Hereward Way - Quakers Drove #12 Traditional Cache
Hanoosh: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.
Regards
Brenda
Hanoosh - Volunteer UK Reviewer www.geocaching.com
Geocaching Guidelines
Geocaching Help Center
UK Geocaching Information
Hereward Way - Quakers Drove #12
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is the 12th of a series of caches on the Hereward Way which is a walking route across the Fens from Oakham to Thetford.
This section (2.4 miles) runs from Quakers Drove to Top Hakes Farm, rough road to start with, then very rough track then good walking or cycle
You can park at the top of the road to do this cache, but I would park at one of the 3 recommended spots to do the rest.
Before this cache is the multi-cache It is all about the timing - Burnt House (GC3QHMW).
Along the way notice the changes in the topography of the fields. Raised and light areas of soil will
be seen standing out from the dark fen soil. These areas were once river beds containing silt.
These twisting routes of old waterways, known locally as "roddons" or "rodham" did not shrink as
much as the peat, and therefore appear today and can be traced across many fields. It can be seen
that before the drainage of the fens, waterways were random and widespread. The whole area was a
maze of dank creeks amongst reeds and willows.
Throughout the fens houses were built on these "roddons" as the foundations were reliable and
more solid than the peat. However some builders did not estimate the width of the roddon
correctly, and today many buildings lean backwards at alarming angles.
Most of Hake's Drove is below mean sea level, so the Earl of Bedford and his Adventurers should
be thanked for their fen drainage schemes.
The Hereward Way starts in the rolling landscape of Rutland, amid grass fields and stone villages. This part of the route through to March is through the flat fen countryside and beside delightful waterways, and is an area of peaceful beauty and hidden surprises.
The choice of Hereward Way as the title of this long distance walk, comes from the association of
Hereward the Wake with the area. It would appear from some of the documented sources of
information that Hereward the Wake spent some time “visiting†the cathedrals and other
establishments in the area "obtaining" funds for his various enterprises, mostly it appears providing
a mercenary service. Little is recorded of his life, and much written may well be based on legend.
The original concept of the Hereward Way was to act both as a new recreational facility with
convenient circular walks based on the route, and more important, a focal point to create more
access in the countryside in an area that is sparsely served. Except for a few notable exceptions
still to be negotiated, concept has been very successful
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gerr
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures