Event Overview
Welcome to the 2026 Middle Distance Orienteering Championships at Brown Clee.
On Saturday 18 April HOC host the British Middle Distance Championships, then on Sunday 19 April OD host a Level B event, also on Brown Clee, incorporating the Midland Classic Distance Championships.
Brown Clee is one of the best orienteering areas in the Midlands. The weekend gives you two back-to-back opportunities to experience what it has to offer.
This page will continue to be updated as details become available.
Saturday 18 April 2026
Starts from 10am to 2pm. We aim to have the prizegiving at around 3.30pm
Event Location
Brown Clee Hill, Burwarton, Shropshire. Nearest postcode WV16 6QQ.
Brown Clee lies off the B4364 between the historic market towns of Bridgnorth and Ludlow, on the edge of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Terrain
The summit of Brown Clee Hill is the highest point in Shropshire, at 540 m (1,770 ft).
The area being used for the British Middle Champs can be divided into three by geology and vegetation:
- Upper - Dolerite cap. 19th and 20th century quarrying has resulted in a complex of steep slopes and deep re-entrants. Vegetation is sheep-cropped grass with areas of tussock and sedge and patches of bracken and heather.
- Middle - Pennine Coal Measures group. 18th century mining has left lots of small pits, often surrounded by raised terraces of spoil. Vegetation is rough open grass with patches of tree cover - alder, birch and hawthorn depending on wetness of ground.
- Lower - Senni Formation sandstone overlaid with head, silt, sand and gravel. Easily eroded, so streams have cut deep re-entrants into slopes. Vegetation on the higher part is mature oak woodland with coniferous plantation; lower down is rough open with scattered trees and bracken, making for fast running.
if you fancy a trip down the geological rabbit hole, visit https://geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk and search for Ditton Enclosure.
You can also find historic OS maps of the area at https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/marker/#zoom=15&lat=52.4743&lon=-2.5939&f=1&z=1&marker=52.4772,-2.5907&from=1449&to=1973&i=121152752.
Middle Champs courses are being planned to make the most of the best areas of the hill with minimal unnecessary climb.
Note that in order to give all competitors access to the best terrain, the route from the parking/assembly field to call-up will be 2.4km with 160m climb (2.0/100 to warmup/toilets/clothing dump). We are considering arrangements for transporting M/W85+ to within 600m.
An old map of the area from 2019 Midland Champs can be viewed at https://www.hoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#57.
The area is currently embargoed until the event. The extent of the embargo can be viewed at https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1EZ1gJmc9m2Im5GDwR5-QrezPnA7AA_s&ll=0%2C0&z=13.
Rules
The competition rules for the British Middle Distance Championships are available on the British Orienteering website. Note in particular the eligibilty requirements in Section 2.1. Non-championship White, Yellow and Orange courses will be available and open to all. There will also be a string course.
No dogs are allowed on Brown Clee Hill and the Burwarton Estate
