Park O 8Southwater Country ParkSat 05 September, 2026

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

Results

Report

Thank you to everyone who came to the final park-o of the series. It was great weather and a great turnout - almost at full capacity!

This was the first event I've planned, and I was very grateful for all your positive feedback. I enjoyed hearing where you went and look forward to seeing more on Route Gadget! I did my best to find some new control locations and to give multiple route choices, which isn't always easy in a small park. You can take a look at how some of the route choices compare in distance below.

Biggest thanks go to Ben K for lots of help on the day and in the lead up to the event, especially for the map updates and helping me get the best out of the area. Thanks also to my dad, Ian, for event advising, help on the day and running the coaching. Thank you to Neil for the map printing, Anna for permissions, Garry for Route Gadget, David for the website updates, Coral for help with parking, and the SI team for doing a brilliant job as always. I've gained a lot more appreciation for how many people it takes to make these events a success!

Congratulations to all the medal winners and to everyone who made it up the steep finish slope!

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

Prizegiving and Coaching

Shortly after course closing, we will be presenting the medals for the Park O series. Do stick around to support the prizegiving. Check out the latest standings here.

Following the prizegiving one of our Club Coaches will be providing a half an hour coaching session. We will be looking at pacing and height gain/loss. This will be a great session for anyone doing Peter Palmer the following weekend and is also open to all juniors and adults. Either sign up on Spond if you have it or email Ian.

Park O Series Info

Park-Os are friendly club events, usually in parks or school grounds, where children and newcomers are very welcome. These are fun events where you can get a feeling for the sport – you can walk or run, go as a group or on your own or challenge your navigation at high speed against some of our top competitive orienteers. Yellow and Orange courses are suitable for children to walk or run on their own with a bit of practice. Adults are welcome to shadow children until they are confident to go on their own. Sprint courses are run or walked by any age group.

The Park-O series takes place in the early summer and early Autumn and is 8 events this year. Medals are awarded for the best placed in a variety of age categories.

Volunteer here

Enquiries here

Read more about this series

Location Info

Nearest town: Southwater

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

Directions / Parking

Registration, Start and Finish will be located close to the Upper Car Park off Mill Straight, Southwater. Alternative parking is also available off Cripplegate Lane.

There is a height limit barrier.

Pay and Display machines seem to accept card, cash and app, but we have not tested these. Charges are:

0-1 hour: £1.20
1-3 hours: £2.40
3-4 hours: £3.80
All day: £8.00

Public Transport

Metro Bus Service 98 or 23 from Horsham Rail and Bus stations.

Course Information

Yellow 1.5km; 25m climb; 12 controls
Orange 2.0km; 45m climb; 13 controls
Sprint 2.7km; 70m climb; 17 controls

Entry Details

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.

Entry fees: Sprint £5.00, Orange £2.50, Yellow £2.50 (SO Juniors free - use code SOjuniors)

SI card hire: Seniors £1 (£2 for SIAC), Juniors 50p (£1 for SIAC)

Registration open

From 9:45 to 10:45

Start Times

From 10:00 to 11:00 Courses close at 12:00

Map Details

1:4000 to ISOM 2017 standards. 5m contours

Terrain Description

Mixture of deciduous woodland and open areas with an established path network. Located in a former brick clay quarry.

Dog restrictions

Dogs are allowed but must be on leads at all times. This is Horsham DC policy from March to September.

Facilities

Café with toilets and water refill tap (about 400m walk from the upper car park). Dinosaur Island play area. Lake and picnic areas. The beach area is currently closed and swimming/paddling is currently not allowed.

Nearby village centre with café, pub and Co-op.

Miscellaneous

Full leg cover strongly recommended for the orange and sprint courses. Whistles are advised.

Summer Sprint Series prize-giving will take place once everyone has completed their course.

Ian C will then lead a 30-minute coaching session focused on height and distance. This is principally aimed at juniors competing in the upcoming Peter Palmer Relay, but is open to anyone interested. Let Ian know if you are interested by emailing treasurer@southdowns-orienteers.org.uk

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Holly Curtis

Organiser:

Controller:

Photo Gallery

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