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Ivinghoe velos ghost mystery (something to do on a solo ride or with a small group) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48071943
THE GAME
The local cycle club is having a big problem. Anytime a rider goes out after dark they suffer punctures and unexpected mechanical problems like chain drops and brake pads moving out of alignment. After careful consideration the group have come to realise that they are being haunted by a ghost who dislikes cyclists. The only way to put an end to the evening misery is to find out which local ghost is responsible and exorcise the cycle hating demon.
The club have been lucky enough to have a set of clues to work from which will give the years of death for all the local ghosts. All the group need to do is use the years of death from the clues to eliminate each ghost from their enquiries leaving only the one troublesome entity to deal with.
Your mission is to cycle around a well known local cycle route picking up the years you need to eliminate each ghost. You can discount each ghost by matching the years found on your travels to the year of their death listed below, this will leave just one local spook and then we can call on the services of Joseph Antinio Campagnolo Fortea, who is renowned for being an exorcist particularly favourable to the cycling fraternity.
To help get your started the first clue corresponds to the first answer in the ghosts section. After this the ghosts are mixed up to hide the identity of the troublesome spectre. You will need to be sure you’ve got the right year so you can cross off each ghost from the list.
There are 16 ghost suspects in your list, can you cross off 15 to leave the one true troublesome phantom?
A route will be provided….. or you can follow the clues and make up your own route!
Be careful out there, powerful forces are at play, remember road safety and spirit safety are needed in equal measures, stay safe and pull off the roads carefully when looking for clues.
Think you are up to the challenge? You have until Halloween before the evenings are darker and the ghost problem multiplies, save the velos, find the culprit and rid us of our mechanical misdoings.
THE CLUES
Start at Ivinghoe church and look for an information board about the history of ivinghoe. Your first clue is: what year did the brewery close (cross off the ghost who died this year, they are not your culprit)
Now ride down to Pitstone and just before the roundabout find the information board, have a look to see if you can find what year is the earliest etching on Pitstone Windmill, you can cross the ghost off who died in this year, they won’t bother you.
Take a ride over to Cheddington and find the church behind the playground, have a look for a stone that Mrs Clark helped lay, what’s this year (cross off the corresponding ghost)
Onwards to Mentmore now where a stag is waiting to give you your next year
After mentmore it’s up to Wing. Slightly off the usual route seek out the road to the church, just before arriving at the church gate seek out a blue pump, find the year listed
Now ride up to Cubblinton for an information board which includes some interesting stuff about London’s third airport plans in 1968, We need to go much further back, so find the date Cubblington was mentioned in the Doomsday book, while on the green look at the village sign and your next clue is the year at the bottom of the sign.
Your next clue is a few miles away in Oving. Find the shelter which houses some books and use the year after the word “house” to discount your next ghost
North Marston & off the usual route, turn right and then slight right again. Well well well, find the earliest year listed on the info board
From North Marston we head on our adventure to the Alms Houses in Quainton, they are up by the church. What year were they erected?
Aston Abbotts is our next destination and you are looking for an information board on a green. What date were the earthworks abandoned by Norsemen?
Two clues for you in Wingrave! As you ride past the black and white timer frames houses before reaching the village shop make a mental note of the year they were built, shown on the middle tiles. Stop at the information board on the green before the pub, cross off that ghost and also have a look for the year Edvard had to resign, this ghost is not of interest and can be crossed off too.
Down now, towards long Marston, before entering the village, stop at the church, enter the grounds and walk left to the witch’s grave. Study the information board and use the year a note was given to the town crier to eliminate another ghost from your enquiries.
Nearly there! Head through Gubblecote and left, the back way to Marsworth, stop at the back gates of the airfield, to note the year the US arrived in Long Marston.
We now head back to the start for one more clue, look for the brass outside the church in Ivinghoe and the date, 9th August, this is the year of the final ghost you can discount.
Well done you have finished the ghost hunt. Maybe it’s time to retire to the Rose and Crown so you can relax and call Joseph Antinio Campagnolo Fortea with the name of the ghost the Ivinghoe Velos have been having trouble with? Be wary though the Rose and Crown has been a pub since 1699, so I’m sure it has a few stories to tell and a few troubled spirits of its own!!!
THE GHOSTS
1927 Jason Hoy was a bricklayer working on the exciting relocation of the Thomas Corum foundling hospital at Ashlyns in Berkhamsted, Jason would cycle from his home in Long Marston to work each day, during a busy day a pile of bricks fell on Jason breaking both his arms, despite cycling home like any pro rider would, that evening his wounds became infected and sadly being a couple of years before antibiotics were used to treat infections he didn't make it. His ghost can be spotted riding no handed along the Cheddington expressway on dark nights.
1290- Edward 1st passed a law preventing land to be given over to the church, this created animosity between some church going folk and local royalists, in a fight to the death Geraint Wiggins lost his life and still roams the nearby church grounds arguing with passers by they they can’t take this land back.
1901- Rural living conditions were poor at the turn of the 20th century and poor Primoz Vingegaard was living in a hut in Oving, sadly the industrial revolution and victoria building standards hadn’t made it as far as Oving and Primoz was killed by a falling roof during a storm, his ghost is often seen on the lane in Oving on stormy nights, frantically looking up avoiding falling debris.
1902 despite them falling out of favour 20 years earlier Johnas VanArt (who loved a bargain) purchased a second hand Penny farthing bicycle, he loved the freedom it provided and he got quicker and quicker round the local lanes. Until one fateful day when he took on Toms Hill down into Aldbury. Witnesses say he might have got away with it if he hadn't hit the ancient stocks, parting company with his bike and drowning in the pond. Be careful when riding through Aldbury, there is something after your bicycle.
1903 Lotte Vollering from North Marston was desperate to get rid of her husband, her affair with a younger more attractive man was in full swing but she knew only murder would free her from her old man. Having persuaded her lover to help do the deed they were soon caught, sentenced and hung, one of the last hangings in England.. As you enter the village from the south you might just sense their conspiratorial mutterings.
1847 local lass Anna Pendleton worked at the Ivinghoe brewery, she had no teeth due to poor dental hygiene at the time, this didn't seem to hinder her second career as a lady of the night, sadly after downing too much gin which had been provided by her grateful clients she fell headfirst down a cellar during a delivery, breaking her neck, her ghost has been spotted by the cellar door looking at people ”in a funny way”.
1687 Crow Sheryl was never a good judge of character, shacking up with a Roman Catholic in 1687 was not a good idea, a swift life ending trip to the noose soon followed. What's that hanging from the tree by the church?
1938 Mercky the dog was most troublesome when visitors arrived in the village of Cubblingon, he chased horses, harassed bike riders and scared children. It was quite a relief when Mercky was ran over by his owner’s tractor. If you hear growling and panting by the cricket pitch that might just be Mercky’s ghost.
1799 Building canals was a hazardous business and Miguel Hinault was one of the last victims.. A very lazy worker who enjoyed a slow pace of life and a few beers, Miguel was catching a nap in the bed of the canal as they filled it for the grand opening at Marsworth. while you are speeding over the canal bridge on your bike at Marsworth if you hear someone splutter “slow down” it could well be Miguel’s angry ghost.
1863 Tom Frome was very proud to have been part of the workforce building the world first underground railway, from Paddington to Farringdon Street the line opened in January to a huge fanfare, sadly for Tom he was run over by a stagecoach which was taking passengers away from the station. Buried in his home town Quainton his ghost is often seen dashing in front of vehicles on the high street, Tom has clearly not learnt his lesson.
1942 when American Sean Kuss arrived in Long Marston to help the war effort he was a big hit with the ladies. However, having chosen to have an affair with a married woman, his days were numbered. When hubby returned on leave and found out about the affair he cycled round to confront the American with a big knife. Soon Sean’s “John Thomas” became a “John Doe” and he bled to death on the spot. His ghost is said to be looking to take revenge on passing cyclists.
1086 While William was summoning all the most powerful men in the county to the iron age hill fort at Old Sarum. In another Hill fort in Cholesbury Remco Segan was drowning his sorrows for not receiving an invite, with a large helping of Mead inside him rendering him paraletic, he didn't even hear the wolves coming. If you hear a rustling sound on shire lane, that will be Remco.
1952 Kasia Kenny was a keen campaigner for road safety, news was filtering through that an act of parliament coming soon would require volunteers to patrol school walking routes holding large lollypop sticks. Kasia decided to start the ball rolling early in Cubblingon, but tragically in an age before hi-viz lycra a car travelling up from from Wing didn't see Kasia standing in the middle of the road. Kasia’s pole waving ghost has been spotted menacing cyclist on the local Strava segment.
1627 Lizzy Poley from Cheddington died of a broken heart after her husband died of smallpox, her only son was conscripted by the Duke of Buckingham into the 7,000 strong brigade heading for La Rochelle. While modern day visitors enjoy three weeks of mountains and sprint finishes in France, back then Lizzy was sure she would never see her boy again. If you are near the old church with the wind in the right direction you might just catch Lizzy’s whispers.
1488 One of Jasper Tudor’s soldiers gave his life fighting to secure Cardiff castle, the unknown soldier actually heralded from the hamlet of Aston Abbots joining the duke of Bedford’s army at a young age. Some same on still, quiet evenings they hear marching boots by the church, which seem particularly ominous if you are Welsh.
1876 Nurse Laura Archibald worked at the Chesham cottage hospital. Laura, from Wiggington, was indeed a brave sold as the purpose of the hospital was an isolation establishment for infectious diseases. Laura caught typhoid at work, early symptoms were mild but while on a walk to try to raise her spirits Laura’s conditions worsened dramatically and her ghost is often felt sneezing on passers by as they descend Hemp Lane.
1751 Highway man Lance Livstrong got away with crimes for years by telling people he just didn't do it. He eventually got caught in 1751 when confessing to local witch Opera Windy, he was hung at the scene of his last crime and now haunts road users as they pass by at night
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Ivinghoe, Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom
