Mighty oaks from little acorns grow

(from a 14th Century proverb)

This is one of a series of caches planned along the Epping Forest Oak Trail, themed around the oak tree and its ecology. The Oak Trail is a seven mile route that starts and ends at Theydon Bois Underground station.  It can also be reached from Epping Underground station or several of the Forest car parks.  This series is placed with kind permission from the City of London Open Spaces department.  Many thanks for supporting our hobby.   

Acorns: the seed of the oak tree,, to bear acorns, the tree has to be over 50 years old, 
Celebrated in folklore, by the Romans and Celts, a symbol in heraldry and the National Trust  ;  
Once upon a time, pigs foraged the autumn harvest to fatten for winter;
Raw, the Engish acorn is full of tannin, bitter and poisonous to dogs and horses;
Nutritionally this harvest feeds birds, insects, small mammals, wild boar and deer;
Squirrels and jays gather and hoard, disperse and plant.

This acorn is to be found on the borders of the buffer lands to Epping Forest owned by the Corporation of London.. The cache is a shaped bison container which unscrews to expose the log.  Tweezers may be needed.