Many orienteering maps are
initially derived from copyright Ordnance Survey material, and it is currently a
condition of our use of such materials, on which we pay licence fees to the OS,
that our maps or extracts from them are usually not
published on web sites. Forested areas of what was originally Dorset heathland suffer from the giant
furrows created when the area was first planted and have given the Furrow
Hoppers relay its title.
Environmental concerns (principally the protection of ground nesting birds such
as the Dartford Warbler and Nightjar) mean that we are unable to use many of our
forested or heathland areas between March and July/August, so our summer events
tend to use parkland or urban areas (see below)
Avon Heath Country Park -
1:7 500 John Warren 2011 Originally mapped in 1983 when
it was known as Avon Forest Park and used until 1987. Has now been reverted to
Dorset Heathland with the removal of most of the coniferous woodlands. Now
available again for orienteering after a gap of over 20 years. A permanent
orienteering course is being developed for use from 2016
Avon Water, Brownhills & Set Thorns 1:10 000
John Warren 2008, incorporating
older surveys by the late Mike Tween, John Warren, Colin Hicks & Rod Postlethwaite.
Copyright held jointly by WIM and SOC
Bryanston School, Blandford Forum 1: 10 000 originally
John Warren 1994,
survey JW, Dick Keighley and WIM members.
Updated by Chris Branford in 2009
Cranes Moor 1:10 000
Chris Branford and David Bland 2007, updated 2010,2011-12
Ferndown Forest, Ferndown 1: 10 000 Dale Paget 1990 based on John
Shucksmiths 1982 map with resurvey by BS, RW & DK.
Gore Heath Wareham 1: 10 000 John Warren 2004
revised Chris Branford 2007/9
Hordle Walhampton School, Lymington 1: 5 000 John Warren 1999
Ibsley & Rockford 1: 15 000 & 1:10 000 Updated John Warren
2007. Original map Peter Child (86) and Mike Tween (89)
from a pg plot. Used for a regional event in 2007,
updated 2013
Milton Abbey 1:5 000 John Warren 1998
Milton Abbey - the forest is the wooded hill in the background to
the left of the picture.
Ringwood Forest North 1:15 000 and 1:10 000 updated John Warren
2003 et seq. Used for a Regional event & Boxing Day Canter in 2014
Stonebarrow , near Charmouth 1:5 000 Mike Kite 2015 Clifftop area
owned by the NT, First used 2015. The NT have established a permanent
course there. The map can be downloaded via a link from the front page of the
WIM website. The map will be extended to link to the adjacent Golden Cap
map
Washers Pit, Ashmore 1:10 000 original
survey & cartography Map
Works , Autumn 1998, Revised John Warren Autumn 2000. New
edition Chris Branford 2009
Wootton Hill
1:5 000 Mike Kite 2011 Small area of largely runnable woodland near
Charmouth. First used in 2012.
Urban Maps
With the developments of
urban orienteering and sprint events, Chris Branford has recently produced ISSOM
maps of areas of Fordingbridge, Potterne Park and Verwood East, Wimborne, Blandford Forum, Poundbury in Dorchester, Gillingham, Merley
(incorporating Canford School), of the large area Parkstone, Hillside &
Broadstone Rec which is used for Community Orienteering. These areas tend to be used in the summer months
when access to many of our main areas is not possible for environmental reasons,
and for urban night orienteering during the winter months.
There are also maps of Sturminster Newton (Dick Keighley 2014), Sherborne (2015)
& Shaftesbury
(made by Mike Hampson of OD in 2011) , Shillingstone (Dick Keighley 2015) and older maps,
dating from the Foot & Mouth outbreak in 2001, by John Warren, of Ringwood, Wimborne & St Ives.
Hyde House, Wareham 1:5 000 - John Warren, 1994
West Moors 1: 10 000 Peter Brett 1982
Somerley Park 1:10
000 John Warren 2006
Moreton
1:7 500 John Warren 2010 A small, privately owned area of open fields and
mixed woodland. Used for schools league and informal events in 2011 & 2012. Only
available on odd occasions
Last Updated
Monday, February 22, 2016
It is worthwhile stating
here that possession of any orienteering map does not give right of access to an
area - permission must be obtained from the landowner. Furthermore, illegal
photocopying of orienteering maps could leave the user in trouble with both the
orienteering club and the Ordnance Survey.
The club
There are a number of independent schools in Dorset
which are situated in attractive areas of mixed parkland and woodland. These
have been mapped for the schools and the club use them for informal events and
for the newly formed Dorset Schools League.
Typical New Forest area. Used for badge events and larger colour coded events.Difficult
to find suitable parking these days as the FC campsites we used to use off
season now remain open during the winter.
Last used by WIM for a Regional
event in 2011.
Badbury Rings 1:7 500 John Warren 2013, extended by Chris Branford 2015
Open grassland plus wooded areas surrounding the hill-fort of Badbury Rings,
near Wimborne. Owned by the National Trust and adjoins the Kingston Lacy estate.
Used for small scale events and some MTBO since 2014.
Mixed woodland, open fields and school campus on with steep slopes on
W. side of River Stour. Available only in school holidays. Used for
WIM Gallopens in 1995 and 2002,
also for 97 Boxing Day Canter, Furrow Hoppers
relay 2009 & 2004
and various smaller scale events. a long, thin area which suits score
events.
Blandford Camp, Blandford original 1:10 000
John Warren 1996 revised 2000, and
again in 2006. Produced for Royal Signals OC.
Resurveyed & redrawn in ISSOM Sprint format by Steve Mallison Summer 2011
Largely open with small patches of woodland : many buildings. (The Signals allow
us to use the area occasionally - access sometimes difficult. ) Used for a
Furrow Hoppers relay in 2006 &
2011, midweek event summer 2015.
Bovington Ranges 1:15 000 and 1:10 000 updated John Warren
Spring 1999 & 2005 from original Dudley Budden map (94)
and again by David Bland in 2006
In many ways our best area. A complex mixture of army training areas and woodland was used for the 1999 Caddihoe Chase in September 99, Day 1
of which was a National Event. Used for the WIM Gallopen in Oct 2000 and again
in Oct 2001. Used for a Regional event in February 2005
and for the Caddihoe Chase in September 2006. The northern half of the map is
also used separately under the name Chamberlaynes Heath.
Access to Bovington is becoming increasingly difficult under recent army
administrative changes.
Canford School, & Merley 1: 5 000 John Warren, July 1996
with later revisions up to 2012
School campus, playing fields and woodland. Made for the school in 1996, used by
the club for small scale events and often for the annual BBQ event, now generally incorporating the urban area of
Merley by Chris Branford
Clayesmore School & Iwerne Minster Clayesmore
School surveyed 1: 5 000 John Warren 1996
Complete resurvey to
ISSOM at 1:4 000 by Dick Keighley in 2007, with the addition in 2010 of the
village of Iwerne Minster
Largely open area with some woodland. Updates 2016. Staged Furrow Hoppers Relay
in 2013..
An area adjoining the S & W sides of the main Bovington
map and incorporating a small part of that map. Forest and army training areas
surrounding the Bovington camp residential areas, first used for the British
Schools Championships in Nov 2007, since used for a Regional event in 2010
and again in 2012
Largely coniferous plantation, now in need of updating following felling and
replanting. Used for various colour coded events and relays but 'rested' over
the last twelve years.
Godshill, Turf Hill & Millersford, New Forest 1:10 000
John Warren Autumn 1997, updated for Regional event in 2006 &
for Galoppens in 2011 & 2013, and for
Winter Warmer Regional in 2016
Two overlapping A4 sized maps covering a long thin area of coniferous plantation
and deciduous woodland linked by open heath. The adjoining area of
Hale Pulieu was mapped by John Warren in 2012 and added to the Turf
Hill map for the 2013 Regional event.
Golden Cap Morcomebelake, W Dorset 1:7 500 Mike Kite 2014 The
first WIM map to use Lidar data. Well contoured mixture of runnable forest
and open grassland, first used for a schools/informal event in 2104. links to
the Stonebarrow map
A small but excellent area used for a regional event in Jan 2004.and for the WIM Galoppen
in October 2004, then for a British Schools selection race in 2007, the
inaugural SW Middle Distance Championships in 2009 and the JIRCS
individual day and the Southern Night Champs in 2013. Extensive heavy felling
and windblow in the Feb 2014 storms have made it unavailable recently.
An area of woodland, lakes and playing fields on the edge of the
New Forest. Produced mainly for internal school use but christened at
the Furrow Hoppers relay in July 99 and used again in July '01.
Hurn Forest North 1: 10 000 - John Warren,
incorporating survey by Brian Sutton
& Ron Wilton 1997, updated 2003 and again in 2009
& 2013
A small area of coniferous forest, used for annual schools and informal events.
Also used for MTBO events
Hyde & Gorley Commons 1:7 500 Chris Branford 2013
A small area of new Forest Heath
and old gravel workings, used for club training and Dorset Schools events
Open area of New Forest heathland. Well contoured, good technical area- used for
Harvester in �86. Current map used for an Army Championships in May '97and WIM
Gallopens in�97 and '99 as well as the Furrow Hoppers Relay in 1998. The
area, formerly owned by Lord Normanton, is now owned by the National Trust.
Parking and access were difficult for a time, but new sites have now been
found.Used for a Regional in 2013, Gallopen in 2015
Inside Park, Blandford Forum 1:10000 - John Warren, 1996,
original survey JW + WIM members 1995, map updated JW 2002 & 2004,
minor modifications RK 2006, Chris Branford 2008-9
A small area of mainly deciduous woodland surrounding a campsite
first used for WIMs 1996 Gallopen, the 98 Night Owl, a
couple of Boxing Day Canters,and a Furrow Hoppers relay. Pleasant area, ideal for junior
training. Used for a Night event and a schools event in Nov
2004 and again in Feb 2006. In 2009 & 2010 it hosted 3-events-in-a-day MTBO/Schools
League/Night Owl, repeated in 2012. Left fallow since then whilst
forestry work took place. Needs a remap.
Kingston Lacy, Wimborne 1: 7 500 John Warren 1995 resurveyed during 2000,
updated 2014
Mainly open, some wooded areas. Produced in co-operation with the National
Trust. Largely used for introducing school groups to orienteering. Was used for
small informal events. Now used for small midweek evening events under the aegis
of the National Trust.
Kingston Maurward 1:4 000
John Warren 2002, revised Di Tilsley 2009-10
Parkland, woodland and open
farmland around Kingston Maurward Agricultural College near Dorchester. Used for
small scale, informal events, Furrow Hoppers relay.
The school Campus and grounds plus a steep, well-featured
formerly runnable
woodland. Mainly for internal school use, but used with success for small
informal events in August 99, 00 & '01. Increasingly
overrun with brambles in some parts of the forest & currently being 'rested'..
Moors Valley Country Park 1:10 000 - John Warren, originally
May 1999 now updated
annually as the Country Park expands its activities
Formerly known as Ringwood Forest South and incorporating the small
area previously mapped as Jacks Garden. A large coniferous
plantation, available after a nine year gap
in the '90's whilst the
forest was redeveloped as a Country Park and as near to
the club's 'headquarters' as O-clubs ever get. A permanent course
has been constructed funded by grants from the National Lottery & East
Dorset Council and is now in operation. A permanent Trail-O course
was also developed here with the aid of a grant from BOF
( currently closed for re-development after felling), and an MTBO course is also
now available.
Widely used for schools events, Boxing Day Canters and club training.
Port Regis 1:5 000 John Warren 2003,
updated 2013 Port Regis School, nr Shaftesbury. An area of playing
fields, golf course, woodland, school campus, intermittently availble during
school holidays. Used internally, for schools events and for the 2014 Furrow
Hoppers relay
Large area of very variable, largely coniferous forest. One of our
best areas. Used for an army championships in 97 and the
WIM Badge events in 98 and 2000 and the Boxing Day Canter in Dec '00. Part of the Northern area was used for the relay at
the 1999 junior inter-regionals in July.Also used for a
round of the CompassSport Cup, the 2003 Furrow Hoppers relay and the 2003
Galoppen. There has been considerable
"harvesting" of mature timber in the last few years
and the very north of the area has now been lost to gravel extraction.
Also used for MTBO events. There is a
permanent MTBO course with maps available from Moors Valley.
A new & well-contoured area of mixed deciduous woodland and
coniferous plantation, first used for WIM Badge event in Jan
99. Surprised many people by the technical and physical
challenge it posed. First used for a
Badge event in February 2001 and a Galoppen in Feb 2003.
Recently used for a Galoppen in Nov 2009 & S. Night
Championships under snow in Nov 2010.
Other Areas (now largely unavailable)
Jacks Garden A remnant from Peter Bretts
days. Now added to the Moors Valley Country Park map. May well
resurface as a small map for training events.
An interesting area of Golf course and thick woodland astride the
River Piddle and incorporating three lakes formed from old gravel
workings. Used for the Furrow Hoppers relay in 95 &
97 and a couple of schools events. Formerly used as an Outdoor
Education Centre, the area has now been sold to a new owner who has
put up Private signs. Now lost to orienteering for the
foreseeable future.
A small area of typical Dorset Forest, with giant furrows much in
evidence. The last of Peter Bretts many maps. Now
much in need of up-dating. Used almost annually until 2002
for an informal event
Part of the Somerley estate .Open parkland and mixed
woodland. First use is set for a Local event in October 2006. A private estate
and Golf course surrounded by extensive woodlands, unfortunately heavily
infested with rhododendron. The central area is suitable for small events. The
entire area, when added to the contiguous Ringwood forests, would make a splendid
and challenging MTBO area. Access has become problematical again recently.