How do you identify the centre of a town?

[Pajaholic]

I'd like to hide a puzzle cache to do with the centre of three towns. However, I've run into a bit of a problem - I don't know how to identify the centre of a town! Is there an official way of doing this (e.g. do UK towns have an OS grid ref as their official centre?)

 

TIA,

 

Geoff

[+Kryten]

The location of the main post office was used as the reference for road sign distances. Ok a few years ago but if the old central post office has closed and replaced by one in a less than central supermarket you may have a problem.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Kryten

[+The Blorenges]

You could base the co-ordinates on the 'dead' centres of the three towns.

 

MrsB

Edited August 25, 2010 by The Blorenges

[+Mark+Karen]

The location of the main post office was used as the reference for road sign distances. Ok a few years ago but if the old central post office has closed and replaced by one in a less than central supermarket you may have a problem.

 

Yep, but not any more. It's a very difficult one to answer. What many people would consider the 'centre', i.e. the main shopping street may well no longer be the geographical centre due to the building of new housing estates etc on the outskirts. Or the likes of Newcastle where you would consider Northumberland Street to be the centre, but geographical centre of Newcastle is many miles further north.

 

I would personally not bother trying to work out the exact centre and look for the main shopping street, as that's what most locals would consider the centre of town.

[+keehotee]

I'd like to hide a puzzle cache to do with the centre of three towns. However, I've run into a bit of a problem - I don't know how to identify the centre of a town! Is there an official way of doing this (e.g. do UK towns have an OS grid ref as their official centre?)

 

TIA,

 

Geoff

 

I was going to do one of these last year, the method I used was......

 

Search for caches in your town (in the hide and seek section)

In Memory Map use the distances from the town for each cache to set a boundary ring around each cache.

Do this for half a dozen or so caches, and where the boundary rings intersect will be where Groundspeak places the centre.

[+Mark+Karen]

You can also type the name of the town into google maps and where it places the marker is usually a good indication of the centre.

[+aliandtone]

Lookout for the empty 'woolworths' store!

[+Bear and Ragged]

Lookout for the empty 'woolworths' store!

The old Woolie's not empty... It's an All £1 Storeland place shop!

[+Jacaru & Wemnog]

You could base the co-ordinates on the 'dead' centres of the three towns.

 

MrsB

 

Depends, we have loads of dead centres in Nottingham

[+aliandtone]

The old Woolie's not empty... It's an All £1 Storeland place shop!

 

 

In Bedford it is still empty! They left the lights on as well!

[+The HERB5]

I'd use the Town Hall, or the Church in a village.

[+RatRunCrew]

sometimes there is a marker on a church, or an important building (especially if they have WD underneath them WD ones were WW2 markers,) Like this one

 

but the older ones, like this one

 

 

AFAIK are height above sea-level markers, that means numbers, that means fun! (to some people)

 

If it were important enough a place for a sea-level marker to be put, I'd say it was 'central'

[+keehotee]

sometimes there is a marker on a church, or an important building (especially if they have WD underneath them WD ones were WW2 markers,) Like this one

 

but the older ones, like this one

 

 

AFAIK are height above sea-level markers, that means numbers, that means fun! (to some people)

 

If it were important enough a place for a sea-level marker to be put, I'd say it was 'central'

 

That's a benchmark - more info here and here.

 

Not sure why they'd be placed central to anything other than (relatively) neighbouring benchmarks though

[+Pharisee]

sometimes there is a marker on a church, or an important building (especially if they have WD underneath them WD ones were WW2 markers,) Like this one

 

but the older ones, like this one

 

 

AFAIK are height above sea-level markers, that means numbers, that means fun! (to some people)

 

If it were important enough a place for a sea-level marker to be put, I'd say it was 'central'

 

That's a benchmark - more info here and here.

 

Not sure why they'd be placed central to anything other than (relatively) neighbouring benchmarks though

 

They're generally cut into masonry that's unlikely to be demolished at some councillor's whim. Places like churches, railway or river bridges... stuff like that.

[+Cache U Nutter]

sometimes there is a marker on a church, or an important building (especially if they have WD underneath them WD ones were WW2 markers,) Like this one

 

but the older ones, like this one

 

 

AFAIK are height above sea-level markers, that means numbers, that means fun! (to some people)

 

If it were important enough a place for a sea-level marker to be put, I'd say it was 'central'

 

Benchmarks are merely cartogaphic markers used for surveying purposes. They have no bearing at all as to whether they are in the centre of a town or village, The position was chosen by the surveyor usually as it was a convenient spot to carry out surveying i.e good sighting towards other trig points or benchmarks or on a solid [usually stone ] structure on which to mount their tripod and which was 'imovable ' and therfor could be used again in the future for further surveys.

conveniently , churches were and ideal site for this.

To look for the town centre you may wish to choose the CBD [central business district] where there is a peak in tertiary activities [retailing / offices] or look toward the historic core.

Quite often this is obvious as streets often radiate from a central core and there may be a site of an old market / town square.

Personally I would look towards the historic core as the centre marker as it's usually of more interest than the precinct !

Edited August 26, 2010 by Cache U Nutter

[+RatRunCrew]

I understand what they are, just didnt know what they were called! and I wasn't implying they were the centre of the town/city, just merely pointing out that most communities have one, and there are numbers 'attached' to them. Making the 'game' and 'numbers' connection could make some rather difficult multiples.

This was an attempt to give the OP an 'answer' to the question raised.

 

As an aside the centre of London is the obelisk outside Charing Cross Station.

When you see a sign that says London 43 miles, it means to the obelisk.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Kazim1959

[+Jonovich]

Generally you look for the group of hoodies sat around drinking.... That's generally the centre of town

 

J

[+Bear and Ragged]

http://www.geocaching.com/wpt/default.aspx

 

Drop box to "Geocode address" ...

(Add , UK after the village/town/city name)