Photo by RachelH_ on Flickr.
Exciting news for the second City of London orienteering race that is happening on Saturday 12 September – I’ve just heard that we have been granted access to parts of the Temple complex for the race, with kind permission of the Inner and Middle Temples.
The Temple is a fascinating and beautiful part of the city of London – it’s full of cloisters, quadrangles and gardens. It is the legal heart of the city, with numerous barristers’ chambers in the old and attractive buildings, making up the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple, two of the four Inns of Court. Also situated in the complex is Temple Church, of Knights of the Templar (and Da Vinci Code) fame. Curiously, the area not legally part of either the City or Westminster, instead it acts as its own local authority.
I’m not the planner for this year’s race, although I am updating and extending the map. News of access to the Temple is a mixed blessing for me – it will undoubtedly be a superb area to run in and will enhance the race, but it also means I have my work cut out to have it properly mapped in time.
Anyway, if, due to permissions issues in Oxford and weather delays in Cambridge, you are longing for the kind of tight, intricate orienteering you get around Oxbridge colleges, then the City of London race this year could be the next best thing. (Note however that not all courses will be using the Temple area.)
Entries are filling up nicely now so get yours in well before the closing date!
Photo by SWH on Flickr.