Orienteering
Learn map skills, find your way, and enjoy a choice of trails perfect for every group.
About Orienteering
Orienteering is all about adventure, problem‑solving, and exploring the outdoors with purpose. You’ll learn how to read a map, follow clues, and navigate your way from point to point across the site — building confidence and independence as you go. For groups who want something lighter or more playful, we also offer our Emoji Trail and Picture Trail, each designed to keep everyone engaged, moving, and having fun. Whether you’re tackling the full orienteering course or enjoying a quick themed trail, this activity is a brilliant way to stay active, work together, and discover new corners of the site.
Session Details
Key Features
The session offers multiple course options, from beginner colour-coded symbol routes suitable for younger or less experienced participants, through to advanced courses requiring compass bearing navigation and independent decision-making. Beaudesert's varied estate terrain — open grassland, woodland, and natural features — provides a genuinely engaging and beautiful environment to navigate. A competitive team format can be introduced where groups race to locate checkpoints in the shortest time. Throughout the session participants develop spatial awareness, map reading, decision-making, and physical fitness simultaneously, with strong cross-curricular links to geography and maths.
Badge and Programme Links
Navigation is a life skill, and Beaudesert's orienteering programme delivers it in one of the most engaging ways possible. Scouts across all sections work directly towards the Navigator Staged Activity Badge, while the session also builds towards the Scouts Orienteer Activity Badge. For Girlguiding members, orienteering is explicitly named on the Girlguiding website as a qualifying activity for the Land Adventure Badge. DofE participants gain vital navigation training directly relevant to the Expedition section, which requires planning and completing a self-reliant journey. Schools get clear delivery against the KS2 PE outdoor and adventurous activities requirement and the KS3/KS4 PE demand for activities presenting intellectual and physical challenges. It also supports KS3 Geography through practical map-reading and spatial reasoning. Decision-making under pressure, independent thinking and resilience are the soft-skill takeaways every leader brings home.
Activity Information
We can provide traditional orienteering maps, or site-specific trails such as our Emoji and Picture Trails!
Why should you book with us?
Orienteering is one of the most educationally rich activities we offer — it develops genuine life skills in navigation and decision-making while providing excellent physical exercise across beautiful countryside. It can be varied by yourselves to fit in with other activities and be self-led.
All sessions are led by experienced, qualified instructors who understand how to work with groups of all ages and abilities. You can also hire our facilities and run this activity yourself for a reduced cost.
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Recommended Accommodation
Accommodation that works well alongside Orienteering:
Camping
From large organised events to traditional woodland and bushcraft-style camps.
The Den
Sleeps: Up to 41 people
Our largest indoor building — perfect for larger groups wanting to stay together under one roof.
Alpine Barn
Sleeps: Up to 40 people
Our most versatile building with the highest number of separate bedrooms on site.