Favourite Dark Sky Locations???

[Mamsoth]

Hi all, I have never been to a darker site than my own backgarden in Orpington, which is about 5 mins walk from the light polluted high street. I estimate my skies to be about a 7 or 8 on the bortle scale.
Recently I stumbled accross this LP map...  

http://avex.org.free.fr/cartes-pl/uk/UK-pl-relief-topo.html

...which showed some fairly dark areas not too far from my home (although I expect the map is far from completely accurate).

I wondered if anyone has ever observed from Cudham (or knows someone who has), more specifically the area around the playing field with the cricket pitch and the church.

What were the skies like? (in terms of NELM or the bortle scale or just in terms of what level of detail you could make out in what you observed). If not Cudham then could anyone be kind enough to list some of their favourite observing sites withinin about a 20km ring around Orpington with a bortle rating to give a very rough idea of what to expect.

I would just go and scout around myself but I don't drive (relying on dad to eventually drive me down ), so any help narrowing down potential sites would be very much appreciated. Clear Skies To You  

[Mac]

here's a thread we started in Jan 2008, with the results from some of us.
As you can see you are defiantly not alone in the light pollution stakes.

http://forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?topic=2903.0

Personally I would do the following.

Wait until either the week before or after the new moon, Preferable the week of the new moon.
Then drive around and look for dark sites. Even if its cloudy you can still look as the light pollution will be reflected
on the clouds.

Also  we have Either an Official Deep Sky Camp DSC or Unofficial UDSC every new moon.

And quite a few turn up to do imaging / viewing under darker skies.
As well as for the social side.

If you want pointers, Scotland, North Wales and Southern points in Cornwall are excellent.
Failing that Rye / romney marshes are the best location in SE Kent.
Its just a case of getting as far from London, and the other major Towns as possible.


Mac.

[Mike]

Like Mac says, there is an official or unofficial Deep Sky Camp every month and we get to go to some pretty dark spots far better than the Orpington area.