Knighton Loop 5 - Long-eared Owl Traditional Cache

This is the fifth  of 14 caches forming the Knighton Down Loop. The walk will take you on a 6.5 mile walk around a beautiful part of the Oxfordshire Downland. This part of Oxfordshire is particularly rich in download birdlife. Each cache is named after one bird you might see as you walk around the loop.

There are 12 traditional caches (1 nano, 5 small, 3 regular, 2  large and 1 other) and two puzzles (1 small and 1 large).

You will need to read the Bonus details and  print off  the puzzle before you set off.

Knighton Loop 5 - Long-eared Owl

You are now coming onto the Lambourn Downs, famous for its racehorse training. The next bit of the footpath goes across the gallops so please watch out for horses and keep dogs under control.  The short cropped grass of the gallops makes it ideal for many downland birds including the uncommon Long-eared Owl. If you do the walk around dusk you may well see one flying low over the grass looking for voles.

The barrow here is called Idlebush and folklore claims it was named after three lazy shepherds who lay down here to rest. An alternative explanation is that the name derives from the meaning of idle as "empty" implying that the barrow was robbed out many years ago. A third suggestion is that in Saxon times the mound was known as Hawk's Low and also as Wade's Barrow (Weardeas Beorth), Wade being the father of Wayland, whose "Smithy" is further along the Ridgeway.

Please rehide the cache carefully.