As I mentioned in my last post I’m currently trying to fill up my geocaching calendar. Each day involves planning a suitable cache to attempt to keep me on track with my challenge.

Every weekend my children groan with a ‘I suppose we need a cache.’. They do enjoy caching but not the dictation to do so by the calendar. Therefore if they are with me I try to ensure it’s either a fun cache they will enjoy, it’s near to a play park or it’s a quick cache and go affair. 

Saturday we were busy with a local event and so I scoured the geocaching map for a simple find that wasn’t too far away from home. 

Other than the fact it was a church micro cache (part of a large series of caches placed near to a church) I paid little attention to it and we were on our way.

We soon arrived at the village of Moulton. I’ve never visited before. 

I’ve had no need to visit. 

It’s fair to say it’s stunning. A gorgeous little village so typical of the area around Newmarket that it’s located in. 

It’s also fair to say my ability to drive and navigate to a cache is sometimes a little dubious. Add in the excitement of driving through a ford and looking around at my stunning surroundings, it’s not surprising that I missed my turn and ended up at the wrong end of the village. 

Oh well.

The children who had been just a short time earlier dragged from their minecraft constructions were now absolutely full of excitement and I was completely thrilled to hear one of them say ‘Can we please just get out and explore? Now!’

Who am I to argue with that?

With the nearest suitable place to abandon the car found, they were off. Running up the nearby, medieval, packhorse bridge. 

  

Honestly. Such an amazing location, so close to home and I never even knew it existed. How does that even happen?

 
 Being a gorgeously sunny, autumnal morning we took our time mooching along the stream in the direction of the cache. The event would just have to wait.

  

A delightful tree lined path leading us to a number of bridges spanning the brook. A rather excessive amount of bridges in reality, but brilliant fun when you are five and seven and you can run back and forth like crazy. 

Geocaching 1: 0 Minecraft. (And we haven’t even found it!) 

  
  

The start of the change in season bring the delightful discoveries of Autumn treasures that has my children gathering and pocket filling with the enthusiasm of a very hungry squirrel.

 
Eventually we conclude the short walk to the church and again it doesn’t disappoint. A beautiful building standing majestically in the autumn sunshine. 

  
The cache located on a nearby footpath. The children genuinely surprised when I pluck the cache from its hiding place, so enthralled with exploring their surroundings they had forgotten all about the very reason we were here.

For me, such unexpected loveliness is the real essence of geocaching. 

If it hadn’t been for this tiny little Tupperware box hidden in a tree I would never have ventured to this village with its beautiful bridges and exploration aplenty. 

The children would be non the wiser about packhorse bridges and their pockets would not be bulging with Autumn treasures all deemed far too precious to leave behind. 

Sorry squirrels.

Our final fun for the morning and it’s back to the ford. 

To hell with trashing your new trainers. 

Trainers can be replaced but childhood memories last forever.