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Three Sisters Recreation Area

Posted On 23 Feb 2016
By Dave McCann
In

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Course Status
Last checked August 2023. Everything OK.
NB. the Nest Cafe is part of the Hamlet Training Centre, so is only open in school hours – Monday to Friday between 9.30 am and 2.30pm except in school holidays. It is situated just off the main car park at the side of the Lake,
Controls N, P, Q may become overgrown in Summer.

Orienteering map details
A4 Landscape, Scale 1:7500. Last updated 2020.

Start/Finish
The Start/Finish is at a copse adjacent to the car park at the lake.

Map detail showing the way in (from the SW), several car parks, and the Start/Finish by the lake

How to get a map
Three Sisters Recreation Area waterproof print£1.25
Three Sisters Recreation Area waterproof print quantity
Three Sisters Recreation Area PDF£1.25
Three Sisters Recreation Area PDF quantity
Or buy any map from Get a Map

Park Facilities
K Car Park d Toilets Cafe z Playground X Picnic area
NB. the toilets are in the Cafe so only open when the Cafe is.

Directions
From M6(J23) follow A49 N for 1 mile to A58. Turn R and follow A58 for 1/2 mile. Turn L on to B5207 (Bryn Road). After 400m turn R on to Lockett Road and follow to 2nd sharp L bend. Take Three Sisters Road on R to park.
OS Grid Reference: SD 579 011. Postcode: WN4 8DD
Public transport options

Other useful information
Wigan Council web site for Three Sisters Recreation Area
Friends of Three Sisters web site
Wikipedia entry for Three Sisters Recreation Area

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

Wigan

Page last updated by John Britton on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 pm30 15:32 PM

© Copyright Eileen Littler and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Three Sisters is a very varied, medium size area, suitable for beginner orienteering. Woods, open land, a small lake and wetlands surround a hill of which the summit area and one side are taken up with a motor-racing circuit. The area is now part of the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh National Nature reserve - some of the surrounding Nature Reserves are also out-of-bounds.

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.

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 White course (1.5km, 10 controls) goes round fairly close to the outside of the motor-racing circuit.

The Yellow course (2.8km, 11 controls) goes round the lake as well as round the bottom of the central hill.

The Orange course (2.9km, 12 controls) is very similar to the Yellow, except it runs the opposite way round and includes several off-path controls.

Course Status
Last checked August 2023. Everything OK.
NB. the Nest Cafe is part of the Hamlet Training Centre, so is only open in school hours - Monday to Friday between 9.30 am and 2.30pm except in school holidays. It is situated just off the main car park at the side of the Lake,
Controls N, P, Q may become overgrown in Summer.

Orienteering map details
A4 Landscape, Scale 1:7500. Last updated 2020.

Start/Finish
The Start/Finish is at a copse adjacent to the car park at the lake.
Map detail showing the way in (from the SW), several car parks, and the Start/Finish by the lake

How to get a map
Three Sisters Recreation Area waterproof print£1.25
Three Sisters Recreation Area waterproof print quantity
Three Sisters Recreation Area PDF£1.25
Three Sisters Recreation Area PDF quantity
Or buy any map from Get a Map

Park Facilities
K Car Park d Toilets Cafe z Playground X Picnic area
NB. the toilets are in the Cafe so only open when the Cafe is.

Directions
From M6(J23) follow A49 N for 1 mile to A58. Turn R and follow A58 for 1/2 mile. Turn L on to B5207 (Bryn Road). After 400m turn R on to Lockett Road and follow to 2nd sharp L bend. Take Three Sisters Road on R to park.
OS Grid Reference: SD 579 011. Postcode: WN4 8DD
Public transport options

Other useful information
Wigan Council web site for Three Sisters Recreation Area
Friends of Three Sisters web site
Wikipedia entry for Three Sisters Recreation Area

Course Maintenance
Maintained by GMOA.
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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