Trail Centres in Hampshire / Sussex?
Discussion
Hi, where are the trail centres in Hampshire and Sussex? Love the idea Cannock Chase or Afan, but don't fancy the 3hr drive each way for a day ride. Looking for nice single track, a little down hill and firetrail on the way up. Pub serving burger and beer afterwards is always appreciated. Any suggestions welcomed. Thanks. Cliff.
I've no idea, but the way we used to do it (in my day 
before trail centres existed 
) was to get the relevant OS maps and look for interesting byways and bridleways to start with, followed by looking for big patches of woodland with paths running through them. The second bit may be illegal...
before trail centres existed ) was to get the relevant OS maps and look for interesting byways and bridleways to start with, followed by looking for big patches of woodland with paths running through them. The second bit may be illegal...On the dorset/hampshire border there is Moors Valley Country park, they have a small north shore & dirt jump park, have just opened up some integrated single track and have a large connecting section of gravel & sand bridal ways, not sure you'd get 3 hours out of it but there are some pubs close by, the visitors centre does some good food, but closes quite early.
Be warned it's absolutely packed out on good weather weekends & bank holidays, best bet is to go either very early leaving before 10am or late arriving after 5pm. They have adventure play trails, Go Ape tree course, a large (narrow gauge) steam railway, play grounds, fishing lakes and golf course, so plenty for everyone.
http://www.moors-valley.co.uk/
You have to pay for parking or can park outside the park and ride in.
Be warned it's absolutely packed out on good weather weekends & bank holidays, best bet is to go either very early leaving before 10am or late arriving after 5pm. They have adventure play trails, Go Ape tree course, a large (narrow gauge) steam railway, play grounds, fishing lakes and golf course, so plenty for everyone.
http://www.moors-valley.co.uk/
You have to pay for parking or can park outside the park and ride in.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 8th September 09:38
Swinley Forest near Bracknell isn't very far and has some excellent single track but not marked out like Afan. Probably best to try and tag onto some locals and it gets busy at weekends, plus there's a half decent cafe and parking's free.
The Moors Valley single track isn't open until October going by the signs there but rode it anyway, a fairish length and although pretty flat and hard gravellish surface it's good fun ridden at speed and avoiding the trees on the tight corners. When this is open it's going to be traffic jamsville as there's nowhere to pass.........best get up early then.
The Moors Valley single track isn't open until October going by the signs there but rode it anyway, a fairish length and although pretty flat and hard gravellish surface it's good fun ridden at speed and avoiding the trees on the tight corners. When this is open it's going to be traffic jamsville as there's nowhere to pass.........best get up early then.
Timbo48,
Have done some of single track sections at Moors Valley on a late evening rides for the past few weeks, been completely empty apart from the odd dog walker/jogger, the red & white tape that was across has gone and was with a sanctioned & led group of riders so I assume it's fully open.
Your right on the trees and their proximity to the trail, as well as the large rocks on the sharp corners, both keep the concentration levels up when your going at anything above a good pace, which is pretty easy given the hard surface.
Have done some of single track sections at Moors Valley on a late evening rides for the past few weeks, been completely empty apart from the odd dog walker/jogger, the red & white tape that was across has gone and was with a sanctioned & led group of riders so I assume it's fully open.
Your right on the trees and their proximity to the trail, as well as the large rocks on the sharp corners, both keep the concentration levels up when your going at anything above a good pace, which is pretty easy given the hard surface.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 9th September 13:35
OneDs said:
On the dorset/hampshire border there is Moors Valley Country park, they have a small north shore & dirt jump park, have just opened up some integrated single track and have a large connecting section of gravel & sand bridal ways, not sure you'd get 3 hours out of it but there are some pubs close by, the visitors centre does some good food, but closes quite early.
Be warned it's absolutely packed out on good weather weekends & bank holidays, best bet is to go either very early leaving before 10am or late arriving after 5pm. They have adventure play trails, Go Ape tree course, a large (narrow gauge) steam railway, play grounds, fishing lakes and golf course, so plenty for everyone.
http://www.moors-valley.co.uk/
You have to pay for parking or can park outside the park and ride in.
My god! what a god awful place to ride. 30mins further and you are in the purbecs with some brilliant single track. 10mins the other way and there are some great rides in the new forest (with great pubs!) Be warned it's absolutely packed out on good weather weekends & bank holidays, best bet is to go either very early leaving before 10am or late arriving after 5pm. They have adventure play trails, Go Ape tree course, a large (narrow gauge) steam railway, play grounds, fishing lakes and golf course, so plenty for everyone.
http://www.moors-valley.co.uk/
You have to pay for parking or can park outside the park and ride in.
Edited by OneDs on Wednesday 8th September 09:38
Even trying to compare Moors Valley to Afan is a work of someone who has never seen Afan!
Edited by Gooby on Thursday 9th September 15:48
Gooby said:
My god! what a god awful place to ride. 30mins further and you are in the purbecs with some brilliant single track. 10mins the other way and there are some great rides in the new forest (with great pubs!)
Even trying to compare Moors Valley to Afan is a work of someone who has never seen Afan!
Sorry I seem to have offended, I never really made a comparison to Afan, was just trying to offer a trail based centre in Hampshire. I'm on the doorsteps of the Purbecks and just really getting back into my MTB riding I'd love to know if there are some trail centres around more local to me. Or for that matter in the New Forest, I thought they were pretty much shared bridal ways and footpaths that cyclists used rather than bike dedicated trails focused on one centre.Even trying to compare Moors Valley to Afan is a work of someone who has never seen Afan!
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 9th September 16:49
Eshers been closed.
Have a look here for some that might be in reach.
http://sites.google.com/site/mtbtrailtime/trailcen...
Have a look here for some that might be in reach.
http://sites.google.com/site/mtbtrailtime/trailcen...
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 9th September 17:03
If you travel a bit further afield there are quite a few decent places to ride in Dorset, this is a built downhill course: http://www.ukbikepark.com/?tag=dorset Also Puddletown/Wareham forests have some nice quiet trails, with some puropuse built jump areas.
Didn't realise that anybody on here was trying to compare Moors Valley with Afan, rather like comparing Portsdown Hill with Everest. But you use what you've got, not everybody can get the chance to get to the Welsh Trail Centres that often if you live on the south coast as I do. And the trouble with riding trail centres that good and that plentiful is that it changes your attitude to what constitutes good mtb'ing. The New Forest seems pretty tame compared with Wales unless you know of some cheeky trails. If you haven't tried Moors Valley single track then as long as you're not expecting Afan like tracks it's ok. And it was designed by Daffyd Davies. And it's better than nothing.
Not sure on the back ground, my cousin lives in Esher and has used it numerous time, he told me a couple of weeks ago, then I logged on to the site after the recommendation above and saw this.
http://www.eshershore.com/
http://www.eshershore.com/
Chris71 said:
I forget the name, but there's one in Kent near the M25 that's very much a manmade trail centre (short but pretty reasonable XC loop, North Shore/4X park). Oh, amnd there's Escher (sp?) Shore in Surrey.
That'll be Bedgebury http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6LJHU5
Its not bad...
Minnsy said:
Chris71 said:
I forget the name, but there's one in Kent near the M25 that's very much a manmade trail centre (short but pretty reasonable XC loop, North Shore/4X park). Oh, amnd there's Escher (sp?) Shore in Surrey.
That'll be Bedgebury http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6LJHU5
Its not bad...
cliff123 said:
Hi, where are the trail centres in Hampshire and Sussex? Love the idea Cannock Chase or Afan, but don't fancy the 3hr drive each way for a day ride. Looking for nice single track, a little down hill and firetrail on the way up. Pub serving burger and beer afterwards is always appreciated. Any suggestions welcomed. Thanks. Cliff.
As you are in West Sussex the nearest trail centre would be Queen Elizabeth Country Park on the A3 near Petersfield as previously mentioned. The two marked trails are short but good fun if ridden fast and there is a good cafe. There are also some unofficial trails if you look for them - one of which used to be a downhill course. If you go out the back of QE and down a fire road you find a disused quarry area - good fun in the dry but lethal in the wet as it is chalk.Hope you have better luck than me last time I was there - rear wheel fell out and I went into a tree head first at 25mph
Decent helmet saved my life but the paramedics thought I'd broken my neck so I still left by air ambulance... I was in a bit of a mess but all fixed now 
On a happier note I guide rides in the New Forest area every Wednesday night - there are two groups, one for road bikers and the other for mountain bikers. The road rides tend to be about 30 miles and average about 18mph. The mountain bike routes vary but typically 12 - 18 miles mainly off road including as many interesting and techy bits as possible
We meet in Fordingbridge at 7pm and ride until about 9.30pm all year round then have a drink and/or meal afterwards. All are welcome - although unusually I can't make this Wednesday but will be there the following week. Feel free to PM me for more info.
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