THE WESTMINSTER TREASURE HUNT.
STARTING POINT: OUTSIDE ST JAMES'S PARK UNDERGROUND STATION.
DURATION: 2 HOURS.
FINISHING POINT: WALKERS OF WHITEHALL, CRAIG'S COURT OFF WHITEHALL.
Westminster is an incredibly historic yet at the same time slightly mysterious city. Here you will find some of the best known buildings in Britain as well as one of the best known addresses. Yet a few steps away from the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and 10 Downing Street, you will find a secret world of ancient streets, tucked away mews houses
and places that have managed to survive intact for close on a thousand years.
We have laid out our cryptic clues in such a way that you will really delve into this fascinating and historic area. You'll explore places that you would never dream still existed, and you'll discover a part of London that is far removed from the rush and bustle of the modern age.
You'll see a statue of Charles 1st that gazes accusingly across at a statue of Oliver Cromwell, the man responsible for Charles's execution. You'll seek a clue on the exterior of a pub that Charles Dickens visited at the age of ten. You'll find an ancient prison that is a stones throw away from Westminster Abbey and yet people who have worked close to it for years have been astonished to find it's there when we point it out to them. You'll see some of London's grandest houses and stray into the quiet courtyard where the Metropolitan Police were founded (we just had to include them as a clue!) You'll get a superb view of the back garden of 10 Downing Street and even witness a guard or two going about their everyday duties guarding the entrance to the Royal Palaces
from those attempting to find treasure hunt clues around them! By reading what each clue says and concentrating on what it is telling you to do you should be able to pick your way around the route and solve the clues.
Statues to long forgotten generals and elder statesmen make for some mind jarring clues that are guaranteed to set those little grey cells working overtime. Captured Cannon and a Prime Ministerial Bunker help create a mood of genuine discovery. Whilst the wide open space of one of London's loveliest parks will enchant participants as they search the flora for yet another tantalising clue.
As with all our treasure hunts, the Westminster package consists of a set of cryptic clues that you will need to solve in order to find your way around the route. Each of the clues is a visual clue that refers to things you should be able to see
from the spot where you are standing. No knowledge of the area, nor of the history of the area, is required. Reasonable powers of observation and deduction should be sufficient to help you find your way around the route.
In addition your pack will also contain a sheet of observation questions and a sheet of photo challenges. These are what score the points, and each correct answer is worth 100 points. They relate to items you will pass as you make your way around Westminster Treasure Hunt route. The answers to these observation questions and photo challenges might be on blue plaques, on information boards, or even on tomb stones! Some of them are a little way off the route, some are hidden down tucked away alleyways, so locating them might pose something of a challenge. But with a keen eye
peeled and a natural curiosity locating the answers shouldn't be too difficult. How you find the answers is completely up to you. As we say, there is no such thing as cheating on the Westminster Treasure Hunt there is only initiative! So, by fair means or foul, it should be possible to find the answer to each question and thus increase your teams score.
So, whether you are looking for a team building activity, an event that will get yourself, your friends and work colleagues out onto the streets of London, or just a nice way to while away a summer or winter afternoon, why not give our Westminster Treasure hunt a go? You really will discover a a fascinating part of London and might even have the dubious good fortune of crossing the path of the odd Cabinet Minister or an even odder Member of Parliament.
