Potteries Orienteering Club

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2008, A4.

Photograph

Apedale in Winter (42kb).

Terrain

Extensive area with wooded valleys, rough open fields and some pockets of complex old industrial workings; access to some parts is limited to protect wildlife.

Read a long description of the area.

Permanent Course

The Permanent Course provides both easy, mainly track-based, controls suitable for school/youth groups and longer routes (up to 8·0km) with some tricky navigation.

Maps are available on site from the Rangers’ Office ( 01782 564885) or the Heritage Centre (cafe and mine tours also available); alternatively enclose £1·50 and a self addressed envelope (23cm by 16cm) with a letter to Alison Corbett; 16 Woodside Lane, Leek ST13 7AN ( 01538 384447).

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2008, A4.

Terrain

Rhododendrons and woodland with many large clearings. This small area is used for local events and training.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2008, A4.

Photograph

Small ruin at Bathpool Park (71kb).

Terrain

Open ground in the West, mixed woodland on the valley sides in the East. The area is divided by a railway line and reservoir in the valley bottom, and is open to the public.

Read a long description of the area.

Permanent Course

A map of the permanent course can be bought for £1·50 from the Kidsgrove Sports Centre ( 01782 783323); alternatively enclose £1·50 and a self addressed envelope (23cm by 16cm) with a letter to Alison Corbett; 16 Woodside Lane, Leek ST13 7AN ( 01538 384447).

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 1998, A4.

Terrain

Parkland, with a wooded valley in the North and dense woods in the East. Open to the public. The area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2003, A4.

Terrain

Once an industrial area, now reclaimed for use as a public Country Park. A small additional area, linked to Birchenwood via a disused railway line, has interesting contour features and has been added to the map. This small area is used for local events and training.

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 1989, A4.

Photograph

Marsh at Brereton Heath (65kb).

Terrain

Mapped by MDOC and used for local events and training. This small area, open to the public, surrounds a lake and is mainly flat.

Permanent Course

Maps are available only from the visitor centre. Groups are asked to telephone to check availability ( 01477 534115).

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2007, A4.

Photograph

Parkland at Brough Park (44kb).

Terrain

Urban park, parkland, rough fields and woodland. This small area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Permanent Course

Maps are available from the Brough Park Leisure Centre ( 01538 373505 or broughpark@parkwood-leisure.co.uk); alternatively enclose £1·50 and a self addressed envelope (23cm by 16cm) with a letter to Alison Corbett; 16 Woodside Lane, Leek ST13 7AN ( 01538 384447).

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 1999, 140 by 320 mm.

Terrain

Includes spoil heaps from the Chatterley Whitfield mine, now reclaimed for use as a public Country Park. Mainly open, with an extensive path network, but with some small contour features. This small area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:2500, revised 2009, A4.

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2004, A4.

Photograph

Planting a Permanent Course Marker (4kb).

Terrain

Open slopes, bracken-covered for most of the year, with some deciduous woodland. The area is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.

Read a long description of the area.

From the club newsletter:

Downs Banks – renovating the permanent course.

Permanent Course

For a map of the permanent course enclose £1·50 and a self addressed envelope (23cm by 16cm) with a letter to Alison Corbett; 16 Woodside Lane, Leek ST13 7AN ( 01538 384447).

The permanent course is closed from April to June.

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2007, A4.

Photograph

Path at Festival Park (52kb).

Terrain

Mainly woodland, with an extensive path network. This city-centre park is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2006, A4.

Map

Scale 1:7500, revised 1999, A4.

Terrain

A reclaimed colliery, landscaped as a public park. Mainly rough open, with some scattered trees. The slopes on the partially wooded spoil heaps are devoid of interesting contour features. The area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2005, A4.

Terrain

Open grassland and wooded slopes. This small area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2007, A4.

Terrain

Fields and woodland, with ponds, marshland and streams. This small area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Permanent Course

Maps are available from the Ladderedge Post Office, 38A Ladderedge, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 7AE ( 01538 385370); alternatively enclose £1·50 and a self addressed envelope (23cm by 16cm) with a letter to Alison Corbett; 16 Woodside Lane, Leek ST13 7AN ( 01538 384447).

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2004, A4.

Terrain

A Military Training Area in a major stream valley with many re-entrants. Mainly fenced and walled fields and rough open with some deep heather and tussocky grass.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 1995, A4.

Photograph

Autumn Colours at Leycett (42kb).

Terrain

Mixed forest and open farmland. Since the area was mapped, runnability has been impaired by brambles in much of the forested area.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 1998, 290 by 210 mm.

Photograph

E-punching Finish at Maer Hills (43kb).

Terrain

Hilly, mixed forest. Mainly mapped as runnable, despite the prevalence of brashings and brambles. Courses can be technically difficult.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:2500, revised 2006, 210 by 290 mm.

Terrain

A very small area, mapped large. This area is used for local events and training.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2010, 209 by 245 mm.

Photograph

Quarry at Park Hall (50kb).

Terrain

Mainly open and fast run, with some impenetrable thickets of gorse, brambles and roses. The country park was an old aggregate extraction quarry which has been landscaped in places with maturing vegetation. However there are many confusing contours, with dangerous crags, rock features, steep drops and pond water features.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 1979, 140 by 190 mm.

Photograph

Springpool Wood in Autumn (46kb).

Map

Scale 1:5000, revised 2008, A4.

Terrain

Some woodland, mainly rough open with scattered trees. There is a well-developed path network, and a hill top peppered with earthworks.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:15000, revised 1994, 230 by 170 mm.

Photograph

Walking to the Start at Swynnerton (41kb).

Terrain

Mature and well thinned plantation with areas of recent clear felling. A well contoured escarpment.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:15000, revised 1983, 200 by 310 mm.

Terrain

Open moorland and fenced fields, with large and small crags and boulders.

Read a long description of the area.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 1999, 210 by 240 mm.

Photograph

Mixed Woodland on Tittensor Chase (49kb).

Terrain

Runnable forest (mainly coniferous) with open parkland.

Read a long description of the area.

From the club newsletter:

Tales of Tittensor Chase.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 1998, 200 by 280 mm.

Photograph

Crag Foot at Trentham Park (50kb).

Terrain

A mixture of deciduous and coniferous woodland, rough open and neglected parkland, with steep slopes in the Southeast and Northwest.

Map

Scale 1:10000, revised 2004-2007, 290 by 190 mm.

Photograph

Rotting Branch at Weston Heath (40kb).

Terrain

Bury Walls is an iron age hill fort with a commanding position at the top of an irregular escarpment with contour detail (and dangerous crags). Regional event courses can be expected to be technically difficult and physically demanding.

Read a long description of the area.