Tilgate Forest Sun 15 November, 2026

Pre event info

Come and enjoy orienteering at one of our most popular venues! With great facilities, and a fantastic mix of terrain including parkland and Wealden forest, Tilgate offers a challenge for everyone, whether you're an experienced competitor or a beginner.

Today’s event is a middle distance event following SEOA night championships the previous evening.

Directions / Parking

Pay and Display car parking: TQ276345. What3Words: early.path.loft, Google Maps. Parking fees are Up to 2 hours £3.20, up to 3 hours £4.80, up to 4 hours £6.00, or all day £7.00. Fees payable at machines in the car park or using the MiPermit app.

From M23/A23 take the Pease Pottage exit (Junction 11) and follow signs towards Crawley. Follow the brown tourist signs to Tilgate Park. At the first set of traffic lights, turn right towards K2 Leisure Centre (RH11 9BQ) and turn immediately right onto Tilgate Drive. Follow this road until you arrive at the Pay and Display car park (W3W early.path.loft,). There is another access via Titmus Drive which can also be used.

There is a 2.1m height restriction in all Tilgate Park car parks.

Public Transport

By train:
Three Bridges Station - 3.4km
Crawley Station - 2.6km

By bus:
Metrobus Route 2 - Whistler Close (1km) or K2 Leisure Centre (1.1km)

Course Information

The following middle distance courses will be on offer:

Black - around 6km

Brown - around 5.5km

Blue - around 5km

Green - around 4km

Short Green / Light Green - around 3.5km

Orange - around 2.5km

Yellow - around 2km

White - around 2km

The Short Green course will be suitable for those that would normally run a Light Green course.

The event is enabled for contactless SIAC punching.

The start is about 800m from the car park, the finish is about 150m from the car park, but in a different direction.

Entry Details

Entries via Racesignup

Standard entry fee: Seniors £12, Juniors £6 (SO juniors free using the usual code)

Late entry (from 9th Nov): Seniors £14, Juniors £6 (SO juniors free using the usual code)

Novice seniors can run Orange, Yellow or White at half price

Standard Dibber Hire: £1.00 Senior/£0.50 Junior
SIAC Hire: £2.00 Senior/£1.00 Junior

Entries close at 20:00 on Saturday 14th November

Start Times

Starts 10:30-12:30

Map Details

1:10000 or 1:7500 newly remapped for 2026

Terrain Description

Tilgate Park spans over 2,000 acres of ancient woodland, manicured gardens, and open water. Its historical transformation ranged from an ancient Wealden forest and industrial iron-smelting hub, into a private Victorian estate and eventually to a public park.

The terrain will be used by walkers, runners, cyclists, horse riders and dog walkers. Please show due respect to these other users.

Areas marked as out of bounds (which includes a clay pigeon shooting facility and Go Ape) must not be entered.

Only rootstocks higher than 2m have been mapped, branch hides have not been mapped.

Dog restrictions

Dogs must be on a lead (maximum 2m) around Tilgate Lake, the main lawn and the Peace Garden. Please clear up after your dog.

Facilities

There are lots of things to do and places to eat in Tilgate Park including Tilgate Zoo, children's play area, The Walled Garden Community Café, Tilgate Lakeside Café, The Smith and Western pub, Walled Garden with maze, and Go Ape.

There are public toilets in the main car park.

Miscellaneous

A previous map of the area can be found here

Contacts / Officials

Planner: Euan Marsh

Organiser: Clive Hawkes

Controller / Event Adviser: Neil Crickmore

Mapper: Neil Crickmore

Important Event Information

Safety and Risk: A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event. Information about how to keep yourself and your children safe at an event can be found here.

Whistles:Carrying a whistle is strongly recommended at all our events and may be made compulsory by the organiser depending on identified risks and conditions.

SIACs: Note that in contactless mode no record of a SIAC "punch" is held in the control box. By using contactless punching, competitors are accepting the resulting risk that we may take longer to find them if they are lost or injured.

Covid Prevention: Please adhere to the British Orienteering Code of Conduct and take care to allow others to maintain social distance if they wish.

Ticks: Please be aware that ticks are common across many of the areas we run in and can carry infections such as Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis. This is why the rules of orienteering say that you MUST wear full leg and abdomen cover in the forest. Full arm cover is also recommended. Please check for ticks after running and seek medical advice if you develop flu like symptoms or a spreading circular rash after being bitten. There is an excellent government leaflet here.

Insurance: All of our events are registered with British Orienteering and are covered by their public liability insurance; individuals are advised to consider their own private accident insurance.

Participants who are not members of British Orienteering are not covered by British Orienteering’s public liability insurance. By entering this event, you acknowledge that you are taking part at your own risk. For example, if you were to accidentally injure a member of the public or damage property during the event, you would not be covered. Look into joining here.

Please note that the insurance only covers those registered as being part of the event so if you are taking part as a group, or are accompanying / shadowing a child please make sure you register the names of everyone taking part as you sign up.

Privacy: when participating in our events/activities your name may appear in the results section of this website or in newspaper reports. Read our data protection page to see how we look after your personal data.