Stony Hazel Wood Traditional Cache
XXclarke: No longer able to maintain.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Originally a micro, this has now been replaced with a larger container in the hope it won't get eaten again! Note the coordinates may be slightly out due to the terrain & tree cover.
Stony Hazel Wood is maintained for landscape and wildlife conservation. It covers 38.1 hectares (95 acres) and is principally ancient semi-natural oak, birch and hazel woodland with some yew, rowan, small leaved lime and wild cherry. Alder and willow occupy the wetter soils. A few beech and sycamore have also seeded in or been planted.
There is also the remains of a 17th century Iron Finery Forge in the south-eastern corner of the wood. Like many woods in the Furness area, Stony hazel was managed as coppice for centuries, and there are many old pitsteads and the remains of old charcoal burners’ huts. Stony Hazel had a reputation among old coppice workers for producing good quality oak for making riven oak swill baskets.
Managing as coppice requires that deer and farm stock are totally excluded from the cut-over areas to prevent them browsing the young coppice shoots for food. Therefore, please shut all gates in the deer fencing even if you find them open.
This cache forms part of a series forming a short circular walk (less than three miles) around the tiny hamlets of Force Forge and Force Mills. A good starting point for the circuit is St Paul's Church where Arthur Ransome, the author of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ is buried.
It is recommended that the circuit be extended slightly into a figure of eight by taking in the nearby cache at The Strands - a very picturesque location but you may have to get your feet wet.
Please note that if doing the full circuit, the path may be muddy and slippery in places.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nzbatfg ebpxf orybj ebbgf. Whfg nobir fznyy ohg abgvprnoyr fyno.
Treasures
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