THE historic location of Winchester has been turned into an outdoor escape room as participants search to crack the city’s most legendary unsolved mystery.

According to local legend, a magical golden tankard was once hidden away in the vaults of Winchester Cathedral, that guaranteed its owner ‘a continuous flow of gold’ for the duration of their lifetime. So secretive and valuable was this tankard, that few had ever seen it, and its very appearance was shrouded in mystery.

Lured by the promise of this magical tale, in 1535 Henry VIII hatched a plan to seize the famous tankard on his visit to Winchester, and relocate it to his London treasury. However, on the morning of the presentation ceremony, as the dusty wooden box was cracked open in front of the excited king and his entourage, loud gasps rang out in shock that the priceless tankard had been stolen!

The award-winning adventure book creator Mystery Guides, has penned a series of clues to guide people around the city starting from the Great Hall but who can solve the riddles and find the culprit?

Mystery Guides founder, Jack Wells, said: “When we think about cities with amazing historical stories then Winchester is right up there. This Mystery Guide focuses in and around the grounds of the great Winchester Cathedral which is not only picturesque but also in the heart of a very pedestrian friendly city centre.

“We can’t wait to see people visiting the city and seeing it in a whole new light - getting to visit some of the areas that perhaps they haven’t seen before and learning a bit of history at the same time!”

The fun and educational book costs £9.99 from the Mystery Guides website and is suitable for adults and children.