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Blackleach Country Park

Posted On 26 Feb 2016
By Dave McCann
In

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Course Status
Last checked August 2023. Everything OK.
18/2/2022 – major maintenance visit to reduce disappearances into brambles – missing post L restored, but across the junction; post P replaced, post Y moved to the main path, post T moved to the nearby path junction, post H moved along the vegetation boundary, post A replaced by a plaque on the nearby gate. Get yourself a new map !
NB. March 2021 – major revision of the base map following a SELOC event.
NB. July 2020 – SF has been moved a few metres to a much better spot at the exit from the car park. M has been replaced in a slightly less vulnerable place on the fence corner close by.

Orienteering map details
A4 Landscape, Scale 1:5000. Last updated Feb 2022.

Start/Finish
The Start is at the exit from the car park.

Map detail showing car park, Start/Finish and the suggested base for Stars/Loops (SL)

Blackleach Start/Finish plaque

How to get a map
Blackleach Country Park waterproof print£1.50
Blackleach Country Park waterproof print quantity
Blackleach Country Park PDF£1.50
Blackleach Country Park PDF quantity
Or buy any map from Get a Map

Park Facilities
K Car Park

Directions
From M60(J13) follow A575 N towards Walkden. After crossing A6, turn R after 1/2 mile in to Hill Top Road. Park is signed.
OS Grid Reference: SD 737 038. Postcode: M28 3TD
Public transport options

Other useful information
Park contact: email rangers@salford.gov.uk or tel. 0161 793 4219
Salford City Council web site for Blackleach Country Park
Salford City Council web site for Friends of Blackleach
Wikipedia entry for Blackleach Country Park

Course Maintenance
Maintained by GMOA, supported by Salford CC.
Postwatchers, please click here to submit your report.

Salford

Page last updated by John Britton on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 pm30 15:11 PM

Photo John Britton Dec 2016

Blackleach Country Park is a medium size area, suitable for beginner orienteers of all ages. Near the Start/Finish is a small grassy hill surrounded with patches of woodland. Then there is a substantial lake and beyond that, an area of varied woodland with a few paths.

Courses available (see Course Colours)
W
White is the easiest level of course, suitable for young beginners. Controls are fairly close together, and usually at path junctions, or junctions of paths and streams or walls; distance is typically 1-1.5km; the best route should be obvious, along paths, and require very few decisions.

Y
Yellow is slightly longer and harder than White. Controls may be further apart, and are placed at junctions or obvious features; distance is typically 1-2.5km; the best route should be relatively obvious, but not necessarily along paths.

O
Orange courses are of medium difficulty and distance, suitable for adult beginners - controls may be 50m from paths, and reading map detail such as contours may be necessary; distance is typically 2-3.5km; you may have several choices of route - some of which may be across terrain rather than along paths.

SL
Star and Loop courses are where the group leader chooses a central base, and sends the students out to collect a single control, or pair of controls, and then return to base. They are particularly suitable for very young beginners.

S
Score courses are where you visit as many controls as you can, in any order you choose, usually within some kind of time limit - or see who can visit all the controls in the shortest time.

The Start is just outside the car park. The suggested base for Stars and Loops is 100m to the East - there are 10 controls close by for beginner exercises. For more advanced loops exercises a suggested base is across the lake at Control V.

The White course (0.6km, 8 controls) is very short and effectively runs around the suggested Stars/Loops base. The Yellow course (1.4km, 12 controls) goes out and back round the East side of the lake. The Orange course (2.6km, 15 controls) is similar in shape but includes the whole of the woodland area.

There are 4 additional controls, on the far side of the lake, which can be included in advanced loops or a score exercise.

Course Status
Last checked August 2023. Everything OK.
18/2/2022 - major maintenance visit to reduce disappearances into brambles - missing post L restored, but across the junction; post P replaced, post Y moved to the main path, post T moved to the nearby path junction, post H moved along the vegetation boundary, post A replaced by a plaque on the nearby gate. Get yourself a new map !
NB. March 2021 - major revision of the base map following a SELOC event.
NB. July 2020 - SF has been moved a few metres to a much better spot at the exit from the car park. M has been replaced in a slightly less vulnerable place on the fence corner close by.

Orienteering map details
A4 Landscape, Scale 1:5000. Last updated Feb 2022.

Start/Finish
The Start is at the exit from the car park.
Map detail showing car park, Start/Finish and the suggested base for Stars/Loops (SL)

Blackleach Start/Finish plaque

How to get a map
Blackleach Country Park waterproof print£1.50
Blackleach Country Park waterproof print quantity
Blackleach Country Park PDF£1.50
Blackleach Country Park PDF quantity
Or buy any map from Get a Map

Park Facilities
K Car Park

Directions
From M60(J13) follow A575 N towards Walkden. After crossing A6, turn R after 1/2 mile in to Hill Top Road. Park is signed.
OS Grid Reference: SD 737 038. Postcode: M28 3TD
Public transport options

Other useful information
Park contact: email rangers@salford.gov.uk or tel. 0161 793 4219
Salford City Council web site for Blackleach Country Park
Salford City Council web site for Friends of Blackleach
Wikipedia entry for Blackleach Country Park

Course Maintenance
Maintained by GMOA, supported by Salford CC.
Postwatchers, please click here to submit your report.

About us

GMOA is a volunteer organisation which creates and looks after Permanent Orienteering Courses in and around Greater Manchester. Its members come from the two active Orienteering Clubs which cover the area - MDOC (South Manchester) and SELOC (North Manchester).

Address

Email: enquiries@gmoa.org.uk
Phone: 0161 426 0301
Post: GMOA,
28 Turncliff Cres,
Marple,
Stockport,
SK6 6JP

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