FIFTY-three Ulverston Victoria High School pupils visited the Royal Estate at Sandringham in Norfolk for this year’s British Schools Orienteering Championships.

Along with 14 adult supporters, the pupils made made the long coach journey to join around 600 youngsters from around the country.

While there were no individual victories the team achieved four second places through Harry Scott, Year 11; Daisy Fletcher-Cooney, Year 12; Jess Ensoll, Year 9 and Merryn Stangroom in Year 8.

Lizzie Hampshire, in her first year of orienteering, and Anna Lister both finished third.

It was in the team competitions however, that Ulverston were outstanding, coming away with no less than six Gold Medals out of the 14 on offer.

Charli Smith, Sarah Johnston, Ellie Simmonds, Lucy Gibson, Harriet Wood, Aurora Park, Megan Bartlett, Tilly Tirribochi, Fiona Newby, Eilidh Miller, Isabel Allen and Anne Wulff all won team Gold Medals for the Girls.

Stewart Allison and Sam Yates took Gold for the Boys.

The overall school competition was the closest ever and Ulverston lost out by a single point to Cockermouth School, with Torquay Grammar School a further point behind.

Selwyn Wright, from the school, said: "The area was very different from our Lake District terrain with very few contours, crags or streams; and the Queens foresters had made things even more tricky by felling timber in some parts after the maps had been printed.

"Much of the area was covered with bracken or rhododendron and these factors made the orienteering difficult for the Ulverston pupils but nevertheless the group came home with a large haul of medals and trophies."