Level D orienteering event at Talkin Tarn Country Park near Brampton, part of Border Liners Saturday series. We are also holding a night event today at Talkin Tarn as part of the North West Night League series, event details here (Note: whilst you can run in both events, if you plan to run in other NWNL events you should not run this event as you will be non-competitive for the night event).
Entries now open – further details below.
Talkin Tarn is an ideal area for those who are new to the sport of orienteering, or with limited experience. It is a pretty area, with a mix of mature woodland and open fields surrounding the tarn. There are many tracks and paths, some of them steep.
Parking. Talkin Tarn car park is at GR NY543590. What3words ///ripe.leaky.navy. The nearest Postcode CA8 1HN. Parking charges apply between 10am and 6pm, up to 1 Hour £1.40, Over 1 Hour £2.60 using the MiPermit phone app (you can pay in advance with this app or on the MiPermit website using location number 712013). If you pay by cash/card at the payment terminals in the car park you appear pay a little more….. £1.50 or £2.70…. (don’t ask us why!).
Public Transport. Brampton Train Station is 0.9 miles away, nearest bus stop Brampton 2.2 miles away.
Assembly/Registration/Download. This is a short walk away in “The Cabin”, a timber building behind the Cafe and next to the toilets. Bags can be left here, and there are tea/coffee making facilities and tables for picnics and socialising! Bring your own mug please. If you have very muddy shoes after running please remove them before entering the cabin as we will need to leave it clean before we leave. Please take any litter away with you.
Courses. Long 5.5km, Short 3.3km (both more technical with off-path controls and route choice), Beginner 1.3km.
Start times. From 11.00am to 12.30pm
Start and Finish. Start and finish will be nearby. Courses close at 14:00.
Map. Updated Summer 2025 to use Lidar contours, 1:5000, 2.5m contours on A4 waterproof paper. Whilst there is a legend on the map this is likely to be covered by control descriptions therefore a copy will be available at registration/download in The Cabin. Control descriptions will be printed on the front of the map, pictorial for Long and Short, text for Easy.
Terrain. The map is dominated by the tarn, with areas of mature woodland, short cropped fields, rough ground and some young trees surrounding it. It is important to note that at this time of year leaf fall makes many paths very indistinct; you can see the line they take when you get on them but they are easy to cross and miss. There are a number of uncrossable fences marked on the map; if your course needs to cross a fence make sure you choose a suitable crossing point (gates or stiles). There will very likely be livestock (probably sheep) in the fields to the west of the Tarn that some courses cross into – it is important to close any gates that you open.
Clothing. The main path around the tarn is very good, but away from here paths may be muddy and slippy. Please wear appropriate footwear. Full leg cover is recommended.
Entries. Pre-entry via SiEntries from 14th October, Adults £5, Juniors £2. Entries close at midnight on Thursday 6th November. If you are new to orienteering and would prefer to go round as a group just enter one person and use the option to select any additional maps the groups would like at £1 each. If you do not have your own dibber these will be provided at no charge, £30 if not returned. To pre-order, leave the SI number blank during the online entry process, and then collect dibber from Enquiries/Download on the day.
Entry on the day…… The number of maps printed for each course will be determined by pre-entries at close of Thursday night. We will print a few extra maps for each course to allow for some entry on the day, but of course these will be limited to the number of extra maps available. If you are unable to enter by the Thursday night cut-off but can email the organiser before 9pm Friday evening you can find out whether a spare course map can be reserved for you. If you are planning to bring a large group on the day and have not pre-entered please contact the organiser to ensure there may be sufficient maps. (Unfortunately there is insufficient time to deal with emails after Friday evening as Saturday morning will be spent sorting out equipment and getting controls in place before the first start time). If you are entering on the day please try to bring the correct entry fee.
Controls & Punching. SportIdent punching will be used for the event. Controls will be enabled for contactless punching for those with SIAC cards. The start and finish will need to be punched manually. If you don’t have your own dibber these will be provided on the day.
Facilities. Public toilets are available next to The Cabin. Talkin Tarn takeaway cafe near the Tarn shoreside should be open on a Saturday for drinks & snacks between 8am and 3.30pm.
Safety. A comprehensive risk assessment has been prepared for this event by the organiser. Participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety during the event. First aid on a DIY basis will be at The Cabin. The nearest hospital is the Cumberland Infirmary, Newtown Road, Carlisle CA2 7HY (01228 523444). The nearest defibrillator is close by at Talkin Tarn cafe.
The tarn has well defined edges and is fully visible so should not be a danger. Small children should be supervised at all times. Definitely not suitable for paddling, but good for feeding ducks!
General. Please be aware of and courteous to other users of the park. Talkin Tarn is a popular area with dog walkers. Dogs welcome but please note that there is a “dogs on leads” zone around the vicinity of the buildings and the shoreside path to the boathouse.
Talkin Tarn hosts a Parkrun on Saturday morning at 9am; if you are feeling up to it you could perhaps do both!! There is also a permanent orienteering course if you wish to explore further.
Membership. If you are not a member of Border Liners do consider joining our club. Membership details are here.
Acknowledgements. Border Liners would like to thank Cumberland Council for permission to use Talkin Tarn Country Park. For more information on Talkin Tarn visit the website: Talkin Tarn Country Park
Planner/organiser. Gerry Garvey and Stella Lewsley (aclewsley AT gmail.com), Border Liners. British Orienteering registered event number 86657.
Border Liners Orienteering Club 