Difficult boxes

Does anyone else have specific boxes that defeat them? Mine at the moment is Sue's Crosses No. 10 - Driving me to distraction!

I am absolutely hopeless with cryptic clues. Also, although I can't remember the number, one of Stephanie's Dragons near Roos Tor. I've been to find it two or three times but still haven't been lucky enough to find it.

I'm also going out to Fur Tor again to try and find one or two out there. Really hoping to be successful next time as a long walk to come back with nothing. The last time I went, thick fog came down and I couldn't see a thing.

clickowls wrote:Does anyone else have specific boxes that defeat them? Mine at the moment is Sue's Crosses No. 10 - Driving me to distraction!

This has an 8 digit grid ref and no cryptic clue or am I missing something?

NUMBER 70 wrote:

clickowls wrote:Does anyone else have specific boxes that defeat them? Mine at the moment is Sue's Crosses No. 10 - Driving me to distraction!

This has an 8 digit grid ref and no cryptic clue or am I missing something?

You probably misunderstood me NUMBER 70. In response to the question, I was just stating that the boxes I find most difficult to find are ones with cryptic clues, as the question was "does anyone have specific boxes that defeat them?".

oops sorry about that

Thunder and lightning up here in Cheshire this morning and its chucking it down, cancelled the day out in Wales off to Southport instead to look at the beach where the tide never comes in, well only about twice a year anyway

It may well have grid reference but this box is currently my 'bugbear' Once I have cracked this one - YIPPEEEE
I do not have a GPS just the map and compass combined with a natural ability of not being able to find boxes!

Well good luck with it clickowls anyway. Hopefully you will find it on your next trip.

I am having a problem with Sue's crosses number 3, I have been out looking for this one twice, I must be doing something wrong, does any body know if the cross in the clue is a cross or is it the crossroad. On the map it says Lowery cross but I cant find it. The clue says from the cross walk on 119 to a gate, I have been to all the gates that I can find and still can not find the cross, Can any one help.

Hi, Sue's crosses number 3 is from Yennadon Cross which is at the junction of the main road from Princetown to Yelverton and the turn down towards the Dam. Hope this helps you now find it.

Yes, I have this one.
You can literally park 30 seconds from it if you like

Thanks for the help, but can I clarify somrthing, is the cross in the title the small grass bank in the middle of the road at the junction near the car park at 547 693,
Thanks
Al

Hi, No Yennadon Cross is a proper granite cross. If you type in 'Yennadon Cross Dartmoor' into Google several sites will come up to show you a picture of it. Good Luck

After reading through the thread, the plot thickens, stupid question I know, but it has to be asked:
Do 'sue's crosses' clues have a relationship to crosses within the area?

Sorry, but Sue's Crosses No 3 is missing. I did this one in May 2004, and went to look for it again this evening whilst walking the dog. It's not there anymore. (I noticed your message this afternoon, and thought we might take a short trip out there.)

Sounds like you were in the right area though. If you know where the gate is, then walk down hill towards the junction and just keep looking right. You should see the cross, although it is a bit hidden at times by a nearby tree and bushes. It has one arm missing.


John.

If I come across a box I can't find or rather don't come across it, I spend 10 minutes looking and then forget about it, and I am off to the next one, there are too many boxes to be found without fussing about boxes that may have been stolen or taken in by their owners or just wrong bearings.

clickowls wrote:After reading through the thread, the plot thickens, stupid question I know, but it has to be asked:
Do 'sue's crosses' clues have a relationship to crosses within the area?

Yes this series was put out in about 2003/4 as Word of Mouth, then put in the catalogue. All the boxes were from 'proper' Dartmoor Crosses.

Thanks everybody, guess I will have to miss this one.
Al

Sowerby Streaker wrote:

clickowls wrote:After reading through the thread, the plot thickens, stupid question I know, but it has to be asked:
Do 'sue's crosses' clues have a relationship to crosses within the area?

Yes this series was put out in about 2003/4 as Word of Mouth, then put in the catalogue. All the boxes were from 'proper' Dartmoor Crosses.

Interesting as the grid ref for this clue is not near a cross? I will have to double check on that, perhaps that is why I cannot find it!

clickowls wrote:Interesting as the grid ref for this clue is not near a cross?

The GR is indeed spot on for the cross. The cross in question is called Yennadon Cross. However, it is not on the OS map. It is a few yards from the road, but is often overgrown, right on the crossroads. It has an arm missing. If you have ever driven through Dousland on the way to Princetown, then chances are you have passed it without noticing. If you ever go by that way, drive by real slow and you will see it, just.

I must be very out on the grid reference for Sue's Cross No 10, will get the book out and the map and have another look as I am completely in another area? No wonder I cannot find it!

I have not lost the plot - yet - Sue's cross No 10, grid ref 6482 5896 is really not near a cross?

clickowls wrote:I have not lost the plot - yet - Sue's cross No 10, grid ref 6482 5896 is really not near a cross?

Hi, no you have not lost the 'plot'. As I said before the boxes were originally word of mouth and put out near the crosses. They then were moved to form a walk - Sue's New Year Quest' in 2003 and put in the catalogue - numbers 34994-35112. They were put out from Harford Moor Gate around Tor Rocks up to Hangershell - Spurrells Cross, Hobajohns Cross and back. The box you are after is the letter T for Ter Hill West Cross. I notice it is still in the catalogue, but can't believe its still there after 5 years. I will try and scan a copy in tomorrow and post it on here for you.

Thankyou Sowerby Streaker, i have looked again onthe map - Ter Hill West Cross is not the grid ref I have and that is way out past Leftlake, not likely to be on this little walk. Maybe the grid ref in the letterbox book is incorrect? Then possibly you would be right about tghe Ter Hill West cross.

Must be me who has lost the plot.
I thought you were talking about Sue's Crosses No.3
Sorry

No you havn't lost the plot, the thread was started because of No:3 Yennadon. But then the query went to No:10 as there is no cross below Hangersheil Rock. That was when I tried to explain the boxes had all been taken away from the original sites and placed out again as a walk from harford Moor Gate.

Hi we are new to this, but how many times do your go back to letterboxes you haven't found on previous visits before you decide it is no longer there?
We we're up near Combestone Tor on Tuesday looking for Silly Searching Sisters box, we were certain we were in the right place, but we couldn't find it - should we return and try again???
We have already come to the conclusion after 3 trips and only finding 3 letterboxes, that we are not very good at this, and would like some clue as to where we are going wrong. Perhaps we just give up to easily, but we will definitely have to attend the next meet to find out more.

Sometimes you have just got to admit it's no longer worth hunting out some boxes and move on to the next one. It takes practice, but you will soon learn to recognise the signs of where boxes are hidden, although some will always so much more difficult because they are so well hidden.

Good luck and welcome to the site.

MnM wrote:Hi we are new to this, but how many times do your go back to letterboxes you haven't found on previous visits before you decide it is no longer there?

I rarely return to the same place in a short space of time. However, in the odd instances I have done so, then I would say I have only visited it twice. After that (like Fulchet said) I then just move on. There are other boxes out there, so don't get too 'fixed' on finding one box.

MnM wrote:We we're up near Combestone Tor on Tuesday looking for Silly Searching Sisters box, we were certain we were in the right place, but we couldn't find it - should we return and try again???

That's up to you really. Alternative is to simply leave it until you are in that area again, or nearby.

MnM wrote:We have already come to the conclusion after 3 trips and only finding 3 letterboxes, that we are not very good at this...

No way At times I go out and find no boxes at all! I always think that if I find one box then it's been a good day

Again, as Fulchet, said, after a while you willl get your 'eye' as to where a letterbox is likely to be. I remember years (actually decades!) ago being out at Erme Pits soon after I had started letterboxing. I just couldn't find any letterboxes (despite it seeing an 'obvious' area). An elderly chap came up to me and asked if I was looking for a letterbox, as I had obviously been hunting around. I sheepishly said yes, and he simply said "You're standing on it". The letterbox was plugged under the side of the rock I was standing on! I have to admit that it was very well plugged, and completely impossible to see as being a letterbox. Moral of the story? Part (?) of letterboxing is about hunting/finding the box - they are not all easy to see
Second story is that the very first letterbox I found (Fenton's Find) was by pure chance. (I didn't even know what a letterbox was at that time.) It took me 18 months to find that box again! Hmm, have to admit I think I visited that area a few times.

So I would say stick with it. You will have good days and bad days, but after a while you should get better at being able to see where a box is likely to be.



John.