The Olde English Treasure Hunt

Solution - August 15/08/09

A big thanks to everyone who took part in the treasure hunt last week and helped to make it such a great success..

Well done to everyone who came close and better luck next time. You don’t have to wait long to try again because there’s a new hunt beginning every fortnight.

And just to put your mind at rest here’s the full solution to the August 15th treasure hunt.

The lines from the original clue are in bold and the explanations are underneath.

In market north town born a highwayman there,
The name of the town 'Chipping Norton' means market north town. There was an infamous highwayman born there named James Hind.

He rested his head on a river gate where?
James Hind was executed in 1652 in Worcester and his head was placed on the Bridge Gate, spanning the River Severn.

The fruity coat leads to a tree in without,
The Worcester Coat of Arms features three pears. Peartree Inn is an inn at Whitley, which belongs to the civil parish of Melksham Without.

Where one thing to do is to straighten hair out.
The things to do page on the Peartree Inn site contains a link to Castle Combe, a village in the Cotswolds.

A computer board here, a highlight 53,
Castle Combe has a motor racing circuit known as Castle Combe Circuit. The official web site features a history page which states that Ken Wharton won there in 1953.

Your heritage lies in the birthplace of he.
Racing driver Ken Wharton was born in Smethwick in the West Midlands. Smethwick Heritage Center can be found there.

The best festive gift, an industrious peek,
On the Smethwick Heritage Center site there is a picture gallery called 'Industry'. Looking through this you will find an old advert for 'Phillips' bicycles which are described as 'the ideal xmas present'.

Gives the name of H F who once flew where you seek.
H.F.Phillips or Horatio Frederick Phillips was an early aviation pioneer who tested his flying machine on Streatham Common.

 

Where are you?

Streatham Common

 

The winner this fortnight - Beryl Groves, Lancashire