Visiting Langley Park

Having geocached for over three years now we've covered many areas of our home county. So we have to travel further away if we want to do a proper series. The series that attracted the attention of my husband recently was one in Slough. A bit of a distance away but the series was doable in the time we had between dropping off our eldest to go swimming with family and then picking her up on the return journey. So it was just the three of us hubby, youngest and I that took on the series on a cold Autumnal day in November.

As soon as we stepped foot in the woodlands signs of Autumn were evident. A multitude of leaves crunched under our feet, the cold wind blew and some of the colours of the season were spotted. As we passed through the trees we came across a section of land that seemed to have more order to it and some of the trees had man made structures aiding the branches of the trees to keep them up right. Our youngest loved exploring the area and munching on her sandwich as we passed by.

In another area of Langley Park we bumped into a couple who were questioning the whereabouts of a tower. We explained that it was our first time to the area and were unaware that there was one but would help look for it. Sadly we didn't spot the tower but we did spot Warwick Castle from a distance and two trees on opposite sides that were cut off at the top and looked like towers. We can only hazard a guess as to where it once stood and we think we've found the base of it.

After a little look around we soon decided to press on and aim for the next geocache. This time the series took us past a park with swings and slide enough for our youngest to hope that's where she may be heading. We promised that she could play there after the series but sadly as it's getting dark earlier now it was not to be.

Further down and around the series we came across the couple again. This time they told us that they'd hoped to have found more Autumnal colours amongst the trees but had found very few. From watching tv programmes it sounds like the place to visit for colourful Autumn leaves is Westonbirt Arboretum which we visited some time ago and loved their Griffalo trail.

Our walk around the area took us on country paths where very few others appeared to pass. So we were able to try for a geocache by a bridge without fear we were going to get questioning onlookers asking us why we were laid on the floor looking for the geocache. Alas one that eluded us. there's always one right?!

Then back into open fields where it was evident that cows once roamed and the sun blinded us momentarily. Paths criss crossed the area and we rounded the corner to come face to face with the park's Lake. 

A lot of building work appears to be underway in this area on the buildings surrounding the lake. So we didn't linger long before stopping at an Oriental park with a bridge. I thought we may struggle tro find the geocache but a good rummage in the leaves was fruitful. Then on to the finsl section of the series hoping that we would find all the geocaches before the sunset and I spotted the light on the ground. I found myself playing director and asking for the camera man to take a photo of what we saw.

On our walk around the area we spotted many a poster picturing the red mushroom with white spots (Fly agaric) and warnings as to not to touch it if we saw it. We didn't see any and my husband who is a little more knowledgable about fungi than me suggested that perhaps a frost had killed them off. We did spot this mushroom and a few growing by the sides of trees though. Including the one photoed above on the way back to our car.

Have you visited Langley Park or been on any Autumnal adventures?