The cache is a small box hidden somewhere on the campus of St James
Church, which has stood on the site for over 900 years. Close by
are a number of Oaks dedicated to various Kings and Queens, and the
Queens Oak public house named for the original oak tree that stood
on the green. Trust your GPS, but be careful to watch the signal
strength, coming at it from certain directions dense tree cover,
the church and the hill are all in exactly the WRONG place for
getting an accurate position.
The cache is in a usually fairly peaceful spot as the main road
has long since been diverted, however watch out for weddings or
other events at the church or manor house, and walkers dropping
into the pub for a rest stop. They will start to wonder what you
are doing wandering around! You could drive to the pub, and find
the cache from there, but it is much more fun to explore the
Blackwater Valley, or visit the National Trust land around
Finchampstead Ridges, and use one of the many footpaths to reach
the cache.
Once you've found the cache, go and spend a while in The Queens
Oak. If you're lucky you'll find that their Steak and Ale pie is on
the specials board.
You do not need to enter the churchyard to find this cache.
Please respect the lower level of the churchyard as this is still
actively used for burials from the village.
Important: As mentioned above, the cache is close to a
church. To help you pick a suitably quiet time to find the cache
the church diary is available online.
The cache has been incorrectly replaced on a couple of occasions
in the past, so please ensure that the cache is re-hidden
properly. The cache should not be visible from any direction,
should be totally covered and well into the undergrowth.
By the way, don't forget to have a go at The
Royal Oaks Virtual Cache whilst you're here.
Please check out the Geocaching Association of Great
Britain offering support for Geocachers in the
UK
