is no trace now as to where Abingdon station used to be. The station building has been replaced by a residential home with a food store being built on the site of part of the platform and railway yard area. The remainder of the area, goods shed, coal yard etc is now covered with tarmac and used as a car park.
As the railway used to leave the station area it beard round to the right and this can be seen by the pay and display car park. The next part of the track bed has now been built on but access can be gained at Barton Lane. The line can then be walked from here until you get to Radley Lakes where you have to leave the railway and walk along side the lakes eventually coming out at Thrupp Lane on to the Radley Road. To find the railway Station you will have to turn right and follow the road to the village. The station is then on your right.
The foot path behind the store was the platform and the railway itself ran through where the store building is itself.
A cache near many others all within walking distance, a park with an outdoor pool and green space for kicking a ball around, there are toilets (not open all year) and a place to buy ice creams next to the pool in the park area.
Toilets in Waitrose as well or the big multi story car park downtown. That's near the smaller shops. keep going on path at back of waitrose and keep going straight over a few roads (traffic light crossing on last road).
Parking down Abbey close and the bottom small cattle market car park is free on sundays.
All on proper paths so wheelchair friendly. Getting the cache may not be.
No need to go into the private flats land, car park as this can be done from the public path.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nobhg 4 1/2 sbbg hc va gur terrarel gb gur yrsg vs ybbxvat ng uvqvat cynpr sebz sbbgcngu. Trg gb gur fvqr naq ernpu va bire envyvatf. Fgevat tvirf vg njnl.
Ol ovt gerr gehax terrarel naq ebhaq sbbgcngu, plpyr genpx fvta ba terl cbyr.