What3words / Google Street View

To undertake a Challenge, you will need to familiarise yourself with What3words (W3W) and Google Street View. When you type a three-word location into W3W on your PC or laptop, the two will work in tandem to enable you to explore Street View images to locate and solve clues. 

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What3words (W3W) is a very clever geocodng system that divides the world into three metre squares and gives each one a unique three-word address. It is based in London, but is used all over the world to find, share and save precise locations.

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​​​​​​​​​​Google Street View is a feature within Google Maps and Google Earth that provides interactive panoramas from positions along many streets around the world. It allows users to virtually explore streets, landmarks, museums, and more through stitched panoramic images.​

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Walking Challenges

 

For Walking Challenges, simply use W3W to find the location of the clue you are seeking to solve as follows:

 

Open W3W on your phone or device and carefully enter the three words denoting the clue location exactly as it appears above your clue in this box. Select the location from the choices given and then select 'Navigate' at the base of the screen. Select 'Google Maps'. IMPORTANT: Check that you are in 'walking' mode by ensuring that the walking man icon above the map is hightlighted. Select 'Start' and follow the guidance to reach your clue location.

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Virtual Challenges

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For Virtual Challenges, you will need to use W3W to find the location of the clue you are seeking to solve, and then explore the location using Google Street View to solve it.​​

 

                'Pegman', this little yellow man icon, will assist you as you work your way around an 18 Clues Virtual                            Challenge. To locate a clue, follow these instructions:

 

Open W3W on your laptop or desktop and carefully enter the three words denoting the clue location exactly as it appears above your clue in this box. Select the location from the choices given and you will then see the location you are seeking broken down into squares, with one specific square highlighted (the location box). This square is three metres by three metres and your clue will be within, or in the vicinity of, this square.

 

Look for Pegman in the bottom right hand corner of the map (see map below). Click on and drag Pegman across the map and drop him into the W3W square (the location box). This action will immediately open up Google Street View and you will be able to view the area from Pegman’s perspective. Use your mouse or mousepad to navigate and explore your surrounds in search of the clue, zooming in and out as necessary.