Our final clue led treasure hunters to the 13th mile marker opposite the Golden Acre, where the hunt started — a small but satisfyingly specific clue hiding in plain sight for anyone counting their way out from London.

The “thirteen giant’s paces” are not giant steps in the fairy-tale sense — though that would be fun — but thirteen miles from Charing Cross, the traditional point from which distances to London were measured.

And “London’s bend” gives the game away rather neatly. Charing comes from the Old English cierring, meaning a turning or bend, a nod to the curve of the Thames nearby. So our “bend” is Charing Cross — the starting line for those thirteen measured miles.

The “royal heart” belongs to Queen Eleanor of Castile, wife of King Edward I. After her death in 1290, Edward ordered memorial crosses to be built at each place where her funeral procession rested overnight on its journey to Westminster Abbey. Charing Cross marked the final stop before Westminster — a rather grand ending to a very long and solemn road.

Put it all together and the clue points to the 13th mile marker opposite the Golden Acre: thirteen miles from Charing Cross, with a royal detour through medieval history for good measure. Not bad for one little marker — it turns out even road signs can have a dramatic backstory.

And so our little summer adventure around beautiful Bexley Village comes to a close — I hope it led you to a few clues, a few smiles, and some treasured memories of your own.