This event was scheduled to take place in 2024 but has been rearranged due to storms. The revised date is of course in 2025. If you are a member of an EAOA club and are taking part in their EA League, then I can confirm that the event will still be considered as being in 2024. Those competitors who will move into a higher age category in 2025 should continue to enter the course as you would for your 2024 age.
Parking is free and will be in the overflow car park at National Trust Stowe, 3 miles north-west of Buckingham town,
just off the A422 Buckingham to Banbury Road. This is very close to assembly.
Sat Nav postcode: MK18 5EQ
what 3words: ///towel.zone.crackled.
Check the Sunday timetable. Stagecoach X5 bus runs Oxford to Cambridge stops in Buckingham town, 1.5 miles from Stowe. On arrival at Buckingham High Street, walk uphill and on to West Street, continuing on the A422 until you reach a right turn for Stowe Avenue. Follow the 1.5 mile avenue until you reach the New Inn.
Parking, assembly, toilets and cafe are all at the New Inn - the visitor centre of NT Stowe.
We have us of the Bennett Room for assembly, entry on the day, hire SI collection, first aid and enquiries.
You must visit assembly to collect a wrist band to gain entry to the grounds before going to the Start.
Competitors new to orienteering or requiring assistance should enquire at assembly.
In addition to the main toilets at assembly, there are two portable toilets (one of these is accessible) close to the Start/Finish at Bell Gate. Please use the toilets provided and do not urinate elsewhere in the park as this will jeopardise future use.
Start list on Fabian4. We will not be issuing individual start times.
Registration will be open for entries on the day from 10am to 12 noon. You must visit assembly to collect a wrist band to gain entry to the grounds before going to the Start.
Start distance 750m from assembly. Allow 10 minute walk. Show your wristband to the NT staff to gain entry to the park. The Start and Finish are close together. There will be an un-manned bag drop in the Eastern Lake Pavilion (first folly on the left after passing through Bell Gate). Items left at the owner's risk.
Start times will be between 10:30 and 12:30am. Courses close at 14:00 promptly to allow time for control collection before sunset and Stowe closing at 16:00. If you expect to take a long time to complete your course, please start at a time that will enable you to finish before course close time.
The Finish is close to the Start. Download is at assembly, 750m walk.
Please don't forget to download, even if you retire.
The maps are A3 at 1:5000 with 2.5m contours for all courses on waterproof paper. The map has been updated in 2024 by Freya Askham to the ISSprOM 2019-2 standard.
Control descriptions will be printed on the map, and loose control descriptions will be available in the start lanes.
All courses remain within the gardens of National Trust Stowe which contain a surprising variety of terrain including rough pastures, intricate planting, occasional patches of woodland and well-manicured lawns. There are numerous follies, statues, arches, temples and columns to maintain interest. The terrain is generally very runnable, hence the relatively long course lengths.
Mixed SPORTident punching will be used, allowing both SIAC contactless and traditional punching.
Punching start. The Finish will be in beacon mode, followed by a Safety Check.
Competitors on the Brown course will require a dibber capable of registering 37 controls.
The area contains areas of out-of-bounds including the school. Courses have been designed such that there is no advantage/reason to enter these areas. The exception is the longer courses where you may have a route choice around a major OOB area. There are also a number of fences which must not be crossed. These are shown clearly on the map with the sprint map double tag fence symbol. Any competitor seen crossing these fences other than at marked crossing points will be disqualified. It is important that all competitors respect the OOB areas and the prohibition on crossing fences; failure to do so could risk future use of the area.
You are free to choose any course, however if you are taking part in the EA League you will need to enter the correct course for your age category.
This event was originally planned to be in 2024 but the revised date is of course in 2025. This event will still be considered as being in the 2024 EA League. Those competitors who will move into a higher age category in 2025 should continue to enter the course as you would for your 2024 age.
| Course | Minimum running distance | Climb | Number of controls | Map info | 2024 age class for EA League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown * | 12.9km | 220m | 37 * | Double-sided map, map exchange | M20-M40, W21 |
| Blue | 10.3km | 210m | 27 | Double-sided map, map exchange | M16, M18, M45-60, W18-20, W35-45 |
| Green | 6.4km | 110m | 24 | Double-sided map | M65-75, W16, W50-65 |
| Short green | 4.7km | 100m | 20 | M80+, W70+ | |
| Light green | 5.0km | 100m | 20 | M14, W14 | |
| Orange | 3.1km | 50m | 17 | M12, W12 | |
| Yellow | 1.9km | 10m | 9 | M10, W10 | |
| White | 1.1km | 10m | 9 |
* Competitors on the Brown course will require a dibber capable of registering 37 controls.
Maps for the green, blue and brown courses are double-sided. In addition, blue and brown have a map exchange for the final section. Runners on Brown and Blue can collect their Part 1 map from the Finish.
There are sheep on site. Orienteers must close all gates they pass through. Marshals will be present at some gates, but it is the orienteer's responsbility to close the gate.
To score points for the East Anglian League, you need to run the course allocated to your age class. It is also possible to score points if you 'run up' or 'run down' a course. Full details can be found on the EA League webpage.
Online entries are now closed. There will be entry on the day, subject to map availability.
| Entry on the day | |
|---|---|
| Senior (21 and over) BO member | £12 |
| Senior non-member | £14 |
| Junior or full-time student | £3 |
| SI card hire | £1 |
| Loss of a hired SI card will incur a charge of £30 | |
You must go to Download at assembly even if you don’t finish your course. We need to confirm you’re back safely.
First aid will be available at assembly.
Competitors travelling alone are advised to leave something of value that they will not forget at assembly (e.g. car keys).
Dogs are required to be on a lead at all times as per National Trust Stowe policy. Please be aware there are sheep in the mapped area.
Full results will be published on www.smoc.info after the event.
Organiser: Helen Nisbet entries@smoc.info
Planner: Sandra Mather
Controller: Roger Thetford (TVOC)
We are grateful to National Trust Stowe for use of this special area and for their assistance in making this event possible.
We want everyone to feel safe and welcome at our events. As a club, we support and follow British Orienteering's safeguarding policies, which can be found via the links below:
Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy
Find out more on our Safeguarding and welfare page.
A risk assessment is carried out by the organiser in advance of each event, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event.
If you have participated in three orienteering events/activities and not joined an orienteering club that is affliated to British Orienteering then you are not covered by our public liability insurance.
In line with the policies of British Orienteering, the organisers of this event request that any person wishing to take photos or videos showing children other than members of their family should register their details with event volunteers before taking any such photos or videos. The event organisers reserve the right to ask people to refrain from taking photos or videos and may, if such warnings are ignored, refer the matter to the police.