Permanent orienteering courses (POCs) are found in all parts of South Western England and in a variety of settings such as city parks, woods and forests. They provide an excellent opportunity for members of the public to gain an appreciation of the sport and learn the fundamental skills involved. Moreover, they are a useful resource for schools wishing to include orienteering within their curricula activities, as well as training facilities for those directly involved in the sport.

POC maps use red circles to indicate the location of 'controls' just as they are on competition maps. On the ground, posts or plaques are used to mark the location of the controls. As with competitive orienteering, the aim is to use the map and ones navigational skills to find the posts/plaques. Often the post or plaque will include the standard red and white orienteering control symbol together with a number, letter, or symbol which can be noted to confirm that one has reached the intended control.

Typically there are suggested ways in which the controls can be combined to make up courses of various difficulty. Or you might prefer to find as many of the control posts as possible in a fixed time period.

Celia Watkinson (BOF Regional Development Officer & member of Bristol Orienteering Klub) has spent several months collating POC information from clubs throughout Britain. As a result she has compiled a substantial database, which has been loaded onto the BOF website. The website allows users to search for POCs information by County and/or Club. Use the link provided to access and review the database