SWELL 2025/26 South and West Essex Local League

4th Feb 25

SWELL is the South and West Essex Local League, an individual league which is run by Havering and South Essex (HAVOC) and Chigwell and Epping Forest (CHIG) orienteering clubs with Essex Stragglers Orienteering Society (SOS) hosting one or two events a season as well. There are eight to ten events held on either a Saturday or Sunday between September and June each season. The league is open to everyone. By virtue of taking part in a SWELL event you automatically qualify for the league, you do not need to register for the league. 

As a minimum, White, Yellow, Orange, Light Green, Green and Blue courses are offered and normally a Short Green. At some events a Very Short Green, Brown and even Black may be offered and possibly Short Blue and Short Brown.

All sevent events this season have now been run, and we can now announce the winners!

Final scoring tables after round 7

An attendance of over 200 for the final SWELL event at Weald Park, taking overall attendance for the series this year to well over 500.  We had seven events, with the best six to count, so here's how it turned out:

WHITE - Olivia Muggeridge (HAVOC) had already secured this title and her 391 points was good enough for 2nd in the overall GIRLS category.  Top boy on the White course was Wilfred Tate (Barnadiston).

YELLOW - Sienna Muggeridge (HAVOC) had also already won the Yellow course title and is a double winner, as she has pipped her Sister to the GIRLS overall title.  Top boy on the Yellow course was Maks Petrovs.

ORANGE - Tunde Farago (HH) took an early lead and won the ORANGE course title.  Top male on the Orange course was Roger Pring (SAX).

As mentioned, Sienna Muggeridge (HAVOC) was the top Girl, and Hugo Maule-Lidbury (HAVOC) won the top Boy's title, running Light Green.

LIGHT GREEN - this was won by Hugo Maule-Lidbury (HAVOC) more than 100 points clear of the next best - Elysia Cowe (WAOC) who was the top girl on the Light Green.

SHORT GREEN - Noreen Ives (WAOC) pipped Francis Ronnau-Bradbeer (DFOK), as her best 6 finishes were slighter better.

GREEN - Just seven points separated the top two on the Green course.  Louise Walker (SUFFOC) just pipping Gavin Avey-Hebditch (WSX).

BLUE - David Dixon's (HH) 100 point run in the last event, saw him overhaul Ian Byford for the Blue course title.  Top female was Kerria Lines (HH).  

BROWN - Antoine Pesenti (DFOK), with a win and 3 other top ten finishes, secured the BROWN category.  Top female was Kezia Studd (SLOW).

OVERALL SWELL - BLUE winner, David Dixon (HH), becomes SWELL Champion with 589 points, 4 individual event wins and the best 6 event total. Antoine Pesenti (DFOK) is the gallant runner-up.

SWELL TOP FEMALE was Noreen Ives (WAOC) with 559 pts and a very creditable 3rd overall.

Well that's it for another year, thanks to everyone for supporting the series. Thanks to all the offocials and helpers for all the events.  Well done to all the winners. 

The new season will start in the autumn.

Summary of winners since 2005/06

League events

SWELL Point Scoring Rules

1. SWELL season runs 01 September to 30 April each year

2. Maximum 8 events, minimum 6 events to be included in a season

3. Best 6 events score

JUNIORS (below M/W21)

4. Score up to 100 points according to finishing position on White, Yellow, Orange and Light Green courses.

5. Courses are White (School Years 3-6), Yellow (Years 7 & 8), Orange (Years 9 & 10) and Light Green (Years 11-13).  

6. Juniors running down a course score 50% points, 2 courses 25% points, 3 courses 10% points.

7. Juniors competing as a pair each score 50% points; juniors score 10 points if with an adult.

8. Disqualified competitors score 10 points.

9. Medals for overall winners on White, Yellow, Orange and Light Green.

10. Trophy for overall highest scoring Girl and Boy.

ADULTS (M/W21 and above)

11. Adults on White to Light Green courses score up to 50 points according to finishing position.

12. Adults on Green, Short Green, Blue, Brown and Black courses score up to 100 points according to finishing position.

13. Disqualified competitors score 10 points.

14. Medals for overall winners on Green, Short Green, Blue, Brown/Black.

15. Trophy for overall highest scoring Female and Male.

16. Organiser and planner for an event receive 100 points each. An individual organiser and planner can only receive this benefit once per season.

Getting started

Orienteering means maps, forests and adventure. You can walk, jog or run and choosing your route to the red and white markers is fun. It does not matter how old, young or fit you are - you go at your own pace. If you like excitement, fresh air and exploring the countryside then Orienteering is the sport for you.

Orienteering can best be described as competitive navigation on foot. You find your way around a course going from point to point using a specially drawn large scale map and a compass. No expensive kit is needed - just sensible outdoor clothes (long trousers are compulsory at most events), a good pair of trainers, a red pen, a clear polythene bag to put the map in and a whistle for safety.

Getting started is easy. Each league event has a minimum of 5 courses. If you are new to the sport, you can start with the beginners courses of about 3 kilometres (white and yellow), and when you get more confident, you can move up to the intermediate courses of about 4 kilometres (orange and light green). In addition, there is a longer course of about 5 kilometres (blue), aimed at experienced orienteers.

Time

All events have registration from 10am until at least 11. 30am. Starts normally will be from 10.30 until 11.30 (Saturdays) and 12.30 (Sundays).

Courses will normally close at 1pm on Saturdays and 2.00pm on Sundays.

Courses

All events will have courses suitable for beginners, improvers and experienced orienteers. 
(A minimum of colour coded standard White, Yellow, Orange, Light Green and Blue courses will be on offer at each event.)
There will be help and advice for beginners at every event. (Please contact the Co-ordinator if you wish to bring a large group so that we can make arrangements to give you extra help with Registration and allocating Courses and Start times)

Cost

Saturday events: Seniors: approximately £7   Juniors: £3 
Sunday events:   Seniors: approximately £8 Juniors: £3

Pre-entry preferred. There may be limited entry on the day.

The events on Sundays are larger events, with a wider range of courses and normally a larger map. 
All events normally use electronic punching (SI). There will be an additional charge of £1 to hire an electronic punching “dibber” if you do not own one.

Car parking

Essex County Council charge a car parking fee for events on their areas.  Other areas' charges vary.

Dogs

Unless otherwise stated dogs are welcome at these events, but must be under strict control at all times, both in the Registration area and in the competition area. 

Contacts

HAVOC’s website is at www.orienteering-havoc.co.uk
CHIG’s website is at www.chig.org.uk
Essex Stragglers (SOS)'s website is at www.stragglers.info

The SWELL coordinator, Dale Bennett, can be contacted via