DRAFT AOG 2027 planning portal

Terms of reference

This page summarises the planning resources to the Northern Home Counties AOG 2027 planning team.

This page and its contents will change over time, as future decisions refine our choices.  Those interested in this page should keep an eye on it without waiting for prompts about changes.

Current unknowns

We currently do not know:

• the precise date of the AOG2027;

  • the working assumption is the last weekend of Jul2027.

• the precise venue of the AOG2027;

  • the working assumption is the College Lane campus of University of Hertfordshire, subject to survey.

Live planning chart, actions & vacancies

The following chart sets out:

• the draft programme of events;

• the volunteers and vacancies;

• the planning diary from Aug2026 to Aug2027;

• actions on whom to do what by when.

Hint: open the sheet full-screen for a better view of it.

Walk route design criteria

Our designs for our walking route must follow the criteria  defined in the prospectus.  In addition, we have received feedback from AOG 2026 which we ought to include in the walk design.

In summary:

• on day 1 Saturday and day 2 Sunday, there is a strict curfew by which all AOG attendees must be in their bedrooms by 5pm, to prepare for the evening events.

• the more popular events were shorter than 8 miles distance.

• the garden events are astonishingly popular, with one garden event in 2026 attracting ~70 members!

• provision of up to 2 events on day 0 (the Friday, arrival day);

• provision of up to 10 events on day 1 (the Saturday);

• provision of up to 10 events on day 2 (the Sunday);

• provision of up to 3 events on day 3 (the Monday, departure day);

• where the events must include a variety of easy walks, moderate walks, difficult walks, garden events, history events and arts & culture events;

• the attendees generally expect lighter events on day 2 Sunday, because some of them will already have already worn out....

• all events need clear marketing: members must know how they benefit from the event purely upon the advert on the GOC website, with no ambiguity in the joining instructions.

In addition, walk routes ought to include:

• at least one place where the event photographer can take a group shot.

Sample walk route library

COMING SOON - a collection of sample routes - sketched out for walk leaders, with points of interest - to inspire route design... or maybe just pilot the sketched route.

The sample walk library is only a series of suggestions; it is not prescriptive.

The library contains an index.  Otherwise, feel free to browse the file cabinet below.

Event difficulty - walks

Deviating from the prospectus in light of feedback from AOG 2026, the event difficulties are:

• an easy walk is up to 5 miles and an amble of less than ~1.6mph;

• a moderate walk is up to 8 miles and a pace of less than ~2.3mph (most of Herts GOC walks are moderate by this measure);

• a difficult walk is up to 12 miles and i) a pace greater than 2.3mph; or ii) a running/jogging event.

Event difficulty - cycling

Volunteers propose leading two cycle events: one of 40 miles and one of 30 miles.

UH Campus maps, postcodes & parking on the campus

The campus is University of Hertfordshire, College Lane Campus, Hatfield.

• postcodes: please do not use postcodes to navigate anywhere under any circumstances.   They are too unreliable.  Instead, use the links to the map systems provided below.

  • of the university's office: AL10 9AB (this is meaningless for navigation)

  • of the Car Park M, AL10 9DL, or http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=521464&Y=207056&A=Y&Z=115 or https://w3w.co/finger.proper.repair or https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/56672613 or https://maps.app.goo.gl/tuLZ8i1r7wy6V6P16 (Google thinks the postcode is AL10 9EJ... qed).

  • of the Car Park E, AL10 9PA, or http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=521314&Y=207673&A=Y&Z=115 or https://w3w.co/zones.loaded.seats or https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/51086875 or  https://maps.app.goo.gl/q2phHZsz2MTAvZd49 (Google thinks the postcode is AL10 9TB... qed).

  • of the south-eastern corner of the residential blocks, http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=521954&Y=207205&A=Y&Z=115 or AL10 9WX, or https://w3w.co/hotels.demand.face (now, that is a sign of the times: hotels demanding your face) or https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/467643193 or https://maps.app.goo.gl/iFbEHkjaiKiU3a68A (Google doesn't think a postcode exists for this point... qed).

The campus has a map.  Volunteers either planning routes or meeting-and-greeting on campus must learn the campus map.

• UH's general basic campus map is here.  It is suitable for initial orienteering, but obviously does not relate to how AOG2027 will use the campus.  Zoom in to see more details.  It is not printable.  We'll develop our own overlay on a map at a future date.

• OpenStreetMaps has designated UH over all of its sites, of which the College Lane campus designation is here.  OSM is particularly well detailed.  Zoom in to see more details, including the public works of art.

• To walk from two opposite points across the campus is ~16 minutes (~1 mile).

Campus car parking:

• Car Park M (Multi-Storey) is located at the most south-west point of the campus, next to the Forum (students' social place).  This car park is mostly likely our preferred car park.

• Car Park E (Students), located at the most north-west point of the campus.

• Car Park R (Residential) is a series of parking spaces alongside the eastern edge of the campus, immediately behind the student residences to which they relate.

• staff car parks are likely out of bounds for the AOG, but tend along the northern edge.

• however, campus car parking is wholly private, with very limited visitors parking.  GOC might be able to negotiate a preferential rate as part of its event, but otherwise, there is no general public parking on the campus.  Some access routes are constrained and camera-patrolled to ensure the general public appearing on the campus are detected, and there is even a regular police patrol car whose rounds include the full campus.

Campus cycle parking:

• there are cycle parks everywhere.  For further guidance, use OpenStreetMaps, zoom right in and browse.

Initial reconnaissance on 22Aug0272: see pics at https://photos.app.goo.gl/6f35Zbxowmm8H1yRA .

Parking outside the campus

There is no viable parking outside the campus.

There are a few spots in a tiny number of residential streets for the locals who know how to find spaces, but otherwise it is a non-starter.

Public transport to & from the UH campus

Volunteers planning routes must account for the time required to travel from Hatfield railway station to the UH's campus.  The choice of bus routes can be dazzling, but there is one salient choice.

• to walk from Hatfield railway station to UH's College Lane campus is ~40 mins, plus additional time around the campus.

• to bus from Hatfield railway station to UH's College Lane campus varies by bus route (Google Map live query).  Some routes take as little as 10 mins, others 20 mins, others 30 mins.  Some routes drop off on the western edge of the campus, others the eastern edge, the primary drop-off is the north-west corner.  As at Aug2026, we need to know more about the AOG's use of the campus before making hard choices about navigation instructions.

  • UNO is the preferred bus company of UH students.  The company has published this page for students of UH, which in turn links to this route map and this page of relevant timetables. 

  • UH itself refers to UNO here.

  • Intalink is the umbrella organisation that covers bus routes in Hertfordshire, of which UNO is only one participating bus company.  Maps and journey planners are available from this page, with a PDF of Hatfield town's bus routes here.

Email distribution list

Volunteers may subscribe to the following email group to receive planning updates during the planning process.  This protects the wider GOC membership from receiving planning correspondence.

The group address is at https://groups.google.com/g/planning-aog2027/about , from which interested members can subscribe.

Subscription to the group is recommended for all volunteers of AOG2027.

Moderation guidelines

Moderation guidelines for event advert, event reports and event photographs are set out here.

Hi-vis jackets

As at Sep2026, hi-vis jackets for walk leaders and large-walk marshalls are voluntary.  This is, in part, because GOC-branded hi-vis jackets are not available from the GOC shop.

Document change history & status

06Sep2026: draft.