Around English Bicknor #1 - Coldwell Rocks Traditional Geocache
Around English Bicknor #1 - Coldwell Rocks
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
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Welcome to our fourth group of Geocaches in & around the Forest of Dean. Around English Bicknor covers a circular route of about 5 miles,this time with English Bicknor as its centrepiece. The village is situated high above the surrounding fields and woodland. It is a very old village with a Norman church adjoining an ancient motte & bailey (the castle no longer exists). The village was first recorded as a hamlet in 1066. There are 9 caches in the series & some lovely views along the way.
The main parking spot for this circular route is at Symonds Yat Forestry Commission car park. The car park has toilets, picnic benches and a small shop but is charged at £3 in winter months & £3.50 during the summer. There are other caches in the area of the Yat Rock and along the Wye, so you could make a caching day of it, and the whole site is of interest to walkers & birdwatchers.
If you would rather not part with your money in this way may we suggest the free parking at Shortstanding picnic site, between Christchurch & Hillersland – this site has 2 large benches & parking places off the road, with grass for children to play on. From here you would have to walk towards Symonds Yat on the footpath, which runs parallel to the main road (through the woods). DO NOT attempt to walk along the main road, as there are no footpaths and the road is narrow & busy with traffic visiting the Yat Rock. If you choose to park at Shortstanding you could also bag caches 8 and 9 on your way to the start, so the extra distance walked would be limited.
A third parking option, which is also free, is to park in English Bicknor itself, in the car park just below the church and school. You may then join the circular route by turning left out of the car park and walking up to the junction signposted Eastbach. Turn right down Church Hill and head for cache # 4 Under Cowmeadow.
In the winter months parts of the route do become rather muddy; churned up by cattle in gateways or made wet by streams crossing the path, so we would suggest wellies or walking boots are the ‘footwear of choice’.
The whole circular route is about 5 miles and much of the walk is along Public Footpaths & Waymarked Paths (Wysis Way), but there are a few farms close by the route so please keep dogs under control, especially around livestock. As usual we have hidden a First to Find ‘REWARD’ along the route – but in which cache?? Have a great walk & enjoy the views.
Cache number 1 is hidden very close to the Coldwell Rocks viewpoint, which is just across the road from the main car park at Symonds Yat. Coldwell Rocks has a good viewpoint, with bench and information board to the NW of the bench.
When you have bagged cache 1 follow the obvious route along the side of the Wye, in a SE direction, away from Symonds Yat car park. The footpath is fenced on the left hand side at first, but this disappears down left as you walk along in open woodland. The side of the valley becomes very steep as you approach cache 2 with the Ship and Needle rocks rising dramatically above the river. Please keep a tight rein on both children & dogs at this point in the walk, as the path is very near the edge, and either could slip or fall.
Streams cross parts of the track, which makes the walk muddy in places, so we would suggest comfortable wellies or walking boots for the whole route. Our thanks to the Forestry Commission for allowing us to place the cache on their land.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gb gur Gbc