We were in the process of checking our map for a suitable location
to place our next hide, Far
Side of The Mere when we noticed something was wrong; something
was missing; well in fact two things were missing .......
A quick check found that the two caches 'Oh Deer Me...' and
'Three Billy Goats Gruff' were no more; they were gone; vamooshed;
placed into that great Tupperware holder in the sky ..... okay,
they had been archived as the owner had left the area and was
unable to maintain them.
Seeing as these were two of the very first caches we had found
combined with the other caches we have placed around Aqualate Mere,
it seemed only right that we should bring them back to life so here
they are, 'Return of the Three Billy Goats' and 'Oh Deer Deer
Me...' (This one is now actually in a slightly different place to
its original location, along the public right of way whereas before
it was a good 100m plus into the farmers field 
Aqualate Mere is an example of an esker system (rare in the
Midlands) formed by glacial meltwaters during the late Devensian
glaciation, about 50,000 years ago. The depression in which the
Mere lies, thought to be a kettle hole, and the surrounding higher
ground which comprises glacial sand and gravel deposits were all
formed at the same time.
The Mere itself is some 1.5km long and 0.5km wide. It is however
remarkably shallow and is nowhere much more than one metre deep. It
supports diverse fish and bird populations, including large numbers
of wintering and breeding wildfowl and breeding Eurasian Curlew and
Common Snipe. Together with the surrounding land, it is also
important for its botanical and invertebrate communities. The Mere
and its surroundings are designated a National Nature Reserve,
managed by Natural England.
Mammals found on the NNR include Polecat, Water Vole and Harvest
Mouse, together with Pipistrelle, Daubenton's, Natterer's,
Brandt'sand Whiskered Bats.
Please be aware that some very rare birds visit this area and
that large numbers of enthusiasts travel a long distance to watch
them. Avoid making loud noises and please ensure dogs are on leads
at all times.
The initial stage is now a small plastic tube with the final
co-ords in it. The cache is a small round GeoPenguins container
with logbook and a few small swaps - please try and retain the
quality of our caches by adhering to the Geocaching ideals of
exchanging items of equal or greater value or purpose.
You can still view the original 'Three Billy Goats Gruff.' entry
by clicking here and read
the original visit logs