SOG S7 Stanmer Park & Coaching Sat 25 April, 2026

Report

Thank-you to everyone who supported today's event at Stanmer and all the kind comments! I was a little disappointed by the relatively low entry, but those who did attend were treated to a lovely day for the event from a new start/finish area. Those who I spoke to agreed it gave a different feel to the event and was a much nicer location than where we are normally based at the very south end of the park.

I hope you enjoyed whichever course you tackled, but it was clear that the many unmapped paths were causing people problems today - more so than our last event at Stanmer in mid winter.

Thank-you to everyone who kindly assisted with the running of today's event. Including Julia for casting an eagle eye over my courses and suggesting a number of improvements, plus help on the day. Linda & Tim for hanging many of the controls on Friday evening due to us having a family commitment. Simon for general help including hanging and collecting controls, Alan, Chris & Liam for collecting controls. The SI team of Joe, Mike, Penny & Samantha for making everything run smoothly, Neil for map printing.

Finally, some of you will know that Stanmer hosted our first ever event on 16th January 1977 and our next planned visit to Stanmer is on the exact 50th anniversary of that first event. Make a dairy note now for 16th January 2027, hopefully we will have a bumper turnout for our Golden Anniversary event!

Steve Jarvis

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

FREE COACHING before this event.

Coaching for older juniors (currently running Orange or Light Green courses) will be led by Ian. This will be learning some valuable techniques for ensuring you make good plans between controls and execute them well. Please arrive at 9:30, ready for a 9:40 start. If you're not already signed up on Spond, do let Ian know if you wish to attend.

Coaching for beginners and younger juniors (currently doing Yellow courses) will be led by Karen. This will cover symbols on the map vs features on the ground. Please arrive at 9:45 ready for a 10am start. Meet outside the big greenhouse ///worker.allow.froth If you're not already signed up on Spond, do let Karen know if you wish to attend.

Location Info

Nearest town: Falmer

• Postcode: *
• Lat,Lng: 50.86198,-0.09372
• Grid Ref: TQ334093
• 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

Follow brown tourist signs on the A270 to the Stanmer Park entrance

From the west on the A27 leave at the Hollingbury junction and come down Coldean Lane. Note there is a SPEED CAMERA on one of the steeper downward sections. Turn left at the traffic lights at the bottom onto the A270. Stanmer Park is then signposted left after about 400m.

From the east on the A27 get into the left lane (signposted Stanmer Park) about 500m after passing The Amex Football Stadium and follow signs to the Stanmer Park entrance.

You will enter the park via the “Lower Lodges”. Stay on the main park road heading NNW (Stoney Mere Way) for approx 1.2km. Just after passing Stanmer House you will come to a junction, “Patchway Car Park” entrance is across slightly to the right.

Please note we will not add Orienteering signage to the car park.

It is a “pay-by-phone” car park. As of late March 2026 the fees were:-

1 hour £1.70

2 hours £3.40

4 hours £6.60

Up to 11 hours £9.20

Blue badge holders FREE

Location Reference 805806

Online: m.paybyphone.co.uk

Phone 0330 400 7275

Possible they may have increased by the time the event takes place

Public Transport

Falmer Station approx. 1.6km (1 mile) – 4 trains per hour in each direction from/to Brighton and Lewes. Approx 1.6km walk to reach the event assembly area.

Bus route 78 leaves “The Royal Pavillion” at 10am, heads up Lewes Road to reach Stanmer Village Church at 1023. Return journeys leave Stanmer Church at 1130, 1240 & 1355 More details of this route and other local busses via https://www.buses.co.uk/servic...

Course Information

Subject to final Controlling

Blue 5.7km 215m climb

Green 4.3km 145m climb

Short Green 3.2km 100m climb

Orange 2.6km 75m climb

Yellow 1.6km 50m 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

1:7500 with 5 metre contours for all courses. Surveyed by Neil Crickmore Autumn 2025, with minor updates for this event.

Terrain Description

Generally quite runnable woodland and parkland along a chalk ridge. Some areas of undergrowth but they are mapped and can be avoided. There is a good track / path network. Competitors should note that in some areas with ground vegetation, there are a number of unmapped paths.
Courses will start / finish in a new location to give a different feel to previous Stanmer events. The start / finish area is 100 metres south of the car park – head down the side of the large Victorian Greenhouse and you’re almost there.

Dog restrictions

Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Keep your dog under control and on a short lead where there may be grazing cattle or sheep. Clean up after your dog.

Facilities

None, but note there are three cafes within close walking distance of the car park – in “One Garden” (almost adjacent the car park), Stanmer Tea Rooms and Stanmer House. There are public toilets opposite Stanmer Tea Rooms (200m from car park – about 100m past the church)

Miscellaneous

The “Patchway” car park is very close to “One Garden Brighton” which is a free to visit historic garden with a café. Well worth a visit after your run – more details via https://www.onegardenbrighton....

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Steve Jarvis

Organiser:

Controller / Event Adviser: