There is parking for a couple of cars alongside Nursling Church at
N50° 56.789 W01º 29.366 (SU 359164); you can drive past the church
to turn your cachemobile round, but please don't try to park any
closer to the cache than this. For a longer trek, park at any of
the many access points to the Test Way (check the web link above).
The church is dedicated to St Boniface, who
was a novice monk at Nursling (Nutshalling) Abbey (which has long
since disappeared). He travelled as a missionary to Germany, where
he upset the locals by chopping down an oak tree they were
worshipping. After he died, a fir tree grew on the place where the
oak tree had been, and the locals came to associate the fir tree
with Christianity - the origin of the Christmas Tree. St Boniface
was also known as St Winfrid, and there is a church dedicated to St
Winfrid near the start of the Test Way in Totton, 3 miles walk
away.
Have a look around the churchyard, where you'll find many
interesting memorials, then follow the Test Way until you find the
cache! On the way you'll pass a huge "Private" sign, but this only
applies to vehicles: The smaller sign below makes it clear that
this IS a public footpath and bridleway. Near the sign you'll hear
much barking of dogs: It's a boarding kennels, they're noisy but
they're all secure.
The cache is a green ammo box containing the usual bits and
pieces, including a camera: Please take a picture with it and
return it to the cache. Pictures from the first cache cam are
here.Good luck and enjoy the walk.
Other caches hidden along the Test Way include:
(Note that there are probably others, but I've only listed those
which I know from personal experience to be achievable without
straying far from the path. Also, none of these is within an easy
walk of this cache, I'm just showing them because the Test Way is a
nice path and they're on it!)