Berkshire Orienteers

SCOA League Event - Bucklebury Common

Sunday, 8th November 2015

Final Details

Warning: Remembrance Sunday Road closures in Thatcham 10.30 to 11.30

Location:

The car park and assembly area are on The Green  at Chapel Row , RG7 6PD. Grid ref: SU571696.

Assembly will be on the village field with parking on grass. Please advise the Organiser if you intend to bring a coach.

Travel:

From the EAST turn off the M4 at junction 12, take the A4 West for 2km. At the second roundabout turn right onto the A 340 to Pangbourne.  After 0.5km turn left onto minor road signposted Bradfield. After 2km turn left signposted “Bradfield Southend” and Bucklebury . Proceed for 4km until you reach Chapel Row. Assembly and parking is signposted to the left.

From the WEST and from the A34 BEFORE 10.30 : Leave Newbury going East along the A4 through Thatcham. As you are leaving Thatcham, take a left turn signposted for Upper Bucklebury. Cross roundabout and continue on minor road (via Harts Hill Lane, Broad Lane and the Common)  to Chapel Row where Assembly and the parking is signposted to the right.

Thatcham Diversion AFTER 10.30 At the A4 roundabout on the Western outskirts of Thatcham take the Second turn Tull Way northward. Straight along Bowling Green road , bear left into Heath Lane. Take next turn right (roundbout) . Left turn at roundabout into Floral Way . at second roundabout turn left into Harts Hill lane.

Via Harts Hill Lane, Broad Lane and the Common  to Chapel Row where Assembly and the parking is signposted to the right.   

Please do not use the other minor roads – often narrow - running through the area.

There is parking charge of £1 per vehicle.

Facilities:

The following facilities are available in the Assembly field:.

First Aid by HART FIRST RESPONSE, (Registered Charity 1092333). We aim to help save lives by providing ambulance and first aid cover at local events, and by teaching first aid skills within the community. www.hartfirstresponse.org.uk

Ultrasport

Squash

Toilets

Registration:

Opens at 9.30.

White and Yellow  course runners  must  collect their maps from Registration. All other Competitors who have pre-entered and have their own Emit e-card should go straight to the Start.

Start times are between 10:00 and 12:00.

Individual start times will be published on Fabian 4 and displayed at the Start and Registration.

Note that for simplicity and based on expected numbers we are issuing start times by Start Blocks of 30 minutes   so that you can join the Start queue at any time within the 30 minutes after your start time . As a result everyone, who is  in the same start block,  will have the same start time  ie 10.00. 10:30, 11:00, 11:30   and for helpers on late runs 12:00.  

EOD

Courses may be entered on the day subject to map availability. Starts are between 10.00am – 12.00pm. EOD entry is £12.00 for adults if BOF members otherwise £14 and £5.00 for all children .

For pairs and Groups one entry fee is charged  - Additional maps  £1

Courses close at 2.30pm

All Entries on the day will given a form with your entry details – hand this in at the start.

String Course

A Free string course is provided  on Chapel Row Common  200 metres to the North west of the car park field  start times from 10.00 to 12.00. Follow the signs to the String course registration – take care crossing the roads on the way to the course. For this reason children under 16 must be accompanied to the String course by an adult.

Emit Card

Issue and

Return:

Competitors hiring Emit cards should collect them from Enquiries before going to the start. Hired Emit cards will be collected at download. A charge of £45 will be made for lost cards.

Start

The route to the Start is signposted from the far South–East corner of the parking  field.  There is a   walk of  1 km  to the start and back from the finish – allow  15 minutes. The route is initially along a track and then on a quiet residential road  before turning right along the verge for 30 metres and then take care crossing the minor road (Hatch Lane) and going through the gate. Immediately turn right BEFORE the  house. After 100m the path forks left for the Start  (the Finish is straight on).

At this point there is an area to leave clothing  but this will be unmanned and so will be used at your own risk

DO NOT WALK directly down Hatch Lane – there are no verges and traffic is often fast.

The Start is a punching start

Loose description sheets will be available in the start lanes except for the White and Yellow courses.  White and yellow courses must collect their maps from REGISTRATION prior to starting.

Road Crossings

For the Green, Blue and Brown Courses  only there are two manned road crossing points for your safety on the fast and busy East-West road from Chapel Row to Upper Bucklebury.

Please follow the advice from the Marshalls.

There are controls one each side of the road – you must punch both.

One minute allowance is given for each road crossing

In addition  all courses  Light Green and longer cross the  much quieter North-South Roads which are not marshalled .

TAKE CARE in crossing ANY road

White , Yellow and Orange courses do not cross any roads 

Course Close

Courses closes at 2.30

Finish

There is one finish for all courses . – Squash is available in the Assembly field

Follow  the “Start” route back to the Car park field and the Download tent.

ALL competitors must report to the DOWNLOAD tent  even if they retire.

WARNING: at around 12.45  the local hunt will be walking their horses and hounds along the  minor road (Hatch lane)  which runs alongside the field and crossed the route from the Finish

SCOA League Prizes

Prize Giving for the  2014-2015 season will take place at 12.30 in the Assembly field

Map

Scale 1:10,000, 5m contours, updated 2015 by Katy Stubbs. Courses and control descriptions will be over printed on waterproof paper

Note that seasonal bracken is not mapped.

Terrain

Areas of heathland and mainly deciduous woodland interspersed with dwellings - all with a complex path and track network. Some detailed contours and features on the north side of the map. It is 10 years since most of the area has been used for an event.

There are some extraction lanes, seasonal and animal tracks which are not on the map.

Bracken will be  encountered  on the Brown, Blue, Green, Short Green and Light Green courses.  Most can be avoided as there are numerous small paths dotted about the area.

There is bracken in both areas south of the East-West road but White to Orange courses should not be affected

Bio Security

Please come to the event with clean and dry shoes and clothing. After your run please follow the guidance that helps protect our precious environment:

·         Check

·         Clean

·         Dry

Before leaving the event check your clothing and equipment and remove any mud, soil or leaf litter.

Once home thoroughly clean your footwear and clothing and then leave it to dry for as long as possible. Many invasive non-native species are able to survive in damp corners for very long periods of time, but are less able to survive if the equipment is thoroughly dried.

Photography

The club has designated photographer(s) and details are available from registration. Photographs from the event may be used by the club and made available on the internet in accordance with British Orienteering guidelines. Please speak to a club official at registration if you have any concerns

General

Safety:

- Please take care when crossing and walking along Forest roads.

- There is public access to Bucklebury Common , please respect the rights of others, particularly the horse riders.

- Please report to download even if retiring as this will ensure we can check you have returned safely. Competitors travelling alone are encouraged to leave a set of keys at registration.

- Competitors are advised to carry whistles.

- Competitors take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety.

Accidents:

- First Aid by Hart First Response in Assembly field

-Accident and Emergency unit :

A&E
Royal Berkshire
NHS Foundation Trust
Centre Block
Craven Road
Reading
RG1 5AN

0118 322 7020

Officials

Planner: Andrew Graham

Organiser: Peter Entwistle  07814 938057

Email: events@bko.org.uk

Controller: Andy McGregor  (BADO)

IMPORTANT OFFICIAL NOTICES:

• Competitors take part at their own risk
• The personal data you give will be used by the event organisers only for the purpose of processing/publishing entries and results and as required by our insurers. Entry details will be stored in a computer. Submissions of an entry for the event will indicate your acceptance of this procedure.
• In the event of cancellation of the event, part, or all of your entry fee may be retained.
• The club has designated photographer(s) and details are available from registration. Photographs from the event may be used by the club and made available on the internet. Please speak to a club official at registration if you have any concerns.