10/06/12 - There's just too many

Caches - 23
Distance - 9.1 Miles

More in Quatford

After a week of beautiful and planned coastal walks in Cornwall, it was time to just catch up on a few local caches in the area.  I know from doing the Seven on the Severn series that new ones had been planted around Quatford.  I had no idea just how many.  Last night on downloading the GPX and plotting on a map, I decided that I would just go and get as many as I could.  Stopping when either a) it started to rain b) I got bored or c) the GPS ran out of juice.  It was point C that put an end to the day!

Woke to glorious sunshine.  Attempted to get the geohound interested.  Last week has obviously done her in, as she hid upstairs and even a strategically placed boot up the backside failed to get her to move.

Solo caching today.

Park up at the Danery again and walk down the road to pick up the last of the seven on the severn series that I missed out last time to walk past Quatford Castle - where some of today's new caches are.

Cache number 2 and the first on the new trail, causes me no end of problems.  15 minutes of hunting and a DNF will have to be recorded.  Cache number 3 is no easier and it takes me an age to decipher the clue and then find the cache.  Going to be a challenge but enjoying the paths around the castle again.

Caching in the woods - no one can hear you scream

Turn left on Chapel Lane and then over the A458, popping into Stanmore Country Park for an off series caches.  The lane has the first great views of the Shropshire Countryside today. 

Now in unchartered territory and turn right to start on the "Pools and Up" series by the same cache owners.  Past a couple of pools, complete with fishermen.  I've asked it before and I'll ask it again... "Why do they do it?".  I am yet to meet a happy fisherman.

In a hamlet called barnsley and across farmland where I meet some baby cows and get hassled by the abundance of bite me hurt me's that are plauging the cowpats.

One in the eye as the shutter closes.

Record my 2nd DNF - which is a nasty nano.  Also work out that whatever I am allergic to grows in these fields, as I serenade the cows with a sneezing fit.  Superb views from the top of the hill here.  The cows are lucky.

The views (and caches) continue down the lane to Upper Farmcote.  Caches are easier here, and made even easier by the distinct cachers trails through the undergrowth.

Emerge at the big blue cup of joy on the OS Map.  It may be one of the cider houses in the area, but to be fair, it looks like someone's house!  Too early for a drink anyway and despite wanting to get 5 a day, fruit based drinks are for the ladies.

Has a pub sign - but do you need to be invited in?

Realise that I need to plot a way back, so I return to the A458 for a cache that will make you smile if you do it.  Fortunately, the log is easily found.  Then have a stupid bit of road walking - maybe I should have plotted the route a bit better.  Its only a short while before you can dive into the woods at Burfe castle and find yet another series contained within.  I don't do them all - only a couple.

Then its lane and into the grounds of Dudmaston Hall.  This is the home of FMF and the cache is never going to be easy.  Could have done with a small child to help out.  After reading previous logs, and fashioning a tool out of something placed near by, I was disappointed that I came up empty handed.  Then I found it on the floor.  Had to re-assemble tools to put it back where I think it belonged.

GPS bings that the battery has gone and the last possible one of the day is up a tree, so I call it day.  There are pubs open that sell fine continental lagers and those need to be my next finds.

Thanks again to blokiebloke.  The caches are always well engineered and never the same.  I shall be back for the other - maybe applying some more logic to the walking.