This cache is on the top of one of the sandy moraine ridges which criss cross this part of the forest. They were left by retreating glaciers when the ice sheet which covered East Anglia (and made it so flat in the process) retreated back northwards at the end of the last ice age. "Ridge" is, of course, relative - this isn't a mountain ridge here, more of a slight slope! The soil is sandy though which will make it less muddy up here.
Note: this cache is much harder to find during the summer. The D/T ratings reflect the average for the cache - during summer head high bracken could easily make the D/T 2.5/2.5.
The forest:
This part of Dunwich forest is going through a "rewilding" process aimed at creating a mosaic of different habitats. It is an area of open access land with a network of forest rides and paths. A map might be helpful if you plan on getting off the waymarked trail. You could come across deer, ponies and other mammals in the forest.
Access:
Car parking areas can be found along the Dunwich road and at two large car parks, although these are a fair distance from the cache. Please do not park on the St Helena road - this is clearly signed as no entry for unauthorised traffic and is used by Forestry Commission vehicles as well as residents.
September 2025: the area of the forest south of the St Helena road is being felled in places. This will make access from the main car parks tricky and the St Helena Trail, which passes this cache, is technically closed, although the area around the cache is not in the area to be felled. You should be fine at the weekend, but access during the week may be problematic and you may find paths south of the road have been churned up by machinery.
You could walk in from the west by following forest rides and tracks or from the St Helena road - the easiest way to do this is to follow the orange waymarking arrows which route the St Helena Trail. The cache is a little way off the trail, but you can find it easily enough by diverting off from the north close to the notice board. There's no need to bushwhack - the paths will get you here quicker. The forest may be muddy after it's been wet of course.
The cache:
The cache is a small sized container hidden just off the wide ride. It should be reasonable to access, although thorns, brambles, bracken and the like might cause problems, and in summer it can be head high here.
The cache is located on open access land. The landowner (Forestry Commission East England) does not assess the suitability or safety of the cache location. The cache placer and the cache finder have a responsibility to take reasonable precautions to protect their own safety and the safety of others. Hazards observed at or on route to the cache location should be reported to the cache placer (that's me!)