Sunday League Cross Country Sunday 16th November 2008 – 11.00am

The Digswell/Tewin cross-country has a number of important changes this year due to non availability of the usual start/finish field (fencing, barbed wire etc.). The new start/finish is not ideal; we apologise for the changes, which are intended as a temporary solution to save the race from cancellation.

** Please read carefully so you get to the right place. **

Race HQ: (changed from last year) is the Tewin Memorial Hall, Lower Green, Tewin, AL6 0JX http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=527155&Y=214695&A=Y&Z=3

Facilities: There are limited toilet & changing facilities at the hall but no showers. Absolutely no muddy shoes/boots in the hall please.

Refreshments: There will be some refreshments at Tewin Memorial Hall after the race. As well as the normal tea & coffee there will be some bread and soup and cake, so please return to the hall after the race if you can.

Parking: There are a number of options for car parking:

Digswell (approx 1M walk to start/finish area) – there is plenty of parking in the station car park (£1.50 for Sunday parking). There is also plenty of free parking on the roads around the station and down the hill towards the viaduct with 2 small car parks by the viaduct.

Tewin (approx 0.6M walk to start/finish) – there are a small number of spaces at the Tewin Memorial Hall and a small number of spaces at the car park on Upper Green. Otherwise some street parking in Tewin village but please park considerably and be prepared to walk a few 100m extra.

Trains: run from Kings Cross to Welwyn North. The 9.06am arrives at 9.34am. There’s another train at 10.06am that arrives at 10.34am, which is probably cutting it too fine

The start/finish: (changed from last year)

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=526285&Y=214560&A=Y&Z=3

The start will be on the main bridleway that runs from Digswell to Tewin Bury Farm (OS grid ref 263145). The race will start with a 400m straight run heading west to a steep downhill to spread the field a little. The finish will be a 100m run in from a left turn out of the last field.

There is not a large grassed field/area at the start so please be considerate when leaving bags and belongings along the thin grass verge that is available.

Race start: 11.00am: Men & ladies will run together and the same distance; 2 laps plus a short run in and out along the bridleway

Race distance: Approximately 5.9M for men & ladies. (measured by map, GPS measurements on the day welcomed)

Access to the start and course: From Digswell it is approx a 1M walk from the car parks via a footpath near the bottom of New Road. Turn into the footpath around 50m from the mini-roundabout junction with the Hertford Road.

From Tewin it is approx 0.6M walk along footpaths across open fields. Take the footpath that starts by the Bowls club, 50m south of Lower Green and the Memorial Hall.

The course: An attractive rural setting. It’s stone/mud bridleway to start and the main laps are clockwise loops on farmland over footpaths and farm fields using public rights of way across private land. Therefore competitors are asked not to stray from these and to pay due regard to underfoot conditions at all times. There are stiles and gates to negotiate on the course so please take care. Spikes, studs or trail shoes are all suitable footwear for this course.

Hope to see plenty of you Sunday 16th November.

Malcolm French