Permanent Orienteering Course Watermead Country Park, Wanlip Road, Syston

Watermead Country Park lies about 6km north of Leicester city centre and extends for about 3km between the A563 Leicester Ring Road to the south, Birstall to the west, the A46 Leicester Western Bypass to the north and Thurmaston and Syston to the east. The park has been developed around many lakes which were originally excavated for sand and gravel. The lakes are now used for a variety of activities, including sailing and fishing but others are now a haven for wildlife. The northern part of the park is managed by Leicestershire County Council www.leics.gov.uk

Getting there

The permanent orienteering course is in the northern part of the park. For a map of the area see http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=460500&Y=310500&A=Y&Z=3 http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.693812,-1.102839&spn=0.039639,0.069351&z=14 The vehicle entrance is off Wanlip Road at: Grid Ref SK607114 WGS84 co-ordinates Lat N52:41:48 ( 52.696711 ), Long W1:06:14 ( -1.103921 ) Nearest postcode LE7 1BA Car Park Pay on entry. £1.50 (2008).

There is no direct access from the A46 Leicester Western Bypass so you must approach the park along Wanlip Road from the east. There are link roads which connect Wanlip Road to both carriageways of the A607 and access can also be gained from the A46 / A607 Hobby Horse roundabout by heading east and then south past the Hobby Horse pub. Follow the brown tourist signs to the park. Note although there is a direct link from Wanlip Road to the A46 this only provides access onto the westbound carriageway. The main car park is located at the south end of the access road.

The nearest bus services pass along Melton Road, Thurmaston and these offer a high frequency service to Leicester city centre. There is a pedestrian access to the park from Canal Street, Thurmaston, which lies on the east side of the River Soar (opposite Post F). A footpath leads north from the west end of Canal Street to a footbridge over the canal which provides access to the main area of the park. A path up the east side of a large lake leads to the car park area which lies just to the north of the lake.

National Cycle Route 6 passes through the park. There is also a railway station in Syston about 1.5km from the north entrance to the park.

2008-06-18 WATERMEAD POC instructions.doc Printed 7/3/2008 4:44 PM

Control descriptions and courses

There are 26 control sites within the park and these have been arranged to provide six courses: two easy, two medium and two hard with different course lengths. The position of these posts is marked on the map with a circle identified by a letter. The control sites are marked on the ground with posts which have a red and white top and a letter and a number. The letter identifies the post and the number provides a check for supervisors or teachers to make sure the right post has been visited.

The starting and finishing point is on the Western side of the main car park, marked with a post with a red and white top. You must visit the controls in the order specified for the particular course. Note down the number on each post you visit. Of course if you wish you might organise your own route and visit as many controls as you like.

You will probably be able to complete all of the courses without the need for a compass providing you follow the map carefully. Bear in mind that permanent posts can suffer from deterioration and / or vandalism so some posts may be missing. In addition, some of the posts might be obscured by undergrowth during the summer period.

The Map Orienteering maps are drawn to an international standard using specific colours and symbols and at Watermead the scale of the map is 1:10000 where 1cm on the map equates to 100m on the ground. Further details regarding the map can be found in the enclosed leaflet.

Safety After very heavy rain, the River Soar can rise considerably, flooding many areas of the park. The Leicestershire Orienteering Club in conjunction with Watermead Country Park has designed these courses having considered the likely risks involved. The Park has extensive areas of water and a full risk assessment should be carried out having regard to the abilities of the people undertaking the courses and the need for appropriate supervision. The Club cannot accept responsibility for any accident, loss or damage incurred by any person undertaking these courses.

2008-06-18 WATERMEAD POC instructions.doc Printed 7/3/2008 4:44 PM