Wern Ddu Rocks Traditional Cache
Write and Mane: Cache retrieved, following our planned withdrawal from owned caches. This one was pretty damp and log book barely serviceable - a description that could also be applied to the owners!
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache, in a plastic lunch box, is in the heart of the Warren/Wern Ddu woodland, to the southeast of Caerphilly. The locality is a Geological SSSI, in a diverse woodland habit. The easiest approach involves walking less than a mile, mainly on a good track with gentle gradients - but the terrain rating is based on a longer, more strenuous walk which is recommended for those that can manage it. There is a little scramble up a bank at the end to reach the cache.
BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS CACHE, YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK OUT (visit link)
WHERE YOU WILL FIND DOWNLOADABLE MP3 AUDIO FILES, WHICH PROVIDE A GUIDE TO THE LOCALITY WHERE THE CACHE IS HIDDEN.
The Warren, Wern Ddu and Coed Parc-y-Van woodlands are owned by the Forestry Commission. The exception to this is an area of about 23 acres in the Warren, which has now been renamed as 'Coed y Werin' (loosely translated as the woods of the common people). This area is owned and managed by the Caerphilly Woodlands Trust on behalf of the people of Caerphilly. The cache is located in this area, known locally as the old clay pits.
This is right on the southern edge of the South Wales Coalfield: go a mile to the south and you have left the Coal Measures. Coal seams that were famously mined in the Rhondda, Taff and Rhymney valleys reach the surface in this area and small scale workings of the outcrop and shallow bell pits are evidenced by pock marking seen nearby on Caerphilly Common.
The rocks found at Wern Ddu were formed about 320 million years ago during a period of geological time called the Carboniferous (from the Latin for coal bearing). At this time Britain lay somewhere south of the equator and basked in tropical conditions. The Carboniferous rocks of South Wales are sedimentary and consist of many repeating layers of mudstones, coal seams and hard sandstones that were deposited in a swampy delta environment. It was an important period in earth’s history as it was the first time that the land was colonised by plants forming vast forests. These plants grew fast and died, falling into the swampy waters, forming significant thicknesses of peat which would later be compressed to form coal. During the Carboniferous period land animals were primitive and only insects lived in the tropical swampy forests. Giant dragonflies with wing spans of up to 80cm flew through the forests while giant spiders and cockroaches roamed the forest floor. You may see fossils that were trapped in the layers of coal, mudstone and ironstone as they were being laid down in the tropical swamps.
It is the uniqueness and international importance of the Coal Measures rocks found here that has led to the site being designated as a Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, in order to protect and preserve the outstanding geological exposures, which tell a fascinating story of our evolving planet and ancient climate change.
The riches found within these rocks have been known and exploited by man since Roman times. It was only in the C18th during the Industrial Revolution that they really became important. At first the rocks of South Wales were mainly worked for ironstone. Later, coal became the more important resource, replacing charcoal as a fuel for smelting iron, and being used in steam engines and the homes of the many people who came to work in the valleys. The very soft, clay mudstones like those found at Wern Ddu were also of use and were dug and used in the production of bricks. In the early 1850's a mine opened at Wern Ddu for the extraction of coal and by 1900 the beginnings of the Clay Pit had been dug. Clay working continued here until the1960’s, during which time the clay was turned into Caerphilly Bricks. Most of the old brickworks has been demolished but the factory once stood beneath the large red chimney that can still be seen just to north of the site. Further evidence of the brickworks is the section of path near the restored bridge which is cobbled with reject bricks.
Coed Y Werin is full of wildlife and very fortunate to be home to a population of the common dormouse, a species protected due to its rarity. About 2½ to 2¾ inches long, its fur is a pale rusty brown on the back and a lighter shade on the belly. It is an excellent climber, nocturnal and hibernates from late September to March. Bats can be seen in the late evening, while the pools and ponds attract frogs and newts. Over ninety species of bird have been recorded within Coed y Werin, including buzzards, woodpeckers, herons, crossbills, kingfishers, owls, woodcock, jay, blackcap, common whitethroat and garden warbler. As well as woodland flowers, a wide variety of fungi, mosses, lichens, liverworts and ferns can be found.
The recommended parking for this cache is on Caerphilly Mountain, from where a figure-of-eight walk (Waypoints 0P-3R-4R-5R-6R-7R-3R-8R-0P) to the cache will take you through a wide variety of woodland scenery in the Warren and Coed y Werin. This requires a walk of about 2 miles, with some 400 feet of ascent, on a mixture of forest tracks and woodland paths. If this is not for you, there is very limited alternative parking about 100 yards from the northern entrance to the woodland off Cefn Carnau Lane, at the sharp bend just east of the railway bridge. Otherwise, attempting to park in the very narrow Cefn Carnau Lane is not recommended. If this parking place is already occupied, there is an ample car park at Coed Parc-y-Van, a further 400 yards away. From the alternative parking, a well made, gently sloping track along the route of the old dramway, built to take clay and coal out of the site takes you nearly all the way to the cache (Waypoints 1P-9R-5R-6R then retrace your steps). Approached this way, expect to walk less than a mile with no more than 150 feet of ascent and reduce the terrain rating to 2½. The last few metres to the cache involve ascending a baby ridge. If you approach from Cefn Carnau Lane and find the vehicular access open, you are advised NOT to park within the woodland – you may well find the gate locked on your return!
We are pleased to record our thanks to the Caerphilly Woodlands Trust and the British Institute for Geological Conservation, who are responsible for managing the Geological SSSI, for their help and approval to setting this cache. For those that are interested, the Trust holds regular work party mornings, improving access, clearing brash, re-planting native trees, clearing water courses, etc. It also organises guided walks and nature rambles, while guided tours can be arranged for groups to discover birds, other flora and fauna, geology and the history of the woodlands. Since this cache was first set, the geological features of the site have been developed and enhanced to facilitate understanding of the area’s unique geology and make the site more accessible and some excellent interpretive panels erected.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Frr fcbvyre
Treasures
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