I really think it is about time there was a complaints procedure for miss-placed geocaches on Dartmoor, I have spoken to several letterboxers who are also geocachers they all come across caches which should never have been approved. I have spoken out on numerous occasions about miss-placed caches, (all the caches I have complained about have been removed or re-sited) but there are still some out there that should be moved.
Sometime ago I asked cachers on the forum not to put caches in church grounds, as I considered it not an appropriate place, I got a lot of negative replies. It is interesting to see caching in and around churches has been now banned!
On the groundspeak forum a letterboxer Alan Wilborne, a month ago has complained about 2 caches both of which he considers miss-placed. He posted his message on the forum in good faith, some of the replies I consider rude, and all he was trying to do is help.
I am wondering if this is the way UK geocachers deal with complaints, a few cachers get on the forum and “have a go” at the person who dares to criticise.
By the way I agree with Alan both the caches he found, were in unsuitable sites, these two caches are not the only ones that need resiting.
I was interested to read Kehotee’s interpretation of
"Please remember that a user and National Park friendly letterbox is sited...in a natural hole or cavity away from archaeologically and ecologically sensitive sites”
Which seems to be:
Presumably archaeologically and ecologically sensitive sites are Scheduled Ancient Monuments and SSSIs respectively...

Moving on from this I decided to email the DNPA to get the exact details of where we should or shouldn’t caching.
Reply sent today from Andrew Watson [awatson@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk]

Dear Margaret

Thank you for your email. We ask people placing letterboxes or geocaches to carefully consider the suitability of a site for locating a letterbox/geocache. Sites should be avoided that are within rare bird nesting areas and on clitter slopes, and on other sensitive areas such as blanket bogs and mires. Dartmoor contains over 19,000 sites of archaeological interest, not all of these will be recorded Scheduled Ancient Monuments. These sites should be avoided in order to prevent damage or disturbance.

Andrew

….and not a mention of SSSI, how strange, only conclusion I can come to is that it is a self imposed ban, no permission is necessary as long as you stick to the guidelines. So I gather the self imposed ban will be lifted on Roos Tor?

Looks like it is back to the Letterboxing club guidelines

Margaret
Brentorboxer