SOG A7Friston Forest WestSat 03 January, 2026

Report

It was great to see so many people at a crisp, but clear Friston event today. Thank you for all of the feedback that participants gave to me about the courses. My intention was to take people through many different areas of the forest from fast running beech avenues to closer knit light green spaces requiring careful navigation. I think a lot of the challenge for the courses was the gradient, but good to increase the heart rate after a festive season. I did this with help from Steve J who provided useful suggestions and helped with my aim to keep participants away from too many paths. I think many families visited the forest over the Christmas period as hides appeared and disappeared from many locations, as I had to rebuild some that had controls located next to them (I won't be making that mistake again!), but lots of people enjoying the courses.

Thank you to the SI team. As ever, arriving very early and constructing the tent on an icy blustery morning (I think Joe appreciated his knee blanket!) and being brilliant. Thanks also to Andy H, for arranging permissions and persevering with the gate code; Steve B for checking and signing everything off and for car parking along with Jill; Karen for her robust safety plans; Neil for map printing and provision of equipment (via Marky); David for keeping the website updated; control collectors are amazing Chris, Sarah, Euan, Liam, Rob and Garry; Samantha for suggesting volunteers and thank you to Forestry England for allowing us to use this fantastic forest. It is so good to be part of such a supportive club. Thank you.

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.

Pre event info

Entry link

Location Info

Nearest town: Seaford

• Postcode: *
• Lat,Lng:50.78100,0.15176
• Grid Ref: TQ518002
• 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

From A27 between Brighton and Eastbourne turn South at Drusillas roundabout. Follow Alfriston Road, Litlington Road, The Street, Litlington Road, in total approx. 2.9 miles. Entrance to Friston Forest Car Park on the left. From A259 between Seaford and Eastbourne turn North at Exceat and follow Litlington Road approx. 0.4 miles. Please park as directed by marshals. Parking fees: 0 - 2 hours: £ 3.00 2 – 4 hours: £ 4.50 All day: £ 5.50 You can pay by card or RingGo, location 31023 or call 02030460063. No coin payment.

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Public Transport

Route 12/12A/12X. Bus route 12 goes along A259 between Eastbourne and Brighton and stops at Exceat which is approx. 0.4miles south of Friston Forest West Car Park.

Course Information

Blue 6km, 220m climb

Green 4.5km, 150m climb

Short green 3.5km, 105m climb

Orange 2.5km, 65m climb

Yellow 1.5km, 45m climb

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

Friston West, Scale 1:10.000 with 5m contours. Updated February 2024 by Chris Hooker

Terrain Description

The whole of Friston Forest covers an area of more than 795 hectares within the South Downs National Park. The forest is mainly a beech wood, with a variety of other species including ash, sycamore, Douglas Fir, Western red cedar, oak, Norway spruce, Corsican pine and Scots pine.

Friston Forest is a large, recently established forest near Eastbourne that was planted by the Forestry Commission in the 1930s and 40s to increase timber supply. It features a diverse mix of trees, including a large number of beech, and is home to various wildlife, with its landscape contrasting the nearby Seven Sisters cliffs. During World War II, the area was a military training ground, and the remains of practice trenches can still be found.
There are several rides and tracks within the forest with extraction tracks that are unmapped. The terrain is mostly open forest but there are some areas with thicker undergrowth therefore gaiters are recommended. This event provides the opportunity for fast running through many areas of the forest.

Dog restrictions

Well behaved dogs allowed.

Facilities

There are public toilets at the car park close to the start and finish.

Bring your own water

Miscellaneous

There are usually some dog walkers, might be some mountain bikers and horse riders. Please be considerate. The area is crossed by South Downs Way Long Distance Footpath.

Safety bearing: North to ride/track then West to road and South to assembly.

Gaiters recommended.

There is a cafe at Exceat

Biosecurity Measures: Before attending the event, please ensure that your orienteering footwear/gaiters are clean. After your run, please ensure you remove any excess soil/leaf litter/needles from footwear, gaiters and clothing before leaving the car park. On returning home thoroughly scrub footwear/gaiters, wash clothing and leave to dry for at least 48 hours before reuse.

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Darren Warner-Swann

Organiser:

Controller: