The Bear Pit Traditional Cache
TheDiscoMessiah: Archiving
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Fairly flat, easy walk through the woods, along well defined footpaths.
Please note - The cache is not located at the Bear Pit itself, but a little further into the woods. Due to high tree coverage in the area the GPS signal can be quite poor and the hint may be needed once in the general area.
Ample car parking for this cache can be found at N 53º 19.779 W 02º 57.451., where you will also find the Eastham Country Park Visitor's Centre which is well worth a look to gain some extra insight into the history of the area. It has also recently expanded and opened a new section from where you can observe the wildlife in the 'nature garden'. When parking here you may want to take some nuts along with you, and if you're lucky you'll get to feed the extremely tame squirrels nearby!
Back in Victorian times, the pleasure gardens at Eastham Woods used to be home to a zoo, with bears, lions, monkeys and antelope, an open air stage, tea rooms, boating lake, water chute and a loop-the loop roller coaster. The name of this cache comes from one the zoo's thankfully long disbanded 'attractions', which can still be found hidden (N 53º 19.660 W 02º 57.435) amongst the Rhododendrons along with the remains of two ornamental fountains. You can see a picture of the entrance to the Bear Pit here.
These days however, Eastham Country Park as it is now known, is a beautiful 100 acre woodland offering opportunities for peaceful walks, birdwatching and of course - geocaching! A network of surfaced paths provide access throughout the woodland, and you won't have to stray too far from these to find the cache which is a standard tupperware style container hidden in a camouflage bag.
When you leave the woods and head back towards Eastham village, you may wish to stop at St Mary's Church to see the 'Eastham Old Yew' (N 53º 18.793 W 02º 57.669), thought to be over 1500 years old - one of the oldest Yew trees in England. Parts of the church itself date back to the Norman period.
Many thanks to the Park Ranger for granting permission for this cache.
For further information about Eastham Country Park, please visit their website
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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