z comment Suffolkated feature . . . the musings of a West Suffolk mum
Geocaching offers funfor explorers
H
as spring finally sprung? Here at Fifield Towers we are more than ready for it. After a long but not especially cold winter, it’s been Germs 746 - Children 0. We need
to feel the sun on our faces and the wind in our hair, and a long walk on a Saturday is one of our favourite ways to get outside. With the baby in the backpack we love to get out of town and into the countryside. There are dozens of good walks in and around Bury St Edmunds, but we like to add excitement to ours by Geocaching. For those not in the know, Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor, treasure-hunting game using the GPS device in your smartphone or satnav. It turns a regular walk into an exciting adventure - especially if you have kids. It’s fun, free and is a great way to spend family time and encourage outdoorsmanship in young people. Geocaching began in May 2000 in the USA and very rapidly spread worldwide. Initial doubts of whether this was a game that could possibly take off were met with the motto, “If you hide it, they will come.” And come they did. As of March 1st 2015, there were 2,569,719 geocaches hidden across 184 countries worldwide and that number just keeps on growing. To join in, go to
www.geocaching.com and sign
up for a free account. Enter your postcode and decide how far you want to travel. There are over 150 geocaches hidden within five miles of Bury St Edmunds and more than 10,000 across Suffolk, so you’ll be spoiled for choice - whether you want an hour in town or a full day out in the countryside. The idea is to follow the route on your GPS until you reach GroundZero - the point at which the Geocache is hidden. Then the real fun begins as you search high and low to find it. Is it under a bridge? In the fork of a tree? Or cleverly disguised as part of a fence post? The feeling of euphoria when you find it is almost addictive. Open it up, sign the log-book to say you were there. And if you have children, there’s often a little stash of “treasures” in the cache that they can choose from. The etiquette is to replace whatever you take and so we generally take along a box of party favours - our girls love to choose what they’re going to leave behind in exchange for their chosen swag. Don’t forget to carefully hide the geocache back where it came from, making sure it’s properly sealed and hidden. Then it’s back on the trail to the next cache before heading home with a bag full of booty, a head full of great memories and a serious craving for a cup of tea.
Like the museum? You’ll love the park life
Most people local to Bury St Edmunds will know of the Anglo-Saxon village at West Stow. But somehow the amazing country park behind the museum had completely eluded us. What a find! 125 hectares of lovely heathland
and woodland complete with deer, otter and waterfowl. Depending on your party and stamina there are a number of different trails to choose from, along the River Lark and around the lakes - lots of these are buggy-friendly too. We
were particularly interested in the information boards dotted around, describing the landscape and wildlife. And for those of you with small people, there are lots of sticks, pebbles, feathers and other “collectables” along the way.
Goats, pigs, alpacas and welly games
As days out with young children go, it’s hard to get better than Hollow Trees Farm at Semer. Beginning at the Livestock Barn, the Farm Trail takes you gently around the inner workings of a real farm. From cows, goats and pigs to alpaca and Indian Runner ducks, the animals are clearly comfortable, happy and well- cared for. Interaction between young visitors and the livestock is encouraged and the creatures are calm and friendly as they are hand fed and stroked. If the animals are not your thing, then there are lots of other activities to take part in. Fearlessly swing on a rope over the muddy marsh; build a woodland den; ride the foxhole slide; and kick off your boots and play the Welly Game - all for the incredible price of just £2.50 per person. The cafe can be somewhat busy so a pack-up in the picnic area may be a better option. The farm shop offers a wonderful variety of produce from the farm and other locally sourced treats and temptations, so why not pick up something for tea on the way out?
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