Bicton is lovely - the new Willis Bros course is now in it's second year with new fences built over the winter. You'll definitely find it up to height, but it rides beautifully - the sandy ground gives good ground in all weathers. The track is rolling hilly - nothing too steep but certainly requires some degree of fitness
I'm on duty in the SJ ring on Sunday morning; riding in the open class later. See you there!
Quite possibly - I haven't actually seen the Stockland Lovell 80cm course, but I doubt you'll find it any smaller! Bicton don't run a BE80 - they're restarting with BE this year after a couple of years absence, but only with BE90 and BE100 classes. I suspect it was built to BE standard though.
It will almost certainly be slightly easier than the same standard at BE - I know all the courses at Pontispool last year for Area 12 were. They were almost the same as the BE courses (I'd ridden the BE Novice there) but with easier alternatives or smaller fences in some places. If you completed the BE80 at SLM I am sure you will be fine at Bicton, SLM is one of the tougher BE courses in the area at all levels.
would recomend bicton for xc went training recentley to find stack of new exciting jumps, literally everything! there are no stupidly vertical hills, i did my horses first ever 2ft3 hunter trials there and she loved it, take offs etc always triple checked, the only thing i woucl winge about was the large number of tadpoles in the water jump that my dad dog seemed to be ejoying eating whilst preventing me from using it . also the new arenas are very nice, although have never actually used them... yet never been to pontisppl ect, but would say far better than dunkeswell, in a smaller area but jumps not so crammed in, better ground, not at all easy to get lost