Many years ago, Wimbledon was no more than open farmland and forest that we know today as the Common and Wimbledon Village. During these times, the seas surrounding Great Britain were regularly on high alert from pirates. Legend has it that a pirate ship from Norway called the Bluestone was chased by the Royal navy up the Thames river, eventually running aground near Greenwich. The crew were caught and jailed, but the treasure that they stole was never recovered.

Rumour has it that a lone crewman known only as Z snuck off the ship with the treasure before it was overtaken by soldiers and made his way by foot to the forests of south west London. Z was known for being particularly ruthless, but unlike many pirates, he was also very smart. He knew that there would be a lot of powerful people looking for this treasure and eventually they would get the information they needed out of his fellow crewmen. Time was not on his side, so the only wise thing to do with the treasure was to bury it and create an impossible trail of hidden clues that one must follow in order to find it.

In case he got caught before his men back home received news of his escape and came to rescue him and the treasure, he decided to call the secret trail something that they would recognise, the bluestone trail. Now being the cunning pirate that he is, Z created a trail that would challenge even the smartest of all treasure hunters. Firstly...He took an old tombstone from the cemetery close by and painted it blue and then marked the co-ordinates of the treasure chest's location into it. He then broke it up into 5 pieces and searched  the entire forest for clever spots to bury each piece. He made sure that they were buried close to a building that he would recognise encase his map was lost or destroyed. These buildings were known as; Fort Becker, Chapman House, Makinen Priory, Creston stables and McGregor Inn.

Remember, this was 300 years ago. These buildings no longer exist. Since the forest became a national park, there was no need for such places. Instead, all you will find today is a sign marking where the building use to be. Thanks to local historians, we are lucky to have these. Without them, the bluestone trail would be broken and the treasure lost for ever.  

Now, the only way Z could know each exact spot was by marking it on a map. This map of course was now very valuable, so being the cautious type, he decided to tear it into six pieces and once again, marched all over the Common, looking for even more challenging spots to hide them. It is said that the only way one can find each piece of the map is by following the co-ordinates and using the clues laid out in a secret handbook. 

People caught word of this trail and they came from all over to steal the handbook and search for the treasure, but Z was too clever. With great secrecy, he made his way to the docks late one night and sent the book to his men in Norway on a postal ship.

Irony however dealt the cunning pirate a most unfortunate blow. The postal ship that left Britain, heading for Norway, with the secret to the bluestone trail on board, was mistaken for an enemy war ship by the very pirates who were searching for Z and his treasure. They blasted and eventually sunk the postal ship.

The clue book sunk with it and for nearly 300 years, the secret of the bluestone trail lay at the depths of the North sea. But ...recently a fishing trawler recovered the famous clue book, still completely intact in a water proof case. The poor unknowing soul who found it, simply sold it on to a marine antique store with no knowledge of it's significance as the legend of the Bluestone trail had died years ago. Now...we the Secret Trail team are aware that the Bluestone trail is very real and have searched for this clue book for years. We discovered it in this antique store and finally our day has come to conquer the trail and claim the treasure! Now you, young adventurers have the impossible task of following the clues and finding the gold!

Good luck and remember, you're hunting for a treasure that was buried nearly 300 years ago...Z's treasure. Find the map, then find the bluestone, then the treasure is ours!!    

Enjoy!