Little Bridges # 621 Monks Pool Nature Reserve Letterbox Hybrid
Little Bridges # 621 Monks Pool Nature Reserve
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is a letterbox hybrid cache therefore PLEASE leave the self inking stamp IN the cache. This is not a swap item, thanks.
This cache brings you to the secluded Monks Pool Nature Reserve. Monks Pool is the name of the largest of a complex of four interconnected ponds which are believed to have been used in the Middle Ages by a rest house on the nearby Gloucester Road to stock fish. The ponds would have been connected by a series of channels and sluices to enable fish to be moves from pond to pond as they grew, probably having been caught as young in theRiver Frome or in Bradley Brook. The channels still remain but the sluices are long gone.
Through benign neglect the ponds have developed an interesting habitat for wildlife and provide an example of how change takes place naturally over time from open water to woodland.
The unimproved grassland surrounding the ponds would have been grazed and contains many wet pasture flora including the locally rare and interestingly named corky-fruited water-dropwort.
The range of wetland, woodland and grassland habitats attract a wide range of birds, animals, amphibians, reptiles and insects. Of particular interest are the kingfishers that can be seen along the Bradley Brook and the grass snakes that nest in the rough grass and can sometimes be seen swimming in the ponds
It is a peaceful spot where you can sit and take a break and be at one with nature.
Please be aware that there are ancient pools (ponds) here so keep an eye on little cachers (and dogs unless you don't mind them coming out covered in smelly mud!)
As you walk around the reserve, after crossiing the bridge, the Bradley Brook stream runs through the top of the reserve, this is clean and ideal for a splash around.
At WP1 count how many sleepers form the base of the bridge = A
At WP2 the intrepretation board, what is the last number of the extension to ask for? = B
To find the cache, apply: N51º31. (B-3)(A+1)(B-A)
W002º 31.(A-3)(B-1)(A-2)
The Little Bridges series was started by Stanthews in 2009 to highlight small footbridges in remote parts of Wiltshire. Since then the series has been expanded by others all over the country and starting to spread fast, Damian from Winter Foxes has created and updates a list of cachers who has found 10 or more little bridges and can be found here, if you would like to add to the series, please contact Stan here and he will give you a number for your bridge, to qualify, the bridge must be a foot bridge too small for vehicles, please make sure your title exactly matches “Little Bridges # xx then name” including spaces so it will get picked up and added to Damian’s list.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
O B C