SOG A2Abbot's Wood & CoachingSat 19 October, 2024

Near: Hailsham
Level of event: Local
Type of event: Race

Results

Report

Thank you to everyone who braved a very wet Abbots Wood today (if it’s any consolation it was even wetter at 7am!). I tried to keep you mentally and physically challenged and off the paths - thank you for the appreciative comments, and apologies to anyone who didn’t feel appreciative but was too polite to say! I hope overall the lovely runnable bits outweighed the brambles. At least we finished in sunshine.

Thank you to Maddie who helped me wake up the SI units despite being half asleep herself, to the stalwart SI team who got the tail end of the deluge for putting up their tent, and the suckers for punishment who valiantly collected controls - Gary, Sarah, Chris, Peter and John.

RouteGadget

Is a web app for sharing and comparing orienteering routes. You can draw your own route or upload a GPS track from your watch. It also allows you to watch an animated replay with a simulated mass start.

Read more about RouteGadget…

Pre event info

We are offering FREE COACHING this week for older juniors (anyone moving on to orange and upwards) and adults. This is part of our monthly coaching programme.

There will be a range of useful skills to be learnt in small groups working with a coach. Rob will be running the session - meet him at the coaching flag at 9:45am, ready for a 10am start.

Please register your interest in good time on Spond or with Anna if you don't have the Spond app email Rob. Please pre-enter for your course as normal, you will have time to run after the coaching.

SOG Series Info

SOGs are friendly club events where children and newcomers are very welcome. Yellow and Orange courses are suitable for children to run on their own with a bit of practice. Adults are welcome to shadow children until they are confident to go on their own. Green and Blue courses are run or walked by any age group - you can race competitively or just enjoy the woodland.

There are two series of events - autumn and spring of approximately 8 events each. Electronic timing (SI) is used.

Help on the day always appreciated.

Volunteer here

Enquiries here

Location Info

Nearest town: Hailsham

* Postcodes are not very precise in some areas, so don't rely on them for an exact location.

Directions / Parking

BN26 6SL

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Abbots Wood, Arlington, Polegate

From Brighton/Seaford - Take Station Road heading north from the A27 towards Berwick station. Take the first right signposted towards Arlington village. Drive through Arlington and follow the road towards Caneheath. Abbots Wood car park is on your right.

From Eastbourne/Bexhill/Hastings - Take the A22 north from the A27. Turn left onto Arlington Road (signposted for Abbots Wood). Go past Arlington Stadium and turn left at the next junction. Go past the Old Oak pub and carry on. Abbots Wood car park is on your left.

From the north - follow the Hailsham Bypass (A22). Turn right onto Arlington Road (signposted for Abbots Wood). Go past Arlington Stadium and turn left at the next junction. Go past the Old Oak pub and carry on. Abbots Wood car park is on your left.

Pay and display parking machines are now card only. It is also possible to pay on the RingGo app location no. 31000.
£2.50 up to 2 hrs, £4.00 up to 4 hrs, £5.00 all day

Public Transport

Berwick railway station 3.7km

Course Information

Blue – 5.4k, 110m climb, 16 controls
Green – 3.8k, 85m climb, 13 controls
Short Green – 3.2k, 75m climb, 12 controls
Orange – 2.4k, 45m climb, 9 controls
Yellow – 1.7k, 20m climb, 7 controls

Courses have different technical difficulty - please refer to our skills checklist for a summary of skills needed to be successful. If you'd like to learn more skills, read up on our website, come along to our monthly coaching sessions or just ask at download for someone to talk you through.

Participants in orienteering must wear appropriate clothing including full leg cover (not shorts). This is a standard rule of the sport to minimise the transmission of blood borne parasites. Activities in cold weather or poor conditions require layered clothing with a windproof and/or waterproof shell garment.

Entry Details

Pre-entry via Racesignup Newcomers are welcome and eligible for a free trial session - if you'd like to reserve a map or discuss the event please email our membership secretary.

BOF member fees: Seniors £6.50, Juniors £3.25, SO Juniors free.
Non member fees: Seniors £7.50, Juniors £3.25.

'Dibber' hire:
Electronic punching (SI) chips are available to hire. SIAC (contactless): £2 (juniors £1), non-SIAC (not contactless) £1 (juniors £0.5)

Registration open

9:45 to 10:45

Start Times

10:00 to 11:00. Courses close at 12:30.

Map Details

1:10,000, 5m contours
Updated September 2024

Terrain Description

There are many forest tracks and rides, and the mixed woodland offers very good orienteering of varying runnability, with interesting contour detail. Some rides are very muddy, particularly where used by horse riders. There is a lot of green on the map, the forest can be a physical challenge to run through at times. There are some areas of bramble, which can generally be skirted, and have been avoided as much as possible. To compensate, there are also some lovely, runnable areas of open forest. Some smaller or seasonal paths are unmapped.

There is a significant stream in the north of the area which Green and Blue courses cross. It is quite wide in places, although not deep – however, you should expect to get your feet wet come what may! 3 crossing points are marked on the map, which will be optional unless there is heavy rain before the event, in which case they will become mandatory. If this is the case, it will be communicated at the start.

Dog restrictions

Dogs under close control are allowed.

Facilities

Public toilets in car park

Miscellaneous

Safety Bearing: South-West

The area is popular with dog walkers, cyclists and horse riders, please give them plenty of room to pass.

Abbots Wood is so called because the land was gifted to Battle Abbey during the reign of Henry I. It remained in the care of the abbots until the dissolution of monasteries under Henry VIII. The lake was dug by the monks of nearby Michelham Priory in the 13th century to provide fish, and many of the embankments and ditches also date back to that time. During WW2 the entire forest (then of oak trees with coppice growing underneath) was cut down to provide fuel for smelting furnaces. Several thousand soldiers camped here prior to the D-Day Normandy landings. The Forestry Commission acquired the land in 1953.

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Alan Velecky

Organiser:

Controller: