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Altitude: 44 m. ASL.
Region:
United Kingdom (UK) > Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Cache type: Virtual
Size: No container
Status:
Ready for Search
Date hidden: 13-11-2010
Date created: 13-11-2010
Date published: 13-11-2010
Last modification: 17-11-2010 
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Cache attributes
Description
EN
Antony Payne, "the last Cornish giant," was 7ft 4in tall and weighed 38 stone. He was born in 1610 at Sir Beville Grenvilles 13th century Manor House, (now the Tree Inn), Stratton and was servant to Sir Beville Grenville and later his son Sir John at Plymouth, where his portrait was painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller. A reproduction of this painting is in the Tree Inn courtyard. Despite his size Payne showed no signs of clumsiness and awed everyone with his dexterity and quick reflexes. He excelled in academic subjects and showed great strength and skill in games.
During the English civil war in 1643 Payne fought for the victorious Royalist Cornish Army at the Battle of Stratton, where he stayed behind afterwards to bury the dead. The same year the Cornish Army fought at the battle of Lansdown near Bath where Sir Beville was mortally wounded. Apparently Payne saved the day by taking the horse bearing Beville's young son, John, to the head of his father's army, rallying the Cornish, and the battle was won.
When Payne retired he returned to Stratton to live in the Tree Inn where he had a daily allowance of a gallon of wine. He died there in 1691 aged 81 years. In order to remove his corpse locals sawed through the joists and the floor bearing the giant body was lowered with ropes and pulleys to ground level. He is buried in St Andrews church.
The information board remembering Payne is sited in a covered walkway which is usually not accessible after 22:30 at night, between 14:30 - 18:00 Mon - Thurs or before noon at weekends.
The password you need in order to log this cache is the last word on the third line of the plaque relating to the civil war which is high on the roadside wall of the Tree Inn - all lower case.
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