February 2010 search 1 of 2

[pootle]

Hi everyone, how are You doing with this one?
Thought I was getting so,ewhere, but just hit a brick wall!!!!! AAAAARGH!

[Toxophilite]

Personally I thought this was the really easy one :



No idea on the well one though, that seems really difficult.

[pootle]

Go on then, put Me out of My misery where was it?
I ended up with 3 possible places but none seemed as though they were quite right.
Well done by the way

[evilkeen]

Well done, that was quick work!

[Karen_G]

Congratulations Toxophilite

Karen

[Toxophilite]

Thanks, I will post the full story and photographs when everything is approved.

[Lodgecrest]

Well done a little to quick, me thinks the next one WILL BE HARDER!!!!!!.....You will be begging for clues..

[Toxophilite]

The free Isis just arrived this morning:



So here is the full story:

On first glance it looked like one of those arrow slits in a castle wall, but then I realised it was set in concrete so more likely to be a gun hole in a more modern defensive structure. My first thought was a pill box and I found that quite a few around the coast have fallen from eroded cliffs and inverted into the beach below. The picture didn't look like a beach though.

So then I Googled BOX, TOPSY and TURVY and found that the connection was Box Hill near Dorking in Surrey. A local eccentric Major Peter Labelliere who died in July of 1800, requested to be buried vertically, head downwards, on the top of Box Hill. Apparently Labelliere had reasoned that as the “world is turned topsy-turvy", when Armageddon comes, he would be the only one to end up the right way up.

His grave is indeed at the top of Box Hill:



It lies just to the West of Box Hill Fort, one of a line of 13 mobilisation centres built in the 1890’s to protect London from the threat of invasion from continental Europe. They have never been used and have mostly fallen into disrepair. As seen it this picture, the mystery location is one of four what I now know to be called 'Gun Loopholes'. In fact it is the most Westerly one nearest the grave.

I guessed that the phrase "A free Isis up for grabs." was probably significant and that the coin was most likely to be found above the loophole and it was, buried quite deep in a large crack that had then been filled with dead leaves etc.:


Coin removed from the crack for clarity

Here's a few more pictures of the fort and the view from the hill looking across to Dorking.

Western end of Box Hill Fort

Eastern end of Box Hill Fort

Dorking from the Viewpoint on Box Hill

So a good day out, the weather was dry but it was very muddy under foot so didn't get a chance to do much walking. It was a particularly good location because the fort is slightly off the main thoroughfares so you can snoop around to your heart's content without the danger of being arrested. Also you can actually 'drive' up the hill and there is hot food, really good filter coffee and toilets right next to the fort. What more could you ask for ?

[pootle]

I thought You said it was easy!
Thanks for explaining as it was driving My Wife and I mad!
Well done again

[Lodgecrest]

Well done again, and well done Puzz!

[evilkeen]

Many thanks for posting your story, and well done!

[dinoklein]

Well done!

Nice story too. Have been gone for a couple of weeks and I seem to have missed a lot! Quickly reading through all the new posts to catch up...