Introduction

Coed y Bont is an award winning community woodland in Pontrhydfendigaid (or Bont), with a variety of habitats supporting diverse wildlife. This trail is on all-access paths in the lower wood. The upper wood is also worth exploring while you are here. See the information board in the car park for path details.

The listed coordinates are for stage 1 of the trail. To find the cache location, follow the quiz trail round using the instructions below, or the waypoints, and gather 8 clues on the way. If following the waypoints, please do them in order and follow the paths round. All answers are accessible from the paths.

Dogs are welcome, but please ensure you clear up any mess. There are bins in the village nearby.

For more about the woodlands, see below, but for now - onto the quiz:

The Quiz Trail and Cache

There are 8 stages of the nature trail with a question at each stage. 1 letter from each answer form an anagram to reveal the cache location. It should take less than an hour to gather the answers and find the cache. The trail and all clues are on all-access, level paths, terrain 1. Retrieval of the cache just makes it 1.5 terrain overall.

The nature trail is suitable for all ages. It's a fun trail, not a test. If you can't identify a tree or plant, have a good look in case a clue is hanging around close by.

• STAGE 1 - From the carpark, walk up the main track past the barrier and turn right onto the level path. Continue straight on, ignoring left hand turns until you then come to a small stone bridge with a tree growing on the left of it. The papery bark of this tree has been used for parchment, baskets & canoes; the sap is good for wine and the twigs for brooms. Name the tree.
  Tree name (5 letters): _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 1st letter)

• STAGE 2 - Continue along the path until you come to a bench on the right. Close by is a low growing green shrubby plant, which has evergreen stems in winter and dark purple berries in late summer which are rich in vitamin C and delicious in pies, jam and wine. Have a rest while you find the clue to the name of this plant close by.
  Plant name (8 letters): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 4th letter)

• STAGE 3 - Continue to the pond where there’s an interpretation post. What bird is carved on it? If you’re lucky and very quiet you might see a flash of its metallic blue coloured feathers as it flies or perches over water to catch its aquatic food.
  Bird name (10 letters): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 9th letter)

• STAGE 4 - Carry on round the trail until you reach the main track and another interpretation post. This is a hoot! The feathered friend carved on it is only heard at night and hunts small mammals on the forest floor. What type of creature is it?
  Bird name (3 letters): _ _ _ (Note the 3rd letter)

• STAGE 5 - Turn left back down the main track towards the carpark. By the bench on the right is a small tree, with large leaves and catkins in Spring. This tree has been used for centuries to make hurdles (fences), poles, pea sticks, charcoal & many other woodland crafts – and its nuts were a Celtic symbol of concentrated wisdom!
  Tree name (5 letters): _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 5th letter)

• STAGE 6 - Turn left at the wooden bridge. Just before the path curves sharply right there is a tree with smooth pale grey bark. Its Welsh name means ‘women’s tongues’ as the leaves flutter in the slightest breeze! Arrow shafts were made from its branches & all parts have been used medicinally - apparently wizards made ointments from it to help with flying! What’s its English name?
  Tree name (5 letters): _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 4th letter)

• STAGE 7 - Continue to a pond to find another interpretation post. There’s a flying creature carved on it – but not the feathered kind! The immature forms of these can live up to 5 years in a pond before emerging as an adult.
  What is it? (9 letters): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 8th letter)

• STAGE 8 - Continue on and bear right back to the start of the trail. Look at the Welcome Board and find a species that looks like rubbery fingers or gloves. It’s neither an animal nor a plant!
  What is it an example of? (6 letters): _ _ _ _ _ _ (Note the 2nd letter)

• THE FINAL CHALLENGE - Take the 8 letters noted from the stages above and rearrange them to form the name of a much-loved woodland flower that carpets many woods in the Spring. Not far from where you are, in a special place at Coed y Bont, this flower can be found all year round – find this and the cache is very close:
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Well done for completing the challenge – enter your name and date in the book to record your achievement!

Information about Coed y Bont

Officially opened in September 2016, the hard work of a dedicated team of volunteers has created a lovely place for people to enjoy the woodlands and find out about nature and wildlife. Twisting all-access paths cover the lower half of the woodland (Coed Dolgoed), while the upper woodland (Coed Cnwch) can be explored on a variety of paths.

The paths lead through a variety of habitats and terrains including ancient bluebell woodland, regenerating birch and mixed conifer woodlands, open water and streams. It's excellent for wildlife with Red Kites, Buzzards, Pied Flycatchers, Cuckoos, Roe Deer and Pine Marten seen or tracked here and Red Squirrels recorded close by, so keep your eyes open and let us know what you see in your cache log.

With the help of a community artist, local children from nursery to secondary school age helped create sculptures and designs of the wildlife for the picnic area, shelter and paths. They also helped build Pine Marten nest boxes to encourage the recently reintroduced Marten to settle at Coed y Bont. They've been tracked passing through already.

An excellent all weather shelter has been constructed near the car park and decorated with beautiful mosaics of some of the local wildlife. Along with a nearby forest glade with campfire site, these areas are frequently used for meetings, and free events to engage the local community.

The cache is placed on land owned by Natural Resources Wales and managed by Coed y Bont. Land owner and manager give full support for the geocache here.

Please bear in mind that parts of the site are an active forest and take note of any warning signs in case of felling or other work.

Special thanks to Angie Polkey, for designing the quiz and cache, and Jim Cowie for his help and encouragement.