About this Church:
There was a church at Westport before 1066, which was replaced by a new church in the late 12th century. The spire of this church was higher than that of St. Paul in Malmesbury and it served the parish that had grown up outside the defences of the town. The church was pulled down by William Waller after a Civil War siege as he felt that it provided cover for anyone attacking the town. After the Civil War, in the mid 17th century, a new church was built. this was small and with an undivided nave and chancel. A north aisle was added later. Around 1840 the church was rebuilt in the Tudor Gothic style, still with an undivided chancel and nave but with a south aisle of five bays and a bell cote at the western end.
Worship at the church ceased towards the end of the Second Wolrd War and in the late 1940s the building was used as a claaroom for the grammar school. It became the Church Hall in 1977 when the interior gallery was removed. The registers from 1678 (christenings and burials) and 1685 (marriages) are held by the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.
About this Geocache:
Because of the location of the Church in the town, this geocache starts at the front where you will be able to work out the final geocache location, which is under 5km return journey away from the Church.
The Cache: In front of St Mary's, you will find a wooden bench with a plaque on the front, middle. Using the length of each of the words on the 5 lines for the numbers work out the final coordinates.
Final Coordinates:
N 51° (Line 2, Third Word)(Line 1, First Word).(Line 3, First Word)(Line 5, First Word)(Line 2, Third Word)
W 002° (Line 1, Fourth Word)(Line 4, Second Word).(Line 1, Second Word)(Line 3, Third Word) (Line 3, ALL Words)
The final location is quite a distance so driving may be required, or work out Aprils Church as well and make it part of a circuit with another local geocache in between them.
About the Series:
**************************************
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@gmail.com.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
*************************************