Sunday

Geocache close to bed and breakfasts


It's the end of a long, hard week and you're desperate to have a break from the daily routine. Ah! How would the family like to get away from it all and find a couple of geocaches, or maybe a lot of geocaches? Yay - what a brilliant idea.

You check on the www.geocaching.com website and find a bunch of newly published caches that sound very interesting. However, they're too far from home to complete as a day trip. What to do?

Well, the sensible approach would be to book into a bed and breakfast where you know the service will be top class. That way, you will be able to take the family out and about and find all the geocaches you wish after a hearty breakfast and come back in the evening to a comfortable bed and a warm welcome from your hosts.

Take a look at some websites which will give you an idea of geocaches within easy walking distance of affordable accommodation.

I have discovered some wonderful places when hunting down geocaches that are not known to folk who have lived in Dorset all their lives. Take the Knightwood Oak, for example. It's part of a multicache called Forest Foragings. You will be taken to the Knightwood Oak, which is over 600 years old. The oak emanates a powerful energy, making one happy to be alive. Listen to the birdsong in the surrounding trees, maybe you'll spot a woodpecker lunching on grubs, as I did when I was there.

The next port of call is a beautiful outlook where you may be lucky enough to spot a sika deer or fallow deer. Perhaps you will find some discarded antlers. Sometimes, the deer are happy to stand around for photo opportunities, other times they're too busy socialising among themselves to bother with cameras.

I also discovered a wonderful pub a little further along the road, which is well worth the visit. It's called the High Corner Inn, and if you've still got some energy, take a wander down the road to the river. I enjoyed a lovely dinner served outside under the trees. It's a truly delightful spot.