This is the first cache in a revised series of caches hidden in Crofton and Sparrow Woods by the Friends of Crofton and Sparrow Woods (FOCSW). There is a mix of 13 caches hidden mainly along the Crofton Woods Circular Trail, some of which are located near to the original caches published in July 2021 and which have now been archived. The Trail may be accessed in a number of places, but if arriving by car, cache CSW1 is near to the car park in Petts Wood Recreation Ground which adjoins the Woods.
Crofton and Sparrow Woods is a remnant of a much larger area of woodland and arable landscape, whose history has been traced back to Saxon times. The woods include two main tributaries of the Kyd Brook and include mature oak forest with hazel coppice, as well as areas of secondary woodland and woodland pasture. Crofton Woods is owned in part by the London Borough of Bromley and covers about 77 hectares. It was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1989 under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so please respect it when you walk through and try to find the caches.
To find the first cache in the series (which is not in the main section of the woods) you need to gather some information from a plaque on the wall of the pavilion opposite the car park in the recreation ground. The plaque celebrates the unveiling of a sundial in 2004. The sundial is situated in the grass between the building and the car park and was designed by the pupils of Crofton Infants School.
What is the year in the last paragraph on the plaque on the wall?
Let the date be ABCD.
The small cache may be found at N51 22.BB(D-A) E00 04.(B-D)(C-A)C.
You are looking for a pot secured to an ivy covered tree.
Permission for cache placement in the SSSI has been obtained from Natural England and the Senior Ranger and Site manager.