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- Date:
- Registration opens: 11:00 am
- Starts from: 11:30 am
Day One of a weekend of Urban League Orienteering by the east coast shared with Roxburgh Reivers whose event follows on Sunday 7th at Eyemouth just 8 miles north across the border.
Updated 8/4/26
Image courtesy English Heritage- used with permission.
The much fought over historic town of Berwick will be stormed one more time on 6th June. The land slopes from North to South, becoming quite steep as it nears the Tweed. Courses may take in the Elizabethan town walls, the remains of the castle, and the streets, alleys, and courtyards of the town centre. Longer courses will cross the river to Tweedmouth, and all courses will make acquaintance with the hillocks, depressions, gulleys and ruins of the mediaeval defences.
Access: Berwick-upon-Tweed lies close to the A1 Great North Road London to Edinburgh, some 60 miles from Newcastle and from Edinburgh.
Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station is within the town and only 500 metres from the event assembly. Direct services call from/to London and Edinburgh (LNER & Lumo) and stations along the East Coast main line, and from/to stations on the Cross Country network. From Glasgow currently two early morning direct run, otherwise one change. From Manchester, Leeds, Inverness, Aberdeen one change. From Newcastle LNER and TPE shuttle to/from Edinburgh
Parking: Castlegate, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1JS. ///leader.apples.sailor Google Maps
The Car Park is in two sections. Short stay (3 hrs) at the west end (9 on the plan); Parking Disc required (any authority including Northumberland CC available from dispenser (£1 coin) or local shops.) Further east, nearer assembly, free (no disc or time limit 18 and 20 on the plan). Plan of these and alternative Parking.Assembly: On the grassy area at the east end of Castlegate car park. Registration/download tent (open from 11:00 am.) and a tent for leaving bags and kit will both be here. No indoor Assembly. You can leave a car key at registration/download.
No personal or club tents to be pitched.Entries: online via SiEntries from 6th April to midnight Sunday 31St May. Limited entry on the day for Courses 6 & 7 only, subject to map availability. Please enter in advance if possible.
Seniors (M/W 21 and over): Courses 1-6: £15
Seniors (M/W 21 and over): Courses 7 & 8: £5
Juniors (M/W 20 and under)/Students: All courses: £5
Enter any course you want, unless aged under 16 on the day (restricted to course 7 or 8). Entry to age group courses necessary to score UKUL league points.
Starts: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. No pre allocated start times.
Two starts: The Far Start (courses 1 – 3) is 1.2 km. taped route from Assembly. Allow 25 min.
The Near Start (courses 4 – 8) 225 m. taped route from Assembly.
Loose descriptions at starts.
Two Finishes close to Download/Assembly.Courses: subject to final controlling.
Guide Distance Climb
(metres)Map Course 1 Open Men 8 km. Course 2 Open Women, Veteran Men M40+ 7 km. Course 3 Veteran Women W40+
Supervet. Men M55+6 km. Course 4 Supervet. Women W55+,
Ultravet. Men M65+5 km. Course 5 Ultravet. Women W65+
Hypervet. Men M75+4 km. Course 6 Hypervet. Women 75+ 3.5 km. Course 7 Junior 16 & under 3 km. Course 8 Junior 12 & under 2.5 km. Under sixteens (actual age) are restricted to Course 7 or 8. Entrants on courses 1 and 2 need to ensure they have an SI card (‘dibber’) that will register more than 30 controls (punches). This is also advisable for entrants on course 3, too, in case you punch an extra control or two. SI-card 8 has a limit of 30 controls and SI-card 5 will not register split times after 30 controls. If you need to check the type of your dibber/SI card, please click this link.
If you need to hire an SI card for your course (£1 to hire, £30 if lost), you can do so when you enter.
Map: new map by Lewis Taylor 2025
Facilities: Public toilets at the west (entrance) end of Castlegate car park.
Full range of eating and shopping opportunities in town centre in short walking distance.Dogs: In the car park only.
Safety: General: A comprehensive risk assessment will have been carried out by the organiser, but participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. Non-members of British Orienteering who, for example, accidentally injured a member of the public or damaged property during the event, are not covered by British Orienteering’s public liability insurance.
Competitors must exercise care and be respectful of other users of the area. Please look out for pedestrians, who will not be expecting to encounter you, and other competitors, around tight bends or when exiting alleyways. It is your responsibility to avoid them, not theirs to get out of your way. Should you collide with a member of the public, at least pause to check the wellbeing of the person(s) collided with. Any incident involving the public should be reported. Be aware of vehicles and cyclists when crossing roads. Busy roads are signified by the darker tan colour – take extra care. The roadway past Castlegate car park and south and west to the road bridge is dangerously busy and marked strictly out of bounds. Pavements and pedestrian crossings can be used.Berwick specific
Berwick town walls are several metres tall with a sheer drop (see flyer header). All courses except 8 (Young Juniors) visit the walls, which are delineated on the map by a very thick black line, and reinforced by a purple do-not-cross line on the inside of the walls (see right). Keep to the paths or open areas along the town side of the defences and be very careful of other people using them. Along the back edge of the defences are a number of former ammunition stores (the sideways black ‘V‘ on the illustration). The doorways of three of these are control points and should be approached from the side, not from directly above. Red and white tape will be used above to mark the tops – do not cross the tape.
The town wall along the Quayside is pierced by a few rather narrow ‘tunnels’. Be very cautious when emerging from these tunnels onto the Quayside, as other people or occasional cars may be passing.
Organiser: Gwenda Cavill NATO <gwenda352@gmail.com>
Planner: Fred Miller NATO
Controller: Robin Sloan RR -