Hay-a-Park Lake Traditional Cache
Snosrap: The footpath upon which the cache was placed has been completely blocked by hedge & tree cuttings so I have been forced to archive this. Still a lovely place to visit though.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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A pleasant walk around the lake which can be approached from two sides. Can be very muddy (particularly from the south)!
Hay-a-Park lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The official notification states:
"The site known as Hay-a-Park is of interest for its breeding birds and wintering wildfowl. The site lies immediately to the east of the urban edge of Knaresborough and comprises a large lake of 24 hectares and three small ponds to the south, with associated areas of reedbed, scrub, mature hedgerow and grassland. With the exception of some initial tree planting and grazing of the grassland these habitats have developed naturally from gravel workings largely undisturbed since the completion of extraction in the early 1970's.
The site is of national importance for wintering goosander with numbers regularly exceeding 150 birds and a peak count recorded of 315 birds. These birds are thought to originate from the rivers Wharfe and Nidd and are probably a separate population to that found using Eccup Reservoir in West Yorkshire. The site is also of local importance for other wildfowl including greylag goose, wigeon, mallard and coot. The open grassland adjacent to the lake is important for feeding wigeon and geese and regularly supports large numbers of migrating oystercater during the spring.
Breeding birds include great-crested grebe, mallard, tufted duck, ringed plover and common sandpiper, with kingfisher and common tern using the area for feeding. The small ponds support sedge and grasshopper warbler and also hold one of the most northerly inland breeding populations of reed warbler in Britain"
I'm not really a bird-watcher (a duck's a duck in my book!) I just think it's a lovely spot.
The cache box is a small-ish lock&lock type - space for a few bits & bobs. Below is the recommended parking area. The cache can also be accessed from the south by parking at Knaresborugh Rugby Club but this route can be extremely muddy in winter.
Note November 2013: I've increased the Terrain difficulty as many have commented that it can get muddy in winter and nettley in summer. Probably about May is best!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Orgjrra onfr bs fznyy gerr naq gur srapr.
Treasures
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