T(H)AME (S)TROLL (Oxon)
The Cache is located at:
N51° 43.498 / W000° 57.765
There's been something of an air of mystery about this house for a long time. Allegedly it fell into disrepair having been bought by a cartel of Japanese businessmen as some sort of weird off-shore tax thing. I've no idea if this is true, but the house has been under repair for several years now. One fact I am sure of is that among many other TV shows and movies, some of 'Saving Private Ryan' was filmed here. I worked close-by at the time and vividly remember my office being over-flown by dozens of very low war planes while explosions sounded in the distance. I turned to the guy on the next 'pod' and said "This is it Chris. It's all kicked off." However, I later discovered that it wasn't a long-awaited military coo...
Learn more about the house and grounds here.
To reach the cache, follow the B4012 out of Thame towards Postcombe. Around N51° 44.086 / W000° 58.432 there's parking next to one of the entrance archways into the grounds, as seen below. I suggest you park here with care. A little further along the road, opposite a house, is the start of the footpath which crosses the park. Here you'll see more signs and evidence that you're not wholly welcome. It seems strangers wandering about are not tolerated! However this is a public footpath and you've every right to be here. I suggest you keep to the path - the 'cache is accessible without leaving it. On the way you might see an ominous folly on a hill to your right (which is rapidly vanishing - see the pictures below!), as well as the house, a church and a 'blasted tree'.
Take care on the various stiles you have to climb to reach the cache site, as they're not in great repair.
Anyway, happy hunting for the treasure!
The cache originally contained:
1x Thing for cleaning gunk out of your keyboard
1x Tealite candle
1x Bag of marbles
1x 'Smiley' rubber ball
Plus the usual: Cache notice, log book, pen, pencil.
While you're in the area, I suggest you try my
Puerile Photo-cache No.2 - SPLASHING OUT which is up the road in Cuddington. No camera? Try my
Chess themed Geocache No.3 - BLACK KNIGHT, which is in Upper Winchendon, or my ART OF THE PHOENIX TRAIL cache. All are within short driving distance. Update: I just noticed this cache, which lost out to the church you'll pass doing THAME (S)TROLL! Spielbergs Folly by Team Phoenix.
A small experiment - Please feel free to rate your visit to this cache out of ten in your log.