Shire Oak
Shire oak is an old sand quarry converted to what is now a mature nature reserve. It is a compact area with complex contours and an extensive path network, so it can support courses that are good for beginners and those that are challenging for experienced orienteers.
There are 5 courses of increasing difficulty; experienced orienteers may like to run the two harder courses back-to-back. The distances given are straight line routes between the controls; even without making mistakes you will cover a greater distance as you avoid obstacles, take path routes etc.
There is an information panel showing 3 marked walking trails; many of these posts are used on courses.
The vegetation can be tough away from paths; bear this in mind when deciding what to wear!
Fences, often partly hidden in the undergrowth, hide steep slopes and MUST NOT be crossed except at marked steps and paths.
| Easy Beginners Course A 1.2km | FREE | |
| Harder Beginners Course B 2.2km | FREE | |
| Harder Course D 2.0km | FREE | |
| Harder Course E 2.1km | FREE | |
| Medium trickier Course C 1.9km | FREE |
| Easy Beginners Course A 1.2km | FREE | |
| Harder Beginners Course B 2.2km | FREE | |
| Harder Course D 2.0km | FREE | |
| Harder Course E 2.1km | FREE | |
| Medium trickier Course C 1.9km | FREE |
Maps are available to download from this website.
Nearby Lichfield and Walsall have many museums, and Chasewater offers a range of outdoor activities.
The two harder courses are available on the free MapRun smartphone app. This allows you to time and record your run or walk.
• Download MapRun from your app store. We recommend using MapRunF.
• We recommend using an armband phone holder when running.
• We recommend using the paper course map to navigate, not the map displayed on the app.
• You can download your chosen course in advance. If you are in Walsall, click ‘Events Near Me’. Otherwise, go to: Select Event>UK>West Midlands>Shire Oak Park.
• Go to the start (marked by a triangle) by the car park, and click ‘Go to Start’.
• When your GPS detects the start post, it will beep and your time will start.
• Find the posts for your course in the correct order.
• MapRun should detect when you reach each post and beep. Accuracy can vary depending on weather conditions and other factors. Usually, it will register within a few seconds of reaching the post. You may sometimes find that you need to move a few metres in all directions before you hear the beep confirming that MapRun has detected that you have found the post.
• If you pass a post that you have already visited, this may register again. Don’t worry, this won’t affect your result. If you made a mistake and visited the wrong post, just visit it again in the correct order. If you choose a route that takes you past a previous post that you visited correctly, this will simply be discounted.
• Remember to visit the finish to complete your course.
• You can choose to upload your result to the course records.