In order to tackle this geocache, you MUST visit the Related Webpage above and print off the illustrated 7 cm x 7 cm "Matrix Disc" and take it with you. Without it, you will not get anywhere, but with it, everything is simple, and great fun for both the young and the young at heart!
Your journey begins at the parking spot near which is an interesting and an amusing location, revealing the wicked sense of humour displayed by the property owner. A little knowledge of Latin will definitely make you chuckle, but this is not essential for the cache solving. An interesting wellhead and a little of Bourton's past can be seen at this spot from the days when the village was the centre of considerable industrial activity, including the manufacture of stationary steam engines and steam lorries as well as the making of bricks, pipes and tiles.
Finding the cache involves a beautiful 3 km hike overlooking the Blackmore Vale and provides the cache seeker with a number of points of interest - some amusing, some historic, some scenic, and also indicating important natural features. The outward leg ascends gently across a grassy meadow, revealing fine views towards the south. Between the slope on which you walk and the valley below, runs the Mere Fault, an relatively important geological feature, where sandy layers to the north have been thrust up above the lower Kimmeridge clays of the vale to the south. A number of springs emerge on the lower slopes at the junction between these beds. After passing through a conifer plantation and further fields, an interesting old ruined house can be seen. In January, it is surrounded by a mass of snowdrops. Once you have reached the final cache, proceed up the hill to cross a stile. Cross the stile and turn right. Your route takes you by way of an ancient green lane, used as an important pack horse route many years before stage coaches came into being. The entirety of this lane has recently been designated an SNCI - a Site of Nature Conservation Interest by Dorset Wildlife Trust. This is due to the assemblage of Dorset Notable wild flowers which, when growing together, provide evidence that it is a small surviving remnant of ancient forest dating back at least 600 years, known as the Forest of Selwood.
The whole route is dog-friendly and a great way to involve youngsters in the excitement and challenge of geocaching. You may encounter cows or sheep along the way, depending on the season, so do keep your dog and children under close control, picking up all dog poo, even in the fields to avoid it getting into the dairy cows' food chain. In winter, the green lane may be rather wet, so wellies are advised. We hope you enjoy our little adventure.