Dorset MapRun training course ma

The courses below were either used for training during lockdown or for the Summer & Autumn MapRun League. For the time being we are leaving them available for people to use, and the courses are being registered as Virtual Permanant Orienteering Courses (VOC's). Winter 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.

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.

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 (NOT Lidl as in previous version) 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 by there has suddenly become a large building site in the last week or so – so don’t take a short cut. NB:be patient. This is a large file and takes some time to download and process.

Moors Valley Christmas 60min Score MapRun (New 10/12) The Xmas special rules are that you can run the course as many times as you want in the period 12th Dec-3rd Jan, with your best score/time counting. As always however you should not look at other competitors routes during the competition period. Parking at Moors Valley: see below for parking charges (Alternatively park for free at Potterne Park, Verwood and walk/run or cycle into Moors Valley!)

From 12th December until 18th December, the charges for car parking for two hours are £1.60 during the week and £5.50 during the weekend. From the 19th December until 3rd January, the cost for 2 hours is £8.00 (gulp!) on all days. If you stay longer than 2 hours you pay more. The early bird weekend special (intended for ParkRun) applies during Christmas and it still seems to apply as they have not changed the coding on the parking machines even though ParkRun is paused - * Weekend early bird special * On a Saturday or Sunday, early morning parking, until 10.30 am, is just £1.30. You can pay when you arrive or anytime before 10.30 am but you MUST exit BEFORE 10.45 am or normal charges will apply. The car park opens from 08.00 am each day.

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.
Moor 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.

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 with Christmas shoppers 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.

Sturminster Newton Park in Station Road Car Park; between 09.00-15.00 Mon-Sat its 70p/hour. Outside those hours its free. The children's playground at Control 24 is now 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!

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

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. Updated map 27/06

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.

Canford Heath (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 (Start is at Wick Slipway) This is a line course (5.3k) rather than a Score course, courtesy of WSX & Ian Sayer.

Poole Town Winter MapRun League- Jan 2021 (Suspended until Tier rules change) Map Parking at Baiter Car Park, Catalina Drive. Use underpasses to cross railway.

Poole Summer Maprun League (map) Poole 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.
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 The start is by the war memorial in the square and the finish by the free parking. Please park in the free car park and not on the High Street. NB Control 9 in playpark is now accessible again) .

Dorset MapRun training course maps (VOC's)