Dorset MapRun training course maps (VOC's)

The courses below were either used for training during lockdown or for the Summer & Autumn MapRun Leagues in 2020-21. We've recently added the courses used for the Summer League New courses shown (WRSL) 2021 in red, and will also add some of the WRNL (Night League) for 2021-22.
For the time being i we are leaving them available for people to use, and the courses are being registered as Virtual Permanant Orienteering Courses (VOC's). More MapRun League courses will be added as they become available.


Wimborne Orienteers

 Blandford Bridges/Play areas  Start and finish on Parkrun HQ Bridge by hospital car park (don’t forget that some of the parking nearby is time restricted and parking fines are issued). All controls are either bridges or  park/play areas. N.B. there is a set of steps/footpath between controls 5 and 6 that is not on the map.
Blandford (Stour Meadows) Short Score  Start in Langton Road Car Park
Blandord Stour Meadows Junior Score (Parking and start/finish all in Stour Meadows Car Park (free parking) which is behind Tesco: 15 controls and about 2.5km)
Blandford Post Box Challenge (Uses Open Orienteering Mapping). Fifteen post boxes to find in 60 minutes. Parking behind Blandford Hospital in Holland Way – do not park in hospital car park and remember parts of Holland Way are restricted parking and you can get a parking ticket! Start on top of Trailway Bridge at ParkRun HQ
Blandford Milldown Junior Score  A shorter score event aimed at juniors & novices. Start/Finish & parking at Blandford Milldown car park.
Blandford St Mary Winter MapRun Sprints.)  Map for Maprun Sprint 1 &   Map for Maprun Sprint 2  
Parking is at Stour Meadows car park (behind Tesco and free) but if
the Covid Testing Station is in operation, they issue parking ticket fines and you may need to park at Tesco or elsewhere.
Both sprints to be done on same day  but you can go and get a cup of coffee in between if you want before doing second one. Both courses are just over 2km and they are line courses (not score) for a change: the two times were added together to give a total time.

Blandford Milldown (WRSL 26.6.21) Parking close to the Start/Finish at the Milldown.


Bridport MapRun Score
Bridport Wayfarers course This is a 90-minute course aimed at walkers, newcomers & complete beginners rather than regular orienteers.
Bridport & West Bay  A 6.k line course on an OOM map.

Child Okeford New 1:5 000 urban map.  Parking in Recreation Ground by Start/Finish or nearby roads if full. Please keep to marked footpaths crossing fields. Paths could be muddy, wear appropriate footwear. NB The driveway opposite Control 23 is also the public footpath! The road through the village is supposed to be 20 mph but mind the traffic.

Durlston Country Park, Swanage (21/04) Control Descriptions    Accessible Short (2.0k)   Long (5.0k +140m climb)    Score (time limit 120min?)   Use main car park: charges apply.  Once the markers and the Map Board are in place, hopefully by June, these courses will  become another of our Permanent Orienteering Courses. In the meantime, they are available as MapRun Training courses.

Gillingham  Start near Gillingham library/Waitrose.
Gillingham South   Parking for Gillingham South is off the first roundabout in the industrial estate by the new Aldi store and Orchard Garden Centre  Shaftesbury Rd, Gillingham, SP8 5JG – don’t park too close to the start/finish otherwise gps will start.  The rough ground area shown there is now a large building site  – so don’t take a short cut. NB:be patient. This is a large file and takes some time to download and process. 

Hyde & Gorley  (NB the map is 1:7 500 not the usual 1:5 000). The carparking is at Abbotswell and is free. Grid reference SZ178129, closest postcode SP6 2JD. The nearest pub is the Foresters at Frogham cross.
Merley Estate     Map    Descriptions   Parking and start/finish is the car park at Oakley Shopping Centre and Oakley Medical Centre, Oakley Lane, Merley Estate,  Wimborne, BH21 1SF

Moors Valley Christmas 60min Score MapRun

Moors Valley CP MTBO  A 90 min mountain bike Score course on an OOM map: map scale 1:12 500 so it fits on A4 sheet. Please note that if you use the one way cycleway you must only use it clockwise. There are plenty of good options which do not necessitate using it.  Also note that the Play Area is Out of Bounds for cycling.
Moors Valley CP LongO  A 90 minute score event on an OOM map: please note the map scale is 1:12 500 so it fits on A4 sheet.

Moors Valley (WRSL 17.8.21 FootO)   & Moors Valley (WRSL 17.8.21 MTBOFootO & MTBO courses starting near the Visitor Centre. Parking either Pay & Display, or park for free at Potterne Park and cycle/jog to the start.

Ringwood  Map    Control Descriptions  Parking is at Blynkbonnie  car park  BH24 1DN  charges apply.  The start is to the South of this Car Park: if this is full the bigger main Ringwood town car parks can be used. The track within the river Avon flood plain will be wet & muddy so best avoided.It is permissible to pop off the mapped area using public roads if desired. The finish is the war memorial to the east of the start. Take care crossing roads. The B3338 Christchurch Road  running North South is the busiest , control points are near pelican crossings to assist. Wednesday is Market Day, if allowed under applicable restrictions, it might be busier. Although Ringwood is in Hampshire, it is listed under Dorset in Maprun app,'Ringwood Winter League'

Shaftesbury This course uses a map made using the Open Orienteering Map system. To get all of Shaftesbury on an A4 sheet, unlike the others, this map is at a scale of 1:10 000.
Start/Finish are by Tesco's. Parking available either there or the nearby Angel Lane Car Park. Controls marked as x are post boxes Also note that there are only 29 controls on this course, Control 28 is missing (don't ask!)

Shillingstone MapRun Short   Use the Trailway Car Park . You can also access the Start/Finish via the Shillingstone Church Centre, near control 3, and follow the footpath to the Start/Finish. Its OK to run it in shorts but  there will be a few nettles lining some of the paths for the unwary. When you run through a field you must stick to the paths and only cross fences at the stiles or gates.

St Ives  Parking in same place as for Avon Heath.

Sturminster Newton Permanent Courses ) - see Permanent Orienteering Courses section of the website. Park in Station Road Car Park:charges apply.

Sturminster Newton Maprun  Park in Station Road Car Park:charges apply.  The children's playground at Control 24 is open, but annoyingly the basketball hoop has been relocated. You will need to stand where it's marked on the map, not where it is now!

Sturminster Newton (WRSL2021) There is a small car park at Surminster Newton Rec. near the Start/Finish

Verwood North MapRun Short Score (Start by Verwood Memorial Hall)
Verwood South MapRun   Free parking in Morrisons, Chiltern Drive, Verwood BH31 6US

Verwood (Summer MapRun 2021)   Parking at Potterne Park

West Moors Winter League Map  Control Descriptions      Parking is at the West Moors Memorial Hall and Bowls Club.  Brown sign indicates Bowls Club at northern end of West Moors , just south of Start/Finish on west side of main road.  The forest bit is particularly muddy and in places wet depending on route choice.


Wimborne Town  - Parking details: Allenview West car park is 60p for 1 hour, 70p for 2 hours. Charges apply 8:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m every day.
Wimborne ByTheWay Short Score  Start near the ByTheWay car park.
 

Wimborne ByTheWay (WRSL 2021) Start by the ByTheWay car park
Wimborne South (WRNL 21-22) Start in East Borough. Use local Pay & Display parking

Wessex Orienteering Club

Boscombe Short Score   (Start is in Shelley Park)
Boscombe Odds & Evens
(Start is in Shelley Park)
Boscombe Winter League  Map and Control Descriptions   Street parking on road  near the Start/Finish in Shelley Park

Broadstone (2020 course)  The Start is at the junction of Kitchener Crescent and Soper's Lane. Optimum distance for all controls is about 10-10.5k.
There are sometimes links between paths and roads which are not indicated on the Open Orienteering Map - these must not be used otherwise people may be disqualified. Be careful crossing busy roads.
Broadstone Rec (2021 course)  CAR PARK (indicated on map).  Leave Broadstone shops SE down the hill on B3074. At bottom, narrow left turn before Barn Road, easily overshot. Signed but not very clearly. In football season avoid car park on Sat & Sun mornings. Instead use the far end of Barn Road and the SE foot entrance to the Rec. MAP SCALE  1:5200. Slightly different from standard but you shoudn't notice the difference!
Nearest toilets: Tesco's 5 mins drive away. Continue further SE on B3074 to join A349 at roundabout. SE on A349 through two sets of lights & take the right filter.
Canford Heath (May 2021 ) MapRun  Map   Control Descriptions   Please note the following: the recommended car parking is at Asda where the finish is located. Please ensure for your own safety that you fully comply with the out of bounds marked on the map that means the southern area of the map can only be accessed via the underpass close to Control 6

Canford Heath (2020)  (Start is in Asda Car Park)  Please note: the posts at control 16 have recently been removed. But if you get to the correct place, your GPS will still record the control as being visited!

Christchurch  (Not a League event) Start is at Wick Slipway)  This is a line course (5.3k) rather than a Score course, courtesy of WSX & Ian Sayer.
Christchurch Friars Cliff Map   Descriptions There is plenty of street parking nearby or else there is parking at Mudeford Wood Community Centre near Control 4 at the top of the map. NB The original map was 1:4000 A3 sized, but a map printed out on an A4 sheet is quite useable.

Hamworthy (WRNL 21-22) Parking at or near near Yachtsman pub
Poole Park Safe Maprun (
Spring 2021 but not added here until Nov'21) A 2.5k Orange course, not on public roads, suitable for juniors. Parking in park by cafe.


Poole Town Winter/Spring 2021 MapRun League-     Map    Parking at Baiter Car Park, Catalina Drive. Use underpasses to cross railway. Please make sure you use the very latest (16/04/21) version of the map: controls 20 & 26 have been moved a little)

Poole Summer Maprun League (mapPoole control descriptions    Parking at Baiter car park. Please note - The OOB on the NW corner of the Poole map can be run along the SE edge (between 5 and 21). It's only marked OOB because the road layout has changed.
Queens & Kings Park  Map    Control Descriptions   - a lovely mix of parkland, woods and residential streets, well-known to Night League competitors! It's a Straight Score  - distance about 9.75k. The Start is in the Queens Park Golf Club. PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER USERS, PARTICULARLY GOLFERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN CROSSING FAIRWAYS.  Control descriptions are not on the map so are provided separately. Parking is at the Queens Park Golf club

Upton MapRun 60min Score (Park in main car Park at Upton C.P Start adjacent)
Upton Winter MapRun  Free Parking in the dog-walkers car park opposite Pony Drive. Take care crossing the busy roads.

Wareham  NEW - A bonus course originally intended for the 2021 Night League before the January Lockdown. Parking on Streche Road
Greenberry  A course in the New Forest. Please read the stipulations about staying on the paths and off the marshy areas carefully (links to WSX website).

Sarum Orienteering Club
Tisbury Score course  Detailed instructions   The start is by the war memorial in the square and the finish by the free parking on the Avenue. Please park in the free car park and not on the High Street.