Know Your Place logo
Calling intrepid explorers of all ages!
Next week marks the start of the KYPcache treasure hunt which is part of a fun packed events programme that has been put together by Richmond Council’s Local Studies Library and Archive Service to celebrate the Know Your Place (KYP) heritage festival.
KYP festival celebrates the borough of Richmond upon Thames and is aimed at getting everyone who lives, works or is interested in finding out more about the borough or exploring the borough and learning more about its history, through a series of different events.
Boy’s Adventure Stories pieces (catalogue reference: INF 3/555)
The KYPcache treasure hunt is the first exciting event starting of the festival. From Saturday 1 August, 30 small green boxes will be secretly positioned throughout the borough lying in wait ready to be discovered by intrepid explorers (aka ‘geocachers’) using the geocache coordinates of the place where the box is hidden. The boxes will stay in place until the end of September so there is plenty of time to hunt them all out. What is geocaching? Well before becoming involved with KYP, geocaching was a complete mystery to me, so after putting the term geocaching in to a search engine, I discovered that it was an outdoor hi-tech treasure hunt that you use a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to help you locate the co-ordinates to a box, which usually contains a log book for you to leave a message, a trinket that you can swap or a question or clue that is part of a set trail.
So what will you find when you discover one of the KYPcache boxes? Each cache contains an amazing historical fact about the area and a notebook for you to leave a message to other treasure hunters. Every KYPcache treasure hunter who discovers a cache will receive a certificate. There is also the chance to be awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold medal depending on how many of the secret caches you discover.
One of the KYPcache boxes in a top secret location
If geocaching sounds a little too technical do not despair -you can still get involved in a traditional family treasure hunt, on Saturday 19 September from 10am. The treasure hunt will start here at The National Archives.
Come and explore some of the beautiful surroundings and sights of Kew and following the trail right to the end at Kew Library.
For more details on about KYP festival, including the KYPcache treasure hunt co-ordinates see the Richmond Local Studies Website.
Unfortunately I am unable to reveal any of locations boxes as it’s a closely guarded secret!
Happy hunting!