Latton Wood Loop 1 - Stumpy Traditional Cache

This is one of a series of caches that will take you on a nice walk around Latton Wood near Harlow, Essex. Collect all five caches in the series to get the info for a bonus cache.
If going for the whole series, the best order is St Mary Magdalene Church followed by 1, 2, 3, 4 & bonus, allow yourself a good 2 hours to complete the (roughly) 3 mile loop.

• Latton Wood Loop - St Mary Magdalene Church
• Latton Wood Loop 2 - Fallen Giant
• Latton Wood Loop 3 - Going back to my roots
• Latton Wood Loop 4 - Root about
• Latton Wood Loop Bonus Cache

The common and woods can be quite muddy during the winter months, and the tree cover may be a problem in the summer (please let us know if nettles and the like pose a problem and we may move the hides).
You may find the odd dog walker, horseback rider, cyclist and nature loving type muggle on your travels, but they are few and far between. There is also a herd of deer that frequent the woods – keep an eye out and you may be lucky enough to see them.
Although the paths are clearly marked, some have fallen trees across them which makes it difficult to pass with buggies or wheelchairs – sorry.

As is usual for a cache series, there is a bonus cache at the end, the clues for which are to be found in the caches in the series. You will find a number and letter combination in each cache that will point you in the direction of the bonus, so make a note of them on your way round!

Latton Wood & Common

In days of yore, Latton was an ancient parish bounded east by Harlow and west by Netteswell, and like Netteswell, it was a long, narrow parish, extending south from the river Stort. The area was mentioned in the Domesday Book, when it was noted that there were 3 Manors using the land, one of which – the Bury St. Edmunds manor, was using it for the raising of “4 'beasts', 50 swine, 30 sheep, and 25 goats”. No stock was listed on the other manors. The Domesday swine pastures probably lay mainly on the southern uplands, where there is still woodland and common (and now some caches!). In the 17th & 18th centuries, there was a thriving pottery business in the area – hence the nearby ‘Potter Street’, but these businesses were decimated by the rise of the Midland potteries in the 18th century. Today, the woods and common are there for us to enjoy. There are many paths through and around the woods and across the common, with designated footpaths to take you further afield.

From the parking coordinates, you should use the subway under the A414 which will take you to the common and woods – please do not try to cross the road – use the subway.