Beacon Hill, Penrith
22nd February 2026
Border Liners are delighted to welcome you to Beacon Hill, a small but lovely area of very varied woodland on the north side of Penrith. The event centre is conveniently located less than 10 minutes drive from junction 40 of the M6, and only 10 minutes walk from the station.
Parking
There is no event car park. Competitors should park either in one of many public car parks in Penrith or find suitable street parking. Final details will include details of recommended car parks. At least two of the public car parks allow campervans and coaches.
Event Centre
The event centre is at 2nd Penrith Scout Hut, 17 Folly Lane
Postcode CA11 8BT
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Grid Ref: NY 518 301
The following will be located there:
Enquiries
Download
Entry on the day for Non-CompassSport Cup courses
SI Card Hire
Toilets
Key Drop
Space for club tents (unless the grass is very wet)
Indoor space for leaving kit
Maybe coffee/food van
Start
Start times are provisionally 10:30 to 12:30 but may be extended to 13:00 if necessary
Distance from event centre is 1.9km with 110m ascent climb, mostly on roads and paved track. The route will be taped and passes close to the finish after about 1.1km, 65m ascent. There will be a clothing dump.
You can go straight to the start without going to the event centre if you want. Final details will include a map showing the taped route.
Finish
1.2km downhill back to event centre. Courses will close at 14:15 (provisionally)
Map
1:7500, 5m contours. Courses 7 and 8 might have a 1:5000 map, but this will be confirmed later.
Re-surveyed autumn 2025 with LiDAR data by Martin Bagness.
An old version of the map can be seen here (here)
Terrain
Beacon Hill is a well thinned pine woodland, with a steep slope on the south side, and gentler slopes to the west and north-east. On the flattish top area there is heather and bilberry underfoot, elsewhere there is some bracken, but in February the majority of it will be well flattened. The ares includes many old sandstone quarries creating interesting contour features and crags. There is a good path network, and also numerous mountain bike tracks on the steep south side. The high point is crowned by the eponymous Beacon, a Grade 1 listed sandstone tower built in 1719 as a place to light warning fires.
Courses
CompassSport Cup/Trophy Courses
| Course Number | Age Categories | Colour Standard | Technical Difficulty |
| 1 | Any competitor | Short Brown | 5 |
| 2 | M18-, M45+ | Blue | 5 |
| 3 | Any woman | Blue | 5 |
| 4 | M55+ | Short Blue | 5 |
| 5 | W18-, W45+ | Green | 5 |
| 6 | M65+ | Green | 5 |
| 7 | M75+, W60+ | Short Green | 5 |
| 8 | M80+, W70+ | Very Short Green | 5 |
| 9M | M18- | Light Green | 4 |
| 9W | W18- | Light Green | 4 |
| 10M | M14- | Orange | 3 |
| 10W | W14- | Orange | 3 |
Course lengths/ascent are not yet available, but as a guide Course 1 will probably be in the range 6.0km to 6.5km and Course 10 will be between 2.5km and 3.0km.
Courses will probably have around 3% ascent.
Notes:
– The course/age class structure has changed since last year
– M18- and W18- are intentionally included on two different courses
– Courses 9M and 9W will probably be the same. Similarly, 10M and 10W
– Courses will be referred to by primarily course number (not colour as they have sometimes been in previous years)
Non-CompassSport Cup/Trophy Courses
| Name | Technical Difficulty | Approximate Distance |
| Light Green | 4 | 3.5-4.0 km |
| Orange | 3 | 2.5-3.0 km |
| Yellow | 2 | 2.0 km |
Entries
Closed entry for members of competing clubs only
Compass Sport Cup/Trophy Courses: Entries can only be made via your club captain.
Non-Compass Sport Cup/Trophy Courses: Preferably enter via your club captain but there will be limited entry-on-the day subject to map availability.
Seniors (21 and over): £15
Juniors (20 and under ) or Full-time Student: £5
SI Card hire will be available for all courses. (No charge, but £30 if lost)
Competitors on the Non-Compass Sport courses can compete in pairs or group, or be shadowed. Shadowers of those on Non-CSC courses, if competing in the CSC themselves, must have completed their CSC course before shadowing.
Extra maps for groups or shadowers available at £1 each.
Dogs
Dogs will not be allowed in the event centre building or on courses.
Officials
Planner: Andrew Bell, BL
Organiser: Karen Parker, BL (contact via email BLDanAndKaren@gmail.com)
Controller: Tim O’Donoghue, SOLWAY
Thanks
2nd Penrith Scouts for use of their Scout Hut
Lonsdale Estates and Lowther Estates Trust for permission to use Beacon Hill
Border Liners Orienteering Club 