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Somerset-Dorset


VuurVos

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Hello , we are a family of belgian geocachers and this summer our holiday goes to the Somerset-Dorset area. Would anybody be interested in sharing their list of favorite caches in this area? We have kids of 6 and 9 years old , so we can't do 10-mile hikes...

Any help would be appreciated :laughing:

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If it's lovely scenery you're after, then in my opinion, these are some of the best Dorset caches:

 

Portland Bill - a quick cache, quite near a car park, but with a beautiful view.

Weares the cache - about a twenty minute walk, to a little hidden beach.

Durdle Door and Durdle Window - very close to each other, but about 20 minute's walk from the carpark.

Lulworth An earthcache with a lovely view.

Kimmeridge Another Earthcache, with lots of fossils.

Tyneham Village A Virtual, at a deserted village used by the army during the war. Right next to the car park for a quick cache, or if you want to, you could walk down to the beach about twenty mintues away.

Old Harry Rocks About a 30 minute walk, but the views are breathtaking.

 

If you like boat trips, you might like to visit Brownsea Island and Brownsea Squirrel cache, but be aware that there is an entry fee.

 

You're sorry you asked now, aren't you?! :laughing:

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PS : in 1 picture I saw a snake. I didn't realize those were around in the UK??

The picture you saw was of an adder. Please don't let it put you off. It is poisonous but not lethal. chances that you will come across one is extremely remote. As others on here will testify not many people actually come across them, although they are out there.

 

I to have taken an interest in this thread, as the HH Clan are planning on a holiday to Dorset next year. I spent a couple of years at Bovington, and can testify to it's beauty. I wish we had chosen to go this year now, and can't wait until next year to visit all the caches in places that I have visited before caching was even thought of.

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<snip> chances that you will come across one is extremely remote. As others on here will testify not many people actually come across them, although they are out there.

</snip>

I'd disagree there!

 

Actually, in Dorset, which in the south is predominantly lowland heathland, adders are remarkably common, I saw four last week alone!

 

This time of year they are still a bit sleepy and are basking on sandy paths on the heathland. About 10 days ago a child was hospitalised after being bitten at Studland.

 

Best advice when walking on heathland is stick to the paths and keep an eye open for basking snakes. If they hear you coming, chances are they will move away. If bitten seek medical advice immediately.

 

All that said, human bites are rare and so long as children don't play off the paths and keep their eyes open, everything should be fine.

 

In terms of Dorset caches, I would recomend any by Gary & Jane, ryme intrinseca and Dizzy Pair.

Edited by Dorsetgal & GeoDog
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You must attract them Wendy! I've never seen one in the wild.

Probably not, my neighbours see them as frequently, but we do live on the edge of a large lowland heath which is home to all six British reptiles. It is not a particularly busy heath in terms of human interference and thus they get everywhere! Last year, one got squashed making its way up the road!

 

Just last week, the sand lizards that normally inhabit my patio for the summer months arrived :laughing:

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You must attract them Wendy! I've never seen one in the wild.

I would agree. I lived in Bovington (Dorset) for 2 years, Winchester (Hants) for 2 years, Alsershot (Hants) for 2 years and Abingdon (Oxon) For 3 1/2 years, a total of 9 1/2 years living in the South of England. During that time I have spent many many hours of daylight and night time forays out on lowland heathland.

 

In all of my years venturing out into the wild whether it has been for recreational or work orientated, I have NEVER seen an adder. I know they are there, and I know they will bite if trapped and feel threatened.

 

There is a risk, but I don't think it's a bad one.

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You must attract them Wendy! I've never seen one in the wild.

I would agree. I lived in Bovington (Dorset) for 2 years, Winchester (Hants) for 2 years, Alsershot (Hants) for 2 years and Abingdon (Oxon) For 3 1/2 years, a total of 9 1/2 years living in the South of England. During that time I have spent many many hours of daylight and night time forays out on lowland heathland.

 

In all of my years venturing out into the wild whether it has been for recreational or work orientated, I have NEVER seen an adder. I know they are there, and I know they will bite if trapped and feel threatened.

 

There is a risk, but I don't think it's a bad one.

 

So I imagine I see adders do I?

 

As you correctly stated, Winchester, Aldershot & Abingdon are NOT in Dorset. Bovington is hardly a representative sample either, as rather sadly, a lot of the heathand in that area has been ruined by the military!

 

Try walking the undisturbed heathland on Purbeck or across the harbour, the far reaches of Canford or Upton and you will see them with ease!

 

I've been to Scotland but wouldn't presume to postulate over the local habitat!

Edited by Dorsetgal & GeoDog
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You must attract them Wendy! I've never seen one in the wild.

I would agree. I lived in Bovington (Dorset) for 2 years, Winchester (Hants) for 2 years, Alsershot (Hants) for 2 years and Abingdon (Oxon) For 3 1/2 years, a total of 9 1/2 years living in the South of England. During that time I have spent many many hours of daylight and night time forays out on lowland heathland.

 

In all of my years venturing out into the wild whether it has been for recreational or work orientated, I have NEVER seen an adder. I know they are there, and I know they will bite if trapped and feel threatened.

 

There is a risk, but I don't think it's a bad one.

 

So I imagine I see adders do I?

 

As you correctly stated, Winchester, Aldershot & Abingdon are NOT in Dorset. Bovington is hardly a representative sample either, as rather sadly, a lot of the heathand in that area has been ruined by the military!

 

Try walking the undisturbed heathland on Purbeck or across the harbour, the far reaches of Canford or Upton and you will see them with ease!

 

I've been to Scotland but wouldn't presume to postulate over the local habitat!

Oh dear.

 

Four points and I am gonna leave it at that.

 

1. I don't need to try and walk your recommended routes, I have been there and done it, many times throughout the south.

2. You mentioned the south, and so did I. So the fact the others aren't in Dorset, they do still fall into your above statement.

3. Some of the best areas in this entire country for wildlife actually fall into military areas. I can assure you that the training areas of today are well kept, cleaner and better maintained than the areas open to the public.

4. Sadly I have met many people with your attitude, quite happy for us to be prepared to go and fight, and probably die. But not happy for us to train on your back doorstep, to try and prevent us from becoming casualties. :rolleyes:;);)

 

I think I should try and refrain from answering further on the subject of snakes and the military.

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I'd disagree there!

 

Actually, in Dorset, which in the south is predominantly lowland heathland, adders are remarkably common, I saw four last week alone!

 

This time of year they are still a bit sleepy and are basking on sandy paths on the heathland. About 10 days ago a child was hospitalised after being bitten at Studland.

 

I've seen adders too, I put warnings on most of my cache pages, and I'm glad I did because of this log (also in Studland, but possibly a harmless grass snake this time).

 

Having said that, I wouldn't let fear of adders put you off hunting, just be careful when you lift the cache out! :rolleyes:

Edited by ryme-intrinseca
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Appendum - I agree with DorsetGal. I was out caching last week in Hampshire (on Military ground near Ash as it happens) and there was an adder right near the cache. last year I saw one near a cache Basingstoke (in Hampshire) and we also removed four young (baby ?) adders from next doors garden. At the end of last summer there was a warning about adders at a nearby cache. Anyone who hasn't seen one will at some point during their caching outings, certainly down south during the summer months.

 

They also tell great after dinner jokes - no hang on that's Rhinos :rolleyes:

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If it's lovely scenery you're after, then in my opinion, these are some of the best Dorset caches:

 

Portland Bill - a quick cache, quite near a car park, but with a beautiful view.

Weares the cache - about a twenty minute walk, to a little hidden beach.

Durdle Door and Durdle Window - very close to each other, but about 20 minute's walk from the carpark.

Lulworth An earthcache with a lovely view.

Kimmeridge Another Earthcache, with lots of fossils.

Tyneham Village A Virtual, at a deserted village used by the army during the war. Right next to the car park for a quick cache, or if you want to, you could walk down to the beach about twenty mintues away.

Old Harry Rocks About a 30 minute walk, but the views are breathtaking.

 

If you like boat trips, you might like to visit Brownsea Island and Brownsea Squirrel cache, but be aware that there is an entry fee.

 

You're sorry you asked now, aren't you?! :rolleyes:

 

These are all great caches. Another way if you like Coastal caches in that part of the world is to navigate the South West Coast Path which runs for over 600 miles and has loads of caches at the Eastern end near where you are staying. Some of the caches further west around Lyme Regis and Seaton are great fun and realy show the British coast line in all it's glory.

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You must attract them Wendy! I've never seen one in the wild.

I would agree. I lived in Bovington (Dorset) for 2 years, Winchester (Hants) for 2 years, Alsershot (Hants) for 2 years and Abingdon (Oxon) For 3 1/2 years, a total of 9 1/2 years living in the South of England. During that time I have spent many many hours of daylight and night time forays out on lowland heathland.

 

In all of my years venturing out into the wild whether it has been for recreational or work orientated, I have NEVER seen an adder. I know they are there, and I know they will bite if trapped and feel threatened.

 

There is a risk, but I don't think it's a bad one.

 

So I imagine I see adders do I?

 

As you correctly stated, Winchester, Aldershot & Abingdon are NOT in Dorset. Bovington is hardly a representative sample either, as rather sadly, a lot of the heathand in that area has been ruined by the military!

 

Try walking the undisturbed heathland on Purbeck or across the harbour, the far reaches of Canford or Upton and you will see them with ease!

 

I've been to Scotland but wouldn't presume to postulate over the local habitat!

Oh dear.

 

Four points and I am gonna leave it at that.

 

1. I don't need to try and walk your recommended routes, I have been there and done it, many times throughout the south.

2. You mentioned the south, and so did I. So the fact the others aren't in Dorset, they do still fall into your above statement.

3. Some of the best areas in this entire country for wildlife actually fall into military areas. I can assure you that the training areas of today are well kept, cleaner and better maintained than the areas open to the public.

4. Sadly I have met many people with your attitude, quite happy for us to be prepared to go and fight, and probably die. But not happy for us to train on your back doorstep, to try and prevent us from becoming casualties. :rolleyes:;);)

 

I think I should try and refrain from answering further on the subject of snakes and the military.

 

I suggest you read what I wrote again, perhaps a little more carefully!

I was referring to the south of Dorset, not the south of England!

 

As for the rest of your post, well how sad you make such vast presumptions!

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On the adder subject ..

The thing we have discovered with adders is that I look out for them and see them .

My husband doesn't look out for them and usually doesn't see them til I point them out to him .

 

We know two people who have been bitten by adders.

One wasn't even on heathland .She was bitten reaching down to pick up her dogs ball from the grass in a public recreation area near Red Hill in Bournemouth (Dorset ).

 

The other person didn't even realise he had been bitten til the hospital confirmed several days later that the bruising and inflammation on his leg was from an adder bite and showed him the puncture marks .

He had been walking in the New Forest (Hampshire

 

About a year later a young doctor was joking to him about the story of the person who hadn't realised they had been bitten ,not knowing he was that person !

 

Caches

All the caches on the Purbecks (Dorset ) are good .

 

This is one we took earlier.

one_I_took_earlyer.jpg

Edited by t.a.folk
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ummm is this getting off topic or what?

 

Glad to hear you are coming to England for your holidays, please feel free to look at my cache finds as I have done all of them with my 10 year old daughter and half of them with the two boys(13 & 15) as well. I am also a chronic Asthmatic so have to take my time when walking....the children usually encourage me up the steep bits!

 

I've included a post that I wrote in another message link that went off on one about snakes? Will include the link as well as there's another link to the newspaper article about the boy with the snake bite.......

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...60&hl=snake

 

All I'll add is BE AWARE of the dangers abide by the rules and find a big stick before you go poking in any Holes/tree stumps!!!!

 

Have agreat holiday and if you fancy meeting up at any time give us a shout!

 

minxyy, princessannie, lectroboy, and bugboy

 

I have 'never seen one'... apart from "impounded" at the New Forest Reptile Centre and have spent a life time of weekends roaming the countryside of GB (40 years)!

 

However front page of the "Daily Echo" today shows the results of an adder bite on a child! His leg was seriously ballooned and death could have ensued from sepitcemia!

 

Dr Martin Hussey said "It is a potentially life threatening condition" and "We don't see many adder bites, potentially they can be serious but the last fatality in the UK was over 30 years ago".

 

DO immobilise the leg or limb,

DO clean the area

DO dial 999 and get the patient to hospital

 

DON'T apply a tornique - you could lose the limb if the circulation is stopped for too long!

DON'T Cut the area

DON'T try to suck out the poison!

 

I am always on at my children to:

Stick to the path

Keep their eyes open

Use a long stick to poke in tree stumps!

If you spot any snake to move slowly away from it!

 

I have also encouraged them read the paper article today so that they know mum isn't talking hot air again!

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If you see 4 people packed in 5 layers of clothing , armed to the teeth with sticks & pepper spray , carrying around a 20 kg emergency kit , say "Goeiemorgen Vuurvos" , it will probably be me & my family going stash hunting in hopefully not too sunny uk :rolleyes:

No gators or killer bees around ?

Thanks for the warnings , we DO have the nasty habit to put our hands in hollow trees. Didn't think about that before.All we have here are ticks...

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Hi Minxyy

 

The subject of snakes isn't actually off topic, as it was the OP that brought it up to enhance knowledge of their trip.

 

As for the rest of your post, this is more or less what I was trying to say. But instead you get posts saying you are wrong just because they have had different experience's to you. Then it turns to vieled abuse.

 

Don't go biting now Wendy, because if you go reading back my posts you will see that I was agreeing with Rutson not disagreeing with your sitings. It also wouldn't be the first time this year someone has had rather vast presumptions with their opinions, would it????

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If you see 4 people packed in 5 layers of clothing , armed to the teeth with sticks & pepper spray , carrying around a 20 kg emergency kit , say "Goeiemorgen Vuurvos" , it will probably be me & my family going stash hunting in hopefully not too sunny uk :rolleyes:

No gators or killer bees around ?

Thanks for the warnings , we DO have the nasty habit to put our hands in hollow trees. Didn't think about that before.All we have here are ticks...

Ticks?

Oooops !We discovered ticks on us after sitting on the grass when did one stage of the triple trig cache on the Purbecks . ;)

 

Hollow trees ?

Beware of wasp and hornets nesting in them . ;):D

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<snip> chances that you will come across one is extremely remote. As others on here will testify not many people actually come across them, although they are out there.

</snip>

 

</snip>All that said, human bites are rare and so long as children don't play off the paths and keep their eyes open, everything should be fine.</snip>

 

 

I think I would be more worried about a human bite than a snake bite. :laughing:

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I think I would be more worried about a human bite than a snake bite. :(

:laughing:;);):(:(;);):tired::(:(

 

It's always nice when someone comes along and brings a bit of light humour into a heated debate.

Why don't you invite them for a swim in the FoF HH? After all, there's no sewage or anything there to spoil the fun, is there?

 

 

t.a.folk are right, eyes open, and you will see adders on the heaths and other areas in Dorset. Heck, until two or three years ago they were nesting in my garden compost bins! That was together with the grass snakes that were raiding my pond for a decent meal and the sand lizards on my patio. Living on the edge of a heathland is interesting and as I believe I am living on their territory and not the other way around, it doesn't bother me! However, with a dog, I have to be very alert and aware of what is around me.

 

All this aside, there are many, many wonderful caches in Dorset, and I am sure a little awareness of the situation will do nothing but good.

Edited by Dorsetgal & GeoDog
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Why don't you invite them for a swim in the FoF HH? After all, there's no sewage or anything there to spoil the fun, is there?

Other than slagging of my local area I don't know what that has got to do with the debate, snakes or the topic???

Before this serious incident happened on Friday, I would have been happy to have entered the clean waters of the Firth of Forth. In fact if you look back on this months finds (particularly the 7th April) you will see that I was crabbing in rockpools with my daughter on the beaches of the Firth of Forth.

The Jurassic coast is a very clean and fantastic coastline (I know I have walked it and swam in it many times) but it to hasn't been short of it's enviromental distasters in the past. Wasn't there a lot of looting happening not that long ago?? :laughing:

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No, not at all ! Gimme more :-)

Thanks for sharing.

 

PS : in 1 picture I saw a snake. I didn't realize those were around in the UK??

 

Found this Add an Adder site with lots of info and photos of adders,the black ones as well .

 

If you are lucky enough to see one you could "log" your find.

 

link

Edited by t.a.folk
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Why don't you invite them for a swim in the FoF HH? After all, there's no sewage or anything there to spoil the fun, is there?

Other than slagging of my local area I don't know what that has got to do with the debate, snakes or the topic???

<snip>

 

Oh, so sorry you cannot see the link, perhaps it was too tenuous! :)

 

It was used as an illustration that local information is often better and more current, than second hand or old information from the other end of the land! Nothing more, nothing less. Sorry again, that you couldn't see the analogy.

 

The simple fact is, that living on the edge of a Dorset heath (and owning a dog, which means I walk the heath up to four times a day) makes it highly likely that I will see more adders than most other people who perhaps walk the heathlands only occasionally.

 

Some years ago when they were laying the sewage pipes for our street, a waterboard worker was bitten by an adder on their first day. The herpetological people were called and in a couple of days they removed 48 adders from the site they were working on, about the size of two normal fields. Once the work was complete, the adders were returned. Much of the heathland is SSSI purely because the native reptiles thrive there, not to mention the rare birds that come for the summer. I don't even need to leave my garden to sight Dartford Warblers, Hobbies and Nightjars.

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We had a holiday in Dorset earlier this year and to answer VuurVos's actual question:

 

Chapel Trouble (GC553C) is quite a moving place.

Culpeppers dish (GCNCGZ) and Beauty and the Beast (GCTZ3J) take you to a very interesting geological phenomenem.

Real cash cache (GCN1T3) has an interesting twist over the normal cache which entertained my kids for a short while and is close to an area famed for fossils which my kids also found very interesting.

 

Also do some research beforehand - there are a significant number of code breaking caches which I couldnt do as I didnt have internet access there. Dont know whether I would have been able to do them with internet access either but if you are that way inclined they might float your boat!

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We've had a wonderful holiday in Somerset-Dorset. Thanks for your suggestions, we've done most of them + some others (see bookmark)

If it's lovely scenery you're after, then in my opinion, these are some of the best Dorset caches:

 

Portland Bill - a quick cache, quite near a car park, but with a beautiful view.

Weares the cache - about a twenty minute walk, to a little hidden beach.

Durdle Door and Durdle Window - very close to each other, but about 20 minute's walk from the carpark.

Lulworth An earthcache with a lovely view.

Kimmeridge Another Earthcache, with lots of fossils.

Tyneham Village A Virtual, at a deserted village used by the army during the war. Right next to the car park for a quick cache, or if you want to, you could walk down to the beach about twenty mintues away.

Old Harry Rocks About a 30 minute walk, but the views are breathtaking.

 

If you like boat trips, you might like to visit Brownsea Island and Brownsea Squirrel cache, but be aware that there is an entry fee.

 

You're sorry you asked now, aren't you?! :)

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We've had a wonderful holiday in Somerset-Dorset. Thanks for your suggestions, we've done most of them + some others (see bookmark)

 

I don't suppose you saw any snakes?

 

 

...actually I wouldn;t be surprised if they saw none, they are pretty thin on the ground at the moment. I saw far more snakes in April / May than I have done since. I think it is too wet and not warm enough for them to be basking.

 

In fact this year we have had trouble with sand lizards ... coming into the house ...

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We've had a wonderful holiday in Somerset-Dorset. Thanks for your suggestions, we've done most of them + some others (see bookmark)

 

Hi VuurVos, pleased to hear you had a good holiday and got plenty of caching opportunities. In fact I visited two caches today that had you fox sticker in them! (Both on Brownsea Island).

 

Sorry the weather hasn;t been any better for you ... it doesn't always rain in Dorset, honestly! :D

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The weather wasn't too bad , only 3 out of 13 days we had rain. The rest was ok and even had some excellent days as well.

We've enjoyed it, Dorset is really beautiful.

Yes, we visited Brownsea island when the first scouts were arriving.

I suppose you didn't see my son's TB anymore (Wile E. Coyote)?

I launched it there and I've read it's no longer present.

Haven't seen a log entry yet, but I suppose one of the geocaching-scouts could take it home.

And since there were some from as far as New-Zealand , Canada or Hong Kong , it could take them a while to get home...

 

Anyway, we had a wonderful time ! And didn't see any snakes,by the way...

 

We've had a wonderful holiday in Somerset-Dorset. Thanks for your suggestions, we've done most of them + some others (see bookmark)

 

Hi VuurVos, pleased to hear you had a good holiday and got plenty of caching opportunities. In fact I visited two caches today that had you fox sticker in them! (Both on Brownsea Island).

 

Sorry the weather hasn;t been any better for you ... it doesn't always rain in Dorset, honestly! :laughing:

Edited by VuurVos
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I suppose you didn't see my son's TB anymore (Wile E. Coyote)?

I launched it there and I've read it's no longer present.

Haven't seen a log entry yet, but I suppose one of the geocaching-scouts could take it home.

And since there were some from as far as New-Zealand , Canada or Hong Kong , it could take them a while to get home...

 

 

Yes, someone signed the log book for it, see the other thread about Jamboree where I answered :laughing:

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I was searching the forums for some information regarding camping in the New Forest. Anyone got any recommendations? Must-do caches would also be appreciated. We were going to the Lake District next week, but have had to cancel again as the weather forecast is terrible for that area.

 

BTW, we were in Cornwall last week and we did see this chap, who was very close to the coastal path too.

a93fba45-7964-486c-9697-4a79c9146aba.jpg

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I was searching the forums for some information regarding camping in the New Forest. Anyone got any recommendations? Must-do caches would also be appreciated. We were going to the Lake District next week, but have had to cancel again as the weather forecast is terrible for that area.

 

BTW, we were in Cornwall last week and we did see this chap, who was very close to the coastal path too.

a93fba45-7964-486c-9697-4a79c9146aba.jpg

 

We've just got back from a week in the New Forest with our 7 & 8 year olds and had a fantastic time. We weren't camping this time, but we've previously stayed at the Holmsley camp site which is well positioned for the forest.

 

We did our favourite ever cache when we did Pirates Surprise GC12N18, so would definately recommend that if you get a chance - but make sure you read the instruction before you attempt it though as it's not always available. An area we went to upon another cacher's recommendation was to the west of Bournemouth, which instead of being urban caches as expected, were infact amongst lovely wooded chines and were very handy for the beach too!

 

All in all we highly recommend all the caches we tried, but we did manage to pick up a tick so do watch out. Hope you have a good time.

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We've just got back from a week in the New Forest with our 7 & 8 year olds and had a fantastic time. We weren't camping this time, but we've previously stayed at the Holmsley camp site which is well positioned for the forest.

 

We did our favourite ever cache when we did Pirates Surprise GC12N18, so would definately recommend that if you get a chance - but make sure you read the instruction before you attempt it though as it's not always available. An area we went to upon another cacher's recommendation was to the west of Bournemouth, which instead of being urban caches as expected, were infact amongst lovely wooded chines and were very handy for the beach too!

 

All in all we highly recommend all the caches we tried, but we did manage to pick up a tick so do watch out. Hope you have a good time.

If you go to Holmsley make sure you have a good supply of rock pegs and a hammer, when we stopped there the ground was rock hard and I had to go find a camping shop to buy some before we could pitch our tent :laughing::wub: .

Also watch out for additional charges, they charged us an additional £5 per night for a small camping trailer.

Edited by Phillimore Clan
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