SOG A3Abbot's Wood & CoachingSat 01 November, 2025

Report

Thank you all for coming out on a day of mixed weather, hopefully more sun than rain, and if you escaped the water from above, there was probably a fair bit on the terrain, although it was still much less muddy than normal despite the recent rain. Having planned the SOG on Abbots a year ago, I tried to make the courses a bit different this time round, hence venturing into the rather brambly area west of the finish, which I’d never visited before (some might say for good reason!) Times looked on the long side despite me adhering to suggested distances for Abbots, so perhaps my enthusiasm for courses that are technically challenging and keep people off the paths got the better of me… Apologies to anyone for whom the fun stopped before their run stopped.

I must begin my thanks to Neil Crickmore (and Sue for her help too) for stepping in at the very last minute as Planner on the day, when I was unable to be there due to illness. Thanks also to Steve Blount for his input as Event Advisor, Chris Hooker for interpreting my scribble to get the map updates right first time, the indomitable control collectors (Chris, Mark, Darren, Sarah, and Linda) who went back into the brambles for more, and the ever efficient SI team of Joe, Penny, Mike and Samantha for crunching the data.

Alan Velecky

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.

Location Info

Nearest town: Hailsham

• Postcode: BN26 6SL *
• Lat,Lng:50.84400,0.21132
• Grid Ref: TQ555072
• Google Map
• Streetmap (OS 50k)
• Bing Map (OS 50k)
• OpenStreetMap

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

Directions / Parking

Entrance to the forest at TQ555072 / 50.843703, 0.20706117 / w3w dial.crunches.dame / BN26 6SL (postcode for Woodside Farm just north of car park and on opposite side of road).

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 / phone payment only, contactless enabled. It is also possible to pay on the RingGo app location no. 31000, but mobile reception is patchy. If you’re not a smartphone user, you can still use RingGo to pay for your parking by calling 0203 046 0063. There are enforcement cameras, and they are enforced (as the Planner can verify from bitter personal experience!)

£3.00 up to 2 hrs, £4.50 up to 4 hrs, £5.50 all day

https://www.forestryengland.uk...

Public Transport

Berwick railway station 3.7k

Course Information

Blue – 5.3k, 110m climb, 19 controls

Green – 3.8k, 75m climb, 12 controls

Short Green – 2.9k, 50m climb, 10 controls

Orange – 2.2k, 30m climb, 8 controls

Yellow – 1.4k, 20m climb, 6 control

There is a significant stream in the north of the area which the Blue and Green courses cross. It is quite wide in places, although not deep – currently maximum knee deep for the 6ft 4 Planner! Optional crossing points are shown on the map, and for both courses these are on the optimal route. On Blue there is a mandatory crossing point coming back over the stream via a bridge, which is indicated by the line between the relevant control points on the map, and is also shown on the control descriptions.

There are a number of out of bounds areas on the map (shown in purple hatched overprint). Please do not enter these, they are not marked on the ground, but courses have been planned to avoid them. The main road and the gravel access road to the parking area are also out of bounds while competing, and are marked as such on the map.

Safety bearing - south West.

Entry Details

Pre-entry via Racesignup.co.uk 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 (use code SOjuniors).
Non member fees: Seniors £7.50, Juniors £3.25.

If shadowing a junior or going as a family group with one map and one dibber, just enter one junior.

'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
Original survey by Chris Hooker 2020, updated October 2025

Terrain Description

There are many forest tracks and rides, and the mixed woodland offers very good orienteering of varying runnability, with plenty of interesting contour detail. There is a lot of green on the map, and 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, with very little bracken. If you have the skill and strength to stick to the direct line, this often provides the fastest option.

Despite the recent rain, the forest is much drier than normal, with rides firmer and less muddy than normal for this time of year. Marshes and other water features are correspondingly less prominent than shown on the map, and some small paths are hard to spot due to leaf fall.

Dog restrictions

Dogs allowed on courses under close control. Please clean up after your dog, and bear in mind that Abbots Wood is heavily used by dog walkers

Miscellaneous

The area is popular with dog walkers, cyclists and horse riders, please give them plenty of room to pass. Please park with consideration to maximise space for all users of the area .

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: