Garendon Park was originally the site of a Cistercian Abbey, founded in 1133. After its dissolution in 1536 the site was granted to the Earl of Rutland and was subsequently bought in 1684 by Ambrose Phillipps, a successful London lawyer. In 1729 the estate passed to his namesake grandson, a talented amateur architect known throughout Europe as “The Handsome Englishman”. Phillipps designed and had built the Triumphal Arch on the Western side of the Park; the Temple of Venus visible from the A512 and the Obelisk which stands on the Eastern boundary of the Park. Following Philipps' death, the estate passed into the hands of the De Lisle family, who still own much of the land in this area.
During WWII the site was requisitioned by the Royal Army Ordinance Corps and used as an ammunition store, but the house became too badly damaged to be lived in again. In June 1964 it was decided that the house should be demolished, and the rubble was used in the foundations of the M1. Now one of Charnwood Borough's finest ancient parklands, Garendon Park lies next to Thorpe Acre in Loughborough. It has a fascinating history which you can read about in full at www.thorpeacre2000.freeuk.com/garendon.htm
This site also has some nice pictures of the Obelisk and house: https://thefollyflaneuse.com/garendon-park-leicestershire/
In October 2019, a History Channel programme called 'WW2 Treasure Hunters' featured the estate and some of the artefacts that still turn up today. https://www.history.co.uk/shows/ww2-treasure-hunters/articles/ww2-treasure-hunters-the-bomb-factory-revisited
The Obelisk itself stands 24m high and is Grade II listed. It is built of stuccoed brick and carried on a thick iron plate carried on four ball feet set on a stone pedestal. Phillipps originally planned a second obelisk on which would have been a statue of Hercules, but his early death at the age of just 30 cut short his plans.
The Obelisk is currently being restored (early 2020) as part of the Garendon Park development, which will see 3200 new homes built on the estate. The Obelisk along with other heritage assets will be restored before the first 200 homes are occupied.
Your Task:
We would like to see how the restoration is progressing, so please post a picture of how the Obelisk looks when you visit, and describe in your log what you can see. Please stay on the path and do not enter the building site or fenced-off area, and ensure children and dogs are under control.
Once the restoration is complete, we would like to see the most artistic or amusing pictures you can take of the Obelisk - use your creativity and imagination! Please also tell us about any wildlife you see during your visit.
Parking can be found at the supermarket in Thorpe Acre (on Maxwell Drive) (N 52 46.723, W 001 14.340); follow the Thorpe Acre Trail signs left from the rear of the car park. You should be following Black Brook downstream. Follow the signs for the Thorpe Acre Trail along Thorpe Acre Road and then Kenilworth Avenue to the end of Coe Avenue. Then just follow your GPS arrow! It’s about a mile round-trip.
For a slightly longer walk, try parking on/near the amusingly-named street in Shepshed at N52° 46.414 W001° 17.222 and follow the bridleway over the M1 motorway bridge and through Garendon Park to the cache. Approx 3 miles round trip.
Please note that cycling is not allowed on the path to the Obelisk, and the uneven terrain makes it unsuitable for strollers and wheelchairs.
This Virtual replaces the Traditional cache that used to be located here, which was archived due to the restoration works.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.