UKC

I'm helping a friend prepare for Summer ML and offered to take them out on nav/night nav practice. Does anyone know any good areas south of London for this? I've had a quick look on bing maps (free OS maps of entire country) but am struggling to find any open access areas...

There are some areas of the North Downs which are as steep as anything you'll find in the real hills, the problem is that the mapping and features on the ground simply aren't as good.

Some areas to try include Norbury Park (north west of Dorking), Hurt Wood (south west of Dorking) and the areas behind Box Hill (north east of Dorking) - all around Dorking in Surrey - the latter two have a few small quarry features which are mapped, as well as random buildings, complex paths and tracks, a few roads and some varied contours and hidden water features.

Night nav in these areas, which are largely wooded, can be very hard but it's really not the same as doing it in the mountains.

Make sure he's got a very good torch (CREE bulb, at least 800 lumens).. that makes night nav far easier!

In reply to Martin Davies:
Dartmoor, Exmoor

In reply to Martin Davies:

New Forest. Tons of line features, so not really like anything in the hills, ditto North Downs. Good intro though.

D

In reply to Dauphin: Good suggestions but ideally something for this evening that's not too big a drive (probably should have specified in OP!)
Exmoor/Dartmoor/New Forest all a bit far. Thinking of going to the bit just East of Poynings - tiny area of Open Access land but some features for an hour or two of night nav... Possibly :S

In reply to Martin Davies:

Asheridge estate near Tring comes to mind. Edge of the Chilterns. Does it have to be South of London?

D

In reply to Martin Davies:

If it HAS to be the Downs, much of the north escarpment is open access but tbh I'm not sure it will be of much use to you. Newtimber Hill (East of Poynings) is ok but mostly farmland with grazing but you'd be better off at Wolstonbury just a little further East and right off the A23 for access. There are orienteering maps of much of the South Downs available online which are 1:10k so the small features show up better.

http://omaps.worldofo.com/?cid=113&s=&p=6

Maybe a donation to the club that mapped it but no way I can police that!

Devils Dyke is another option for open land, if I think of any more I might pop back.

In reply to Martin Davies: Depends where you're based.

Watership Down has some access land, and Beacon Hill (just next to the A34) is all open access (and is a proper hill and everything).
http://www.geograph.org.uk/browse.php?p=141549

That's south of London but not 'to the south' of London if that makes sense?