Nomansland, 31st January 2026

Beginners

First timers are very welcome. Look for our greeters in hi-vis jackets.

You can go around individually, in pairs or in a larger family group. From an entries perspective,  pairs and groups are treated as a single runner – it’s one entry, you get one map, one timing chip (“dibber”)  and one finish time listed in the Results.  We charge per “entry” not per person and it’s easiest to enter in advance – see Entering for the first time for more info on how to do this.

If you’ve not orienteered before, we suggest most people start with the yellow course. Young juniors, say primary school age, and family groups are better on white. People confident with a map and compass may start on orange. If you find your course too easy, club policy is to offer you a run on the next course up at no cost, provided there’s enough time and there are maps available.

Don’t forget to download between runs!

Location

Nomansland Common, on the B651 between Sandridge and Wheathampstead, opposite the Wicked Lady PH.

Parking

West End Farm, Ferrers Lane, Nomansland, St Albans AL4 8EG.  OS Grid Ref. TL162125. W3W sleep.scan.send No parking charges.

Please park as directed at the farm which has a busy stable. Beware of horses near the entrance. No height restriction.

Public Transport

Bus services (357) run from St Albans Ctiy station with frequent trains from London; the route passes through St Peter’s Street and Sandridge. Disembark at the Wicked Lady PH (1.3km E of farm).  The 304 also runs from St Peter’s Street to the Wicked Lady.

From Harpenden, it’s a 3.5km walk from the station or a 357 bus from the George on a quite a winding route via Batford & Wheathamstead.

Terrain

A mixture of generally very runnable open heathland and woodland.

Full leg cover is required for all competitors, due to the height of the undergrowth around all courses.

Map

 1:7,500 pre-marked maps for all courses on waterproof paper. pre-marked maps for all courses on waterproof A4 paper. Control descriptions will be on the map.  White and yellow course maps are available at the pre-start.

Brambles are marked with vertical green hashing. The mapping of the vegetation should not be used for fine navigation but it has been done to indicate restrictions on route choice in the wooded areas. Not all minor paths are mapped, nor are the wooden children’s dens.

For a previous event on the area, see Routegadget.

Course Timing

Sportident punching will be used. SIAC will be enabled for those with ‘contactless’ dibbers, but you must punch start and finish.

Facilities

Toilet. Please note that the café will not be open, so bring your own drinks.

Dogs

Keep under control and clear up behind you.  Note that traffic along Ferrers Lane can be quite fast and dangerous to any off-lead animals.

Safety

By participating in this event, you acknowledge that you do so at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety.

Members of British Orienteering—which includes those who have joined an affiliated club such as HH—are covered by the organisation’s public liability insurance.  Please note: If you are not a BOF member, if you accidentally injure someone or damage property during the event, you are not covered by this insurance.

A full risk assessment has been carried out.

Officials