View towards south (incl GZ)
View to north of GZ
Just south-east of here is a particularly nice isolated and quiet area, well deserving of appreciation by those that care for such things in life. You are strongly encouraged to walk though the nearby gate (east of GZ) into the "Access Area", a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Please take extra care to comply with the signs on the gates: The signs say walkers only, although I did walk with a bicycle and this is certainly possible with the large bike-friendly kissing gate access from the north and south access points. The sign also says the area can be closed at times, but I have never seen it closed.
The complete sign Access Land rules: “All dogs MUST be kept on a 2m fixed lead AT ALL TIMES when livestock are present. Remember that a dog attacking or threatening livestock may lawfully be shot. All dogs MUST be kept on a 2m fixed lead between 1st March and 31st July to protect ground nesting birds. The new access rights apply to walkers only... From time to time access may have to be restricted to protect livestock, wild life, or You, so please take notice of any signs saying that the land is closed.”.
Try not to be too disturbed by the roaring motorbikes running circles to the east of here (best to come mid-week), or the farmer’s plastic pipes, or the bleached bones, or the sheep nibbling the grass at times.
My OS map says this is "Grim's Ditch (course of)", hence the name of this cache. Grim’s Ditch is a section of earthwork that consists of a ditch and low upstanding rampart. It is thought to date from the late Iron Age (perhaps around 300BC) and may have been a possible demarcation boundary. The earthwork is thought too small to have been suitable for military purposes. It is thought that when the Saxons arrived in England, well after the Iron Age, they credited the earthwork on the Berkshire downs (along with other similar earthworks in the UK) to their god of the underworld. The name “Grim’s Ditch”, is therefore thought to originate from the Saxon word for the devil, Grim (or Odin).
Look out for what may be a Home Guard local HQ bunker too (on private property just north-east of GZ, but visible from the path).
This cache and celebrates my recent 500th cache find. Enjoy being on your own here!