This cache is set as part of the Essex Country Parks/Trailnet - Heritage Lottery Funded Geocaching project.
Journey of Discovery
Great Notley Country Park was created in the early 1990's previously used for farming. The aim was to create a sustainable open space for both people and the environment.
The "Notley Bowl" and mounds throughout the park were formed with the topsoil and sub-soil excavated from the development of Great Notley Garden Village minimising the transportation of vast quantities of soil to landfill.
Construction of the Discovery Centre started in early 1999, architects Penoyre and Prasad created a showcase building with an environmental-friendly design and sustainable architecture. Some examples of the sustainable features of the building include solar panels, the Termodeck Floor, a wind turbine and a sustainable drainage system.
The heating and cooling of the building is regulated through a Termodeck floor. It is made of concrete and has hollow chambers like pipes running through it. The big silver construction in front of the building is the air intake. Fans draw the air in through the earth mound and then it is blown around the building. In summer, drawing air through the earth mound cools the air and cools the building. In winter the air is passed through a heat exchanger and blown around the building keeping the centre warm.
The pond in front of the building is part of the Discovery Centre's own sewage treatment system. It works using an old Roman method of filtering sewage through reeds. The toilets flush into a settlement tank, and the liquid waste then flows into the reed bed on the other side of the foot bridge. This slowly filters into the pond. The cleaning process takes about 90 days.
The Discovery Centre was opened to the public in July 2001 and the addition of a play trail in 2008, the largest in Essex, has ensured that the Country Park is visited by thousands of visitors every year.
This cache is a multi and it requires you to visit various locations around the Country Park and answer the questions to find the final co-ordinates for the cache, a short walk away.
The co-ordinates are :-
N51º 51. CBE
E000º G0. AFD
A = Number of steps up to the Café, minus 9
E = Number of plaques, minus 13 (only count the current number of plaques)
D = Number of slides at this play area
F = Number of vertical poles on this piece of equipment, minus 6
G = Number of times an Expert (E) should complete this activity
B = Number of WHITE arrows on ONE side of the sign
C = Number on the post, minus 10