Caches on the Prime Meridian?

[+HistDrew]

Hi!

 

I'll be moving to England (specifically Grantham) in January. In addition to other kinds of caching I hope to do, I was trying to find some caches that are right on either side of the Prime Meridian. I've been looking one maps and have a few candidates (especially around the Royal Observatory). Iv'e also seen a bookmark list of caches associated with the Prime Meridian.

 

But I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with caches like that in Lincolnshire to London corridor?

 

 

HistDrew

[+Pharisee]

Here's one to start you off... GC591D

[+Alfiegeorge]

Here's another The Meridian, a few miles North of the one that Pharisee suggests.

 

At The Meridian there is a path marker that is supposed to indicate where E/W meet (but either read my log or get there yourself with a GPSr - you'll find that its about 400ft in the wrong place !!)

 

EDIT TO SAY : The cache has spot-on posted co-ords, its the path marker that is so wayward

Edited November 11, 2011 by Alfiegeorge

[+eusty]

That's because the UK is drifting away from Europe and the datum

[+dfx]

That's because the UK is drifting away from Europe and the datum

 

 

No, not quite. It's because the WGS84 datum's definition of where the prime meridian is (AKA the IERS/International Reference Meridian) doesn't agree with the definition that was used when the marker was placed, which was the location of the observatory. Has nothing to do with anything drifting anywhere, it's just two different meridians.

Edited November 11, 2011 by dfx

[+HistDrew]

Cool responses, and I'll look forward to more. I think one thing we'll do for sure is to get the caches around the Royal Observatory. They appear to be on either side. Plus then we can eat and have beer at Meantime pub around the corner as a break.

 

But I'll definitely look for a few others as well. I'm hoping for a pair that are on either side of the E/W line, which would place my furthest east and furthest west within a few feet of each other.

[+Betelgeuse]

That's because the UK is drifting away from Europe and the datum

 

I blame global warming for speeding up tectonics

[+John Stead]

The Meridian has always fascinated me since I started using a GPS. I have two caches on the Meridian both in E Yorkshire.

Prime Meridian North (GC1A56) as the name implies is as far North as you can get on land before the Meridian runs into the North Sea (next stop the Arctic) and is a bit of a so and so to get at because it had to be moved back from the sea because of erosion.

Prime Meridian Again (GC2BA5) is a bit further South where the County Council has kindly put a marker at the roadside and is a nice easy Virtual.

[+The Hornet]

If you like Virtuals how about this one. Ideal for this time of year.

Edited November 12, 2011 by The Hornet

[+cdmurray]

Try these near Horncastle in Lincolnshire. A mini series starting with 'Line dancing 1' GC2DZR6 the clue is in the title, and another mini series of seven with 'Snipe Dales 5' GC2M05H nearest to a rock marker for the Meridian.

[MetalPirateSE3]

If you're in London then GATES OF GREENWICH 5 is exactly in the PM, and as close to the Greenwich observatory as we're allowed to place a cache.

 

It's had 1000 finds in the last three years.

[+MTH]

I'm hoping for a pair that are on either side of the E/W line, which would place my furthest east and furthest west

 

I think they would then be your "least-east" and "least-west" caches

[+Delta68]

If you like Virtuals how about this one. Ideal for this time of year.

 

I was going to suggest that one!

 

We logged it at 51°11.111'N, 0°00.000'E which is a location VERY easy to access.

 

Edited to add: It's a long way from Grantham though!

 

Mark

Edited November 15, 2011 by Delta68

[+Delta68]

 

I'm hoping for a pair that are on either side of the E/W line, which would place my furthest east and furthest west within a few feet of each other.

 

I think you might be confusing the Prime Meridian (0 degrees) with International Date Line (180 degrees)

 

 

 

In fact, that's an interesting idea actually. If you wanted to log furthest east and furthest west (crossing the International Date Line) in the same day you'd have to make sure you found them in the right order

 

 

 

Mark

[+Alfiegeorge]

 

I'm hoping for a pair that are on either side of the E/W line, which would place my furthest east and furthest west within a few feet of each other.

 

I think you might be confusing the Prime Meridian (0 degrees) with International Date Line (180 degrees)

 

 

 

In fact, that's an interesting idea actually. If you wanted to log furthest east and furthest west (crossing the International Date Line) in the same day you'd have to make sure you found them in the right order

 

 

 

Mark

 

Maybe you said this toungue in cheek knowing that there are many many places where you can go from W179 59.999 to E179 59.999 without crossing the international date line.

 

Try these two caches EAST / WEST you don't even move between two different countries !

 

Which reminds me of a quiz question that I remember once caused a bit of controvesy in the pub ... Q. Which US State is Furthest East? A. Alaska

Edited November 15, 2011 by Alfiegeorge