A group of cachers have gathered together to place caches along The Hertfordshire Way; a 194 mile circular route along public rights-of-way within the County of Hertfordshire. Rather than caches at every 0.1 mile we have tried to put together interesting hides with cool Bonus Caches.
Leg 3 stretches from Willian to Codicote for 11.8 miles. As you walk the path collect the information you need to find the Bonus Cache at waypoints along the route. We advise that you bring sturdy boots for very muddy terrain and a high visibility vest with you because a couple of short sections require walking along the road.
The gates at Stagenhoe Park
Cache Details
The name 'Stagenhoe' probably derives from the Old English "stacgena hoh" meaning 'spur of land of the stags' and deer can still be seen by those with luck and patience.
The manor here is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a small community of only one hide - around 120 acres. By comparison, the manor at St Pauls Walden was ten times greater and many modern local farms have a higher acreage.
The striking Palladian mansion now occupying the site was built between 1737 and 1740 after its predecessor had been destroyed by fire. The site is now occupied by a charity foundation who acquired the house, walled gardens, the lawns and the shrubbery in 1969. The remainder of the estate was sold separately to local landowners and farmers.
The cache is a traditional hide with a tell-tale marker if you have eyes to see. Look for the fallen tree that is caught in another.
Please do not attempt this cache at night.
Bonus Waypoints
The following Bonus Cache waypoints can be found close to this cache and en route to the next cache.
BonusJ - N51 53.378 W000 15.998 - On the telegraph pole there are two aluminium inspection plates. How many nails secure the '94 plate? This number is BonusJ (One digit).
To the Next Cache
Since we placed the cache, the footpath has been diverted to avoid a long stretch walking on the road. There is now just a short stretch of 30m or so where you will need to walk on the grass verge - please take care when doing so and when crossing the road.
Carry on along the path until you T-junction with a road by a set of vertical railway sleepers. Turn left here and follow the road round to the church at St Pauls Walden. The next cache in the series is the Church Micro at St Pauls Walden, GC47AD6.
Read more about the Historic Geocaches Campaign