24/01/16 - Caching with the Cows

Caches - 16 Found, 2 Muggled, 6xDNF
Distance - 4 Miles
First Cache


The search for a monthly geocaching round is taking me further from home.  I think I am off to Shropshire.  On arrival at Orslow, I determine that I am in fact in Staffordshire.

Park up at 52.73407, -2.28848 and turn on the GPS to determine that I have failed to load the GPX into Cachemate.  This means I am truly caching solo - no company from Mrs Mappiman, none of the previous 5 logs to give me an always required hint.

Still, I hope to find plenty of these.

Cache of the Day

My first cache along the lane is interrupted.  I can see the cow man herding his charges in Orslow Farm.  He is looking at me looking at him.  I am not looking for geocaches when being observed from afar.

Instead, I pick up the footpath and head into the saturated fields, where the gate is opened and out are released the cows.  The field quickly fills up with bovines.

Cows for Company

First DNF at number 6, and I make my way to Bromstead Farm.  Underfoot is tough going and I am not completely sure its only mud that is coming half way up my legs.

My Footprints - in what I hope is only mud

The lane walking to Walton Grange is a major relief - good to have something solid under my feet. Work my way south, stuggling with any cache that is attached to a metal gate.  Meet up with a couple of walkers coming in the opposite direction who announce themselves as cachers.  I can share my lack of caching skills with the CO responsible for 2,28% of my total finds and in Bronze Place in "Cache by Owner".  Got to love Project-GC.  Blokie-Bloke tells me that all the ones in the direction that he has come from are there to be found.  I increase my caching efforts, although the chicken wire one evades me.

Back at the car and out of gaiters and cow affected boots.  I spotted signs to the Red Lion in Great Chatwell on the way here.  This sounds better than any of the many pubs in Shifnall.

Its a universal truth that any village with Great in the title will turn out to be tiny and Chatwell is no expection.  There is the pub, a couple of house and presumably, every resident of the houses in the pub.

Watching Jeremy Kyle on the TV.

Decent pint of Banks Bitter at the bargain price of £2.80.

£2.80 worth of Joy

The Red Lion, Great Chatwell