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Please leave the churches for the waymarkers


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As a waymarker I have entered hundreds of waymarks, I also reviewed hundreds of other people’s waymarks in various categories. To check the co-ordinates I use http://benchmarks.org.uk/map.php and http://www.flashearth.com/

Between these two sites you can get a good idea whether the co-ordinates are correct or not.

So now this technology is available to all, why do the reviewers allow caches in inappropriate places such as churches. In the past I have collected a cache under a seat in a church porch, a cache fixed to the back of a drainpipe on a church, and a cache in a parameter wall of a church, the latter is in the process of being moved to a more suitable site. I can not see any vicar/Church Council giving permission for a cache that close to a church.

If you must go into an area around a church you would be very welcome to waymark it instead of planting a cache!!

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A churchyard is just as a worthy of a visit by anyone. What you do when you get there is your choice (of course as long as you show respect as a place of worship and reverence as much as I'd do at a temple, mosque, synagogue or other religion's sacred places).

 

The reviewer just makes sure that the cache is not within so many metres of other caches, not on obvious pieces of land that definitely need permission (such as Forestry Commision) and probably some other stuff that they say they do, but I can't think what it is! :laughing::laughing:

 

It is the cache owner / placer who says they have got permission to place the cache. That owner that puts the co-ordindates on a database, and we then get those co-ordinates off that same database and hunt it down. And I think you're assuming that there are no mildly eccentric, technology loving, internet surfing, outdoor hiking vicars out there who would never allow a geocache on their church grounds...

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I can not see any vicar/Church Council giving permission for a cache that close to a church.

If you must go into an area around a church you would be very welcome to waymark it instead of planting a cache!!

 

:laughing:

We have a multi cache in our village church, set up with the help and full co-operation of our lovely reverend who is all for geocaching. She loves the idea of a family pastime out in the countryside and is always interested in the logs for the cache. The two stages and final are well away from recent burial places out of respect for visiting loved ones. It's a beautiful building, full of history and the reverend is happy to see visitors if they are there for worshipping or not.

 

What's a waymark? :laughing:

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As a waymarker I have entered hundreds of waymarks, I also reviewed hundreds of other people’s waymarks in various categories. To check the co-ordinates I use http://benchmarks.org.uk/map.php and http://www.flashearth.com/

Between these two sites you can get a good idea whether the co-ordinates are correct or not.

So now this technology is available to all, why do the reviewers allow caches in inappropriate places such as churches. In the past I have collected a cache under a seat in a church porch, a cache fixed to the back of a drainpipe on a church, and a cache in a parameter wall of a church, the latter is in the process of being moved to a more suitable site. I can not see any vicar/Church Council giving permission for a cache that close to a church.

If you must go into an area around a church you would be very welcome to waymark it instead of planting a cache!!

 

WDAMYG

 

By the way, I am aware of several caches in Churchyards set with permission, OK so one of them is an Earthcache. Still, better than a wa****k anytime.

 

Rev n Doc count as caching clergy?

Edited by mongoose39uk
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I've a multi-cache at a Church. Every aspect of the hide, even down to the detail of how I intended to camo the hide was discussed with the Vicar. He loved the idea that it would bring more families to the Church which has a very rich history in a very beautiful spot.

 

Will I hide at another Church? ...Absolutely, providing it has some historic value.

 

I think your on a loser with this request! lmao.

 

Cust.

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why do the reviewers allow caches in inappropriate places such as churches.

 

 

Why do you insist that a church is an inappropriate place for a cache? I'm sure there are lots of vicars / church councils who would be happy for a cache to be placed in their church. I'm pretty sure that there are a few caches in churchs / church grounds which have been placed by vicars or vergers.

 

I suppose it depends on the individual's attitude - whether they think that "This is a local church for local people who want to come here for churchly reasons", or that "The church is open to all for religious purposes, a quiet place to sit and reflect, marvel at the gothic architecture, etc". Speaking as an atheist, I'd hope that most church authorities are open to allowing people to visit churches for any reason.

 

I can see the point that we're playing a game whilst others may be praying / visiting the graves of loved ones etc, so I'd agree that places such as churches and graves should be treated with respect. For instance, I'd never try and get the clues from a gravestone whilst a funeral is in progress at the next plot.

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I'm always aware of the possibility of setting a waymark rather than a physical cache. If all you're doing is pointing out an interesting place or feature, then it's not necessarily best to hide a cache there. The days of hiding a 35mm film micro just to take people to an interesting churchyard should be over.

 

But you're on to a loser trying to declare all churches as "inappropriate": as you can see above, there are plenty of geocaches in churchyards which have been placed with the blessing :laughing: of the vicar. These are worthwhile for people who like finding regular caches with geocoins, swaps etc. If the local minister is enthusiastic, there are usually plenty of suitable hiding spots for good-size caches in areas which are not likely to disturb people with more sombre matters in mind.

 

Just because there are some placed in dubious fashion doesn't mean that all such caches should be discouraged.

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A sensitively placed cache in an appropriate position in or near a church is a completely legitimate location. We are fortunate in this country to have such a wealth of ancient and interesting buildings which are available to visit and admire.

 

As has been said above, many vicars, PCC's and similar are quite happy to have such caches on the property they are responsible for. Of course there are always exceptions and anything inappropriate we are notified about will be quickly archived.

 

Be assured that the UK reviewers will not be implementing any blanket ban on caches on church property.

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I'm not a churchgoer myself but have enjoyed many a cache near a church. Looking through my caching photo collection I have many pics of some of the beautiful churches around our countryside. :laughing:

 

Without the cache I may never have visited the church and enjoyed it. You don't have to be a churchgoer to enjoy architechture or a quiet, reflective location. :laughing:

 

When Waymarking first came out I created several of my own but have not actively pursued it. Not enough time to do both. soooo many caches - so little time to find them. :laughing:

 

each to their own.... as long as the cache and location fit the guidelines - the location is fair game.

 

imho

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If you must go into an area around a church you would be very welcome to waymark it instead of planting a cache!!

we have found many caches around churches and see no harm in them as long as you are respectful.I have actually found a lovely little church which I would like to incorporate into a cache if I choose to do so I will ensure we have permission but we were`nt aware that you were now a geocaching reviewer and need your permission!!!!!!
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As a waymarker I have entered hundreds of waymarks, I also reviewed hundreds of other people’s waymarks in various categories. To check the co-ordinates I use http://benchmarks.org.uk/map.php and http://www.flashearth.com/

Between these two sites you can get a good idea whether the co-ordinates are correct or not.

So now this technology is available to all, why do the reviewers allow caches in inappropriate places such as churches. In the past I have collected a cache under a seat in a church porch, a cache fixed to the back of a drainpipe on a church, and a cache in a parameter wall of a church, the latter is in the process of being moved to a more suitable site. I can not see any vicar/Church Council giving permission for a cache that close to a church.

If you must go into an area around a church you would be very welcome to waymark it instead of planting a cache!!

AFAIK there are waymark categories for virtually everything - presumably these should not be sullied by caches as well :laughing: ?

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In the past I have collected a cache under a seat in a church porch, a cache fixed to the back of a drainpipe on a church, and a cache in a parameter wall of a church, the latter is in the process of being moved to a more suitable site. I can not see any vicar/Church Council giving permission for a cache that close to a church.

 

What does this person mean by "collected" I hope they were not removed.

 

Dave

Edited by deejay44
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Maybe the original title is somewhat deep and meaningful - a unspoken religious statement....

 

Please leave the churches for the waymarkers..

For the cachers shall inherit the Earth ?

 

anyway by the by..

 

I've done several Church caches and not had any problems with any of them.. Ammo boxes under the altar I could see maybe awkward.. or 5/5 Caches swinging from the bell ropes nor prove popular with the Clergy

 

But nicely done... Like say the Quaker Meeting House cache at Come-to-Good near Truro .. or the Cache at the outdoor Methodist Preaching place at Gwennap Pit are brilliant. I've visited every Anglican Church in Cornwall (bar two on the Isles of Scilly) and can think of several that will make great cache sites... I'm currently working on a Methodist Multi Series taking in some historic Chapels... and I'm already covering Holy Wells in my local area...

 

Respect that's all that's needed....

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Maybe the original title is somewhat deep and meaningful - a unspoken religious statement....

 

Please leave the churches for the waymarkers..

For the cachers shall inherit the Earth ?

 

anyway by the by..

 

I've done several Church caches and not had any problems with any of them.. Ammo boxes under the altar I could see maybe awkward.. or 5/5 Caches swinging from the bell ropes nor prove popular with the Clergy

 

But nicely done... Like say the Quaker Meeting House cache at Come-to-Good near Truro .. or the Cache at the outdoor Methodist Preaching place at Gwennap Pit are brilliant. I've visited every Anglican Church in Cornwall (bar two on the Isles of Scilly) and can think of several that will make great cache sites... I'm currently working on a Methodist Multi Series taking in some historic Chapels... and I'm already covering Holy Wells in my local area...

 

Respect that's all that's needed....

:P:D:D Classic! B)B):D

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On reflection I disagree with this post. My reason is that Waymarking and Geocaching aren't mutually exclusive. They are entirely different activities, both valid in their own right, so I see no reason why both should not be undertaken provided the property rights of the church are respected at all times and permission is sought and obtained for hiding the cache and, if necessary, entering the church, taking photos etc.

 

As various posters have noted some caches on church property have been placed with permission. There's therefore no reason why they should not be there. They may not be to everyones taste - some may be 35mm micros, some may require searching gravestones and so on, but they are quite legitimate.

 

The question of permission is to me the biggest (maybe the only) downside of caching. In my ideal world (not the real world!) there would be three tick boxes on each cache, and one would have to be selected: 1) I have sought and obtained permission. 2) I haven't bothered to get formal permission, but it's doing no harm, who could possibly object? and 3) Of course I haven't obtained permission! that's half the fun! (The last being reserved for those that require hanging upside down from motorway bridges, climbing dangerous structures and so on :D ). Cachers could use this info to help decide whether or not to seek a particular cache.

 

The vast majority of caches in this country would, I would guess, fall into category 2. Some of them I'm happy to do - eg in a hedge beside a public footpath, or canal, but I've also seen some that quite patently have no permission - eg on Network Rail property, on railway bridges (stupid, stupid, stupid imnsho). I pass those by. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cache policeman, I don't go mad and slap SBA logs on them (although I have been tempted), I just tootle on and do something else.

 

A personal request would be that if you have gone to the trouble of obtaining permission for your cache (wherever it is) it would be nice if you could advertise this fact on your cache page. I always feel much happier if I see a note like this on a cache page, eg: "this cache placed with the kind permission of ..." or "if you see Fred/Freda the gardner/groundsman/vicar/ranger say hello as s/he is aware of this cache". If there's no such note then I assume no permission as been obtained, and am duly sceptical.

 

So: "Leave churches to the waymarkers unless you have obtained permission to place your cache" would be a sentiment that I would agree with, and would comment that it would be nice if you were to advertise that you have obtained permission on your cache page.

 

I don't agree that respect is all that is needed. Permission is needed too!

 

NB: There is a blanket ban on caches in graveyards in Tennessee, :D see this thread So if you're thinking of placing one there, think again! It's illegal! :P

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An interesting and well considered reply, much of which I would personally agree with. However I will leave it to others to discuss.

NB: There is a blanket ban on caches in graveyards in Tennessee, :D see this thread So if you're thinking of placing one there, think again! It's illegal! :P

That's right, they have different laws and customs elsewhere which is why Groundspeak uses Local reviewers who are aware of local circumstances when applying the general guidelines.

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What a stupid topic. I am left wondering why it was ever started.

Either to promote Waymarking which seems to have backfired or to cause reaction from those who are not big Waymarking fans.

 

Those who cache let them cache where they want and those who enjoy Waymarking let the waymark what they want - THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH HAVING A CACHE AND A WAYMARK IN THE SAME PLACE.

 

Although if you find an interesting church that you want to share with a larger audience, there would be no point Waymarking it as odds are it would never get visited - stick a micro behind the drain pipe though...........................

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I thought 'Waymarking' was just something created by Groundspeak because they too many categories of cache type.

 

A sort of spin off like Torchwood or the Sarah Jane Adventures spun off Doctor Who...

 

But I definitely go with 'lumphamer' .... What a stupid topic. I am left wondering why it was ever started. :)

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A complete waste of time and effort and totally pointless. :)
If you think about it, the same comment could be made about geocaching. Let's not criticise anybody for their chosen hobby. The OP mentioned Waymarking as a possible solution to a problem they perceived with placing physical objects at locations they felt inappropriate. By all means point out why you agree or disagree with church based caches but please don't fall into the trap of indulging in childish "name calling" - "My hobby is better than your hobby".
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I'm a keen cacher AND a committed churchgoer, and I don't see any problem with church caches. I know of two near me, both placed with the vicar's permission. The only reason there isn't one at my church is that it isn't a particularly interesting location!

 

I think this feeling that churchgoers would be offended by people daring to have fun in and around their churches is a false one - we like to enjoy ourselves too, y'know!

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Not much of a debate here as the they have not responded, so I don't think there is any need to coninue stating between ourselves that we prefer caching to Waymarking.

 

And theres no need for me to say I think Churches are suitable places for caches, as my Church already has been marked by the Ulster historical society with a big Blue plaque on the front wall. So i would see no problem with someone placing a 35mm camera case out of sight.

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A complete waste of time and effort and totally pointless. :unsure:
If you think about it, the same comment could be made about geocaching. Let's not criticise anybody for their chosen hobby. The OP mentioned Waymarking as a possible solution to a problem they perceived with placing physical objects at locations they felt inappropriate. By all means point out why you agree or disagree with church based caches but please don't fall into the trap of indulging in childish "name calling" - "My hobby is better than your hobby".

Cheers Lacto. I've noticed the use of the word "pointless" rather a lot on these fora lately (see). It's quite amusing actually, when you consider that we spend our time looking for tupperware :blink:

 

Let's all get out there and do pointless things with billions of dollars of satellite hardware! :lol::huh: You can't beat it!

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I went out on Dartmoor today and visited seven of Brentorboxer's waymarks. One was at a church, the very nice Brentor Church in a commanding position on a hill near the edge of Dartmoor. These are "stages" required to be visited as part of a mystery cache called "Waymarking on Dartmoor". Most people have steered clear of the cache because it involves a move to the dark side :unsure: of Waymarking.com. I'm basically treating it as a mystery cache with additional logging requirements, and I've had some great walks and seen some nice places.

 

I just felt I ought to post something positive :blink:

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I just felt I ought to post something positive :)

Well done! :)

 

To the whingers: is there anything more pointless than going to the trouble of posting in a forum thread that they think that the thread is pointless?* If it is so pointless, ask yourself - why are you wasting your time contributing to it?

 

*Perhaps the only thing is posting a comment about people that post that the thread is pointless... :)

Edited by Happy Humphrey
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