Parking will be in the public car park at Hardwick Country Park.  The entrance to the car park is from the A177 at grid reference NZ 346287.  The What3words reference is ///horses.appoints.intelligible and the postcode is TS21 2DN.

Click on the link to see a map.  You can zoom in (and, optionally, switch to Satellite mode) to see the details of the final approach to the event.  You can also get directions if you specify your starting location.

From junction 60 of the A1(M), turn east on the A689 and follow the brown signs marked "Hardwick Country Park".

From Stockton, follow the A177 north-west to Sedgefield, turn west on to the A689 and follow the brown signs.

You will need to buy a parking ticket from one of the machines in the car park.  The charges are £2 for 2 hours or £3 for all day.
Note: Blue Badge holders need to pay the parking charge.

Enquiries and Download will be in the Burdon Room, which is very close to the toilets in the Visitor Centre.

Country Park with an extensive path network and various man-made and natural features including lakes.

The main road through the centre of the area is out of bounds and can only be crossed via the underpass.

Through the underpass, there is an area with long grass, groups of trees and grazing cattle.  The cattle are very docile and are used to the public and dogs.

This is a Team Score event with a difference.  The event is for teams of 3, but all entries are welcome – we will make up ad hoc teams from single person and pair entries.  This team event is suitable for all ages.

There are three courses, and each team will need to select one of their members for each course.  The courses are 30, 45 and 60 minutes score courses.  (If you are not familiar with score courses, see below for an explanation.)

As shown below, the 30 minutes course will attract a higher points value per control than the 45 minutess course which, in turn, will attract more points per control than the 60 minutes course.  Teams will need to evaluate the best use of their members to maximise their final points total.

• 30 minutes course – 15 points per control
• 45 minutes course – 12 points per control
• 60 minutes course – 10 points per control

All competitors will use the same map (showing all the controls) and will have the option of visiting the same set of controls ..... although, as explained above, the number of points earned by visiting each control will depend on which of the three courses you're doing.

Penalties will be incurred in the form of a loss of 20 points for each minute or part minute for each late finisher in your team.

On completion of their course, each competitor should punch the Finish and go straight to Download.  There is no need to wait for your other team members before punching at the Finish.

Fancy dress is encouraged.  Extra points will be awarded for fancy dress.

Note:  In a Score event there is no pre-defined sequence of controls to be visited.  The aim is to collect as many points as possible by visiting controls in any order that you choose.  You lose points if you take longer than the specified time limit, so deciding which controls to visit and in which order is an important element of the event.

The following prizes will be awarded:

• 1st team
• 2nd team
• 1st all-female team (which has not won one of the other two prizes)

1:5,000 scale.   A3 size.

Control descriptions will be printed on the map, and loose copies will also be available.

SPORTident electronic punching will be used at this event.

The control boxes will be activated to enable SIAC cards to operate in touch-free mode ..... but please note that you will need to punch the conventional way at the Start and Finish.

SI-cards will not be available for hire on the day.  However, you can reserve a hired SI-card via Racesignup when you put in your entries.  There will be a £1 hire charge.  Please collect your hired SI-card from Download before your run and return it as you download after your run.  Take care of your hired SI-card, as there will be a £20 charge if you lose it.

Please note that there will not be mass starts.  You will need to punch at the Start (and the Finish, of course).

There will be no entry on the day.   If you wish to participate in this event you must pre-enter via the Racesignup online entry system.

If at all possible, please enter by midnight on Sunday 31‑Dec‑2023.  After that, the online entry system will continue to accept entries until midnight on Thursday 4‑Jan‑2024 as long as maps are available.

If you are entering a full team, please specify a team name.

You can put in an entry for an incomplete team – i.e. one or two runners – and the Organiser will make up "ad hoc" teams.  Please make sure that you put your entry in against the course that you would like to run; i.e. 60 minute score, 45 minute score or 30 minute score.  We'll do our best to arrange things so that you're running your preferred course, but please note that we may need to ask some people to change to another course in order to be able to make up complete teams.

Toilets in the Country Park Visitor Centre.

First Aid near Download (in the Burdon Room in the Visitor Centre).

The Country Park cafe will be open, serving hot food, drinks, cakes, etc.

Covid 19 and other infections – e.g. influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and adenovirus) continue to circulate in the community.

Orienteering is an outdoor, naturally socially-distanced sport.  However, although you should be relatively safe when you are out on your run, there is a risk of virus transmission during the pre- and post-run activities.

Please:-

• Do not attend this event if you have respiratory infection symptoms.
• Maintain good hand hygiene.
• Be mindful of other people's space.  Some people may be more concerned than you are about avoiding close contact.

A risk assessment will have been carried out by the Organiser, but please remember that competitors take part at their own risk.  Orienteering is an adventure sport – your safety while orienteering is your own responsibility.

Please make sure that you download even if you do not complete your course.

CLOK recommends that you carry a whistle while participating in this (and every) orienteering event.

If you have a relevant medical condition, please add this to your competitor details in Racesignup.  Any information provided will be treated in strict confidence and will only be used if you need medical treatment and are unable to communicate at the time.