Riddeleah 2
N51 19.612 W0 04.802 (averaged) GPS Error at time of taking Co-ords : 16ft
The Cache gets its name from the Middle English words from which we now get Riddlesdown.
This cache is number 2 in the series, and whilst the original plan was to centre them on and around Riddlesdown Common, a change has been necessitated by the SSSI status of the common.
I have kept the name for the series as frankly I like it. Although geographically speaking it may now be a bit misleading.
For those who don't know Riddlesdown is an area of common ground running along the valley top above Purley. It is an area of mixed woodland and open field and connects to a much larger open space. The area is very popular with Dog Walkers and Ramblers and offers some very good views on clear days, also a good spot for anyone wanting to get a peak at the gliders running the ridges and thermals from nearby Kenley Aerodrome.
This cache is sited in Mitchley Woods which can be accessed from Riddlesdown common by way of a stroll or they can be accessed directly by parking on Mitchley Hill and walking in along one of the footpaths ( this is the quickest route to the caches) .
If walking in from the road the initial section is relatively steep but shouldn't bother most people, it may however be an issue for people with prams or very small children.
Mitchley Woods are a small section of woodland on the edge of Riddlesdown Common, they “wrap” around some of the grounds of Riddlesdown High School and whilst mostly quite and peaceful they can get very busy at school start and end with pupils from the school using the main paths through, so if you are looking for a quiet walk it might be worth going out side these times.
The cache is not on the main path however and is away from the normal school access paths.
As with most of the tracks and paths in this area they can get quite slippery and muddy in wet conditions.
One note for Cachers over 18 … The immediate Riddlesdown area has no Inn's to slake your thirst !
The reason for this is that some time ago, both the Atwood family (the Lords of the Manor) and the Rector of the church were against drinking and added a restrictive covenant on all land in the area. At the British Library there is a letter from the rector writing to both the parishes of Sanderstead and Warlingham (which lies to the south of the village) calling the latter "sinners" as they visited the pubs.
So if applicable bring your own hip flask !
A note for those with Geo Dogs : There are a number of gated fields in and around Riddlesdown which often hold various livestock, please be aware of this and keep your dog under tight control in these areas.
GZ is a little way off a path however no serious bushwacking is required
The cache its self is technically a micro, there is only a log ( no swaps I'm afraid ) however it is itself contained inside something else and this is rather larger, as such it is not too hard to spot ( once you know what your are looking for ) The basic terrain is not challenging, Its rated 1.5 just cover the fact that prams may struggle to get all the way to the cache .
PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN PENCIL/PEN, also the log is a tad tricky to extricate so a “pokey tool “ may help, that said careful fingers should be fine.
I hope you have fun !
QBDM
( Aka Quentin , Brandon, Denise and Morgan )
UPDATE : CONGRATULATIONS TO FTF KennyBell17 and Jmizio at stupid o'clock in the dark on the night of publication !!
