Anyone know if they’re planning on rebuilding the Ewok village? Been a few years since it was taken down.
Also any word on any new trails? Thought I heard a rumour about some development going on there. Cheers

Hi, I think you mean this http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/NetherHorsburghBriefv1.pdf/$FILE/NetherHorsburghBriefv1.pdf

There was a public meeting in December about it, unfortunately I didn’t attend although maybe someone else did. Ewok is still the same as you saw it.

There are still a number of fallen trees/trail maintenance after the last storm to repair at Glentress. So, no new trails as yet.

The plan was for a new Ewok to be built near to the freeride park. Basically the same rationale- for better access both for riders who like woodwork but not so much other trails, but also for ambulances! With a bit of a change of emphasis onto stronger more consistent structures, and probably more low-level just to reduce the price of failure and allow challenging riding without challenging legal action. The lost woodwork from XX was to be reinstated too.

But, that’s been a long time and I’ve seen no progress. The last I heard was that the FC brass are currently dead against woodwork even where it’s required to make dirt trails work (stream crossings etc) which has cancelled the only ongoing new build. The old understanding was that while they weren’t keen on it, it could be done more or less on a one-feature-out, one-feature-in basis but I don’t know if that still stands.

Also, there’s the bigger picture with a potential change of use of the whole forest- close of top car park and road, new jumps area down the hill. So all these plans and negotiations probably make any thoughts of other builds pretty much secondary especially when it’d be so closely intertwined

So all in all… Don’t hold your breath 🙁

There are plans to close off the buzzards nest Northwind?

It’s one of the possibilities in the consultation- basically close the forest road as it’s seen as a risk/point of conflict, build a totally new freeride area down at the peel. Seems like a fairly daft idea to me frankly, but maybe for some users removing all the cars would be benificial. And it does make sense to have some riding by the cafe.

Anyone know if the consultation docs are available online?

The last I heard was that the FC brass are currently dead against woodwork even where it’s required to make dirt trails work (stream crossings etc) which has cancelled the only ongoing new build.

Is that a local/Scotland or across the board(walk) position? It’s interesting because Gisburn is planning to take out a section of boardwalk on its blue route, and build in stone across an apparently bottomless bog instead. In this case it is a bit of an intimidating feature on a blue route, so that could be the reason.

s that a local/Scotland or across the board(walk) position? It’s interesting because Gisburn is planning to take out a section of boardwalk on its blue route, and build in stone across an apparently bottomless bog instead. In this case it is a bit of an intimidating feature on a blue route, so that could be the reason.

Its happend on the north face trail in Grizedale. A few sections of longish woodwork removed and replaced by large rocks.

Pump track and maybe a small skills area at the Peel would be good but the freeride works well where it is.. shame the wallride never came back though..

martinhutch – Member

Is that a local/Scotland or across the board(walk) position?

Don’t know I’m afraid- or if it’s a formal decision or just a matter of current operating policy, for that matter. Can try and find out though…

Mabie Darkside closed for good a couple of years ago.
I reckon the reason behind it is due to lack of resource to both inspect and maintain the trails. Designing, building and inspecting woodwork from a legal point of view has probably become quite a hot potato due to litigation. The minority of claimers spoil it for the majority, same old 🙄

Those of us over in D&G will be mighty miffed it GT does get the ” rumoured” upgrades in trails. Have heard the rumour to. Hopefully all the trails are being reviewed and we will all get something out of it. Some of the trails at GT and Mabie pre date the 7Stanes project, Mabie being where it originated due to the F&M outbreak 😐
Doubt anything will happen till post Indy vote but talking about it has to be good 😕 If only they would involve us, the riders in some form of consultation 💡
Could do with a fingers crossed emotion button!

I didn’t know the darkside was shut 🙁 It’s still on the website.

there are a very small minority that think it is fun to drive the track to buzzards at stupid speed for sure, I’ve seen a few awkward moments where the riders have to cross the forest road at the bottom and at top of falla.

Not sure how people would get their kids up to the green though? I’d have thought that would be a bigger priority to redevelop at the bottom than the stormtroopers getting 8″ of air on their 160mm bikes on the jumps.

I have to admit, I didn’t pay any attention to the green when I was looking at the plans 😳 It’d be relatively easy to smash in a new green route, very straightforward construction, though whether that was in the plan, not a clue. There’s officially a lower green now, including the Admiral etc.

Northwind – Member
I didn’t know the darkside was shut It’s still on the website.

Still there, closed off and not maintained. Uneconomical to maintain, not up to “standard” etc. only got built because it was done by volunteers and hardly ever used. Too far away(big hill to get there & back)for the “kids” to access. If it had been built above the “skills” park it may have survived but I doubt it. The original plan to have some singletrack around that hill would have been better use of resources imo 👿
One of the first people I know who hurt herself was the Missus of Sanny from this parish who stepped off /fell off the woodwork, her foot went down a hole and she broke her ankle if I recall correctly 🙄

Bummer, I never rode that 🙁 Is it closed closed, ie unridable, or is it closed-we-will-not-be-held-responsible-if-you-ride-it closeD?

Northwind – Member
Bummer, I never rode that Is it closed closed, ie unridable, or is it closed-we-will-not-be-held-responsible-if-you-ride-it closeD?

Will have a look, certainly the Kona jump area has the red mesh+closed signs on it but 😉 The Darkside stuff is reportedly very slippery and has a few loose boards and posts which is not surprising due to the rocky terrain 😕

First bit is Vaders Lair which is also closed 😉 atm I think
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE90uk9Z790

Cheers! I suppose timber’s always got a definite lifespan especially where it’s unseasoned but I always get a bit grumpy about having missed trails, the woodwork’s almost all gone from newcastleton too.

We’ll be down that way later in the month so I might force the others to stand around with 999 already dialed while I attempt it 😉

I remember a few years back meeting a FC guy at newcastleton, and his job was to inspect/repair woodwork at the stanes. He had a bike with him, the bugger, remember thinking that he had a great job!. At the other end of the scale (I think I was with you at the time trekster?) seeing a dude with a paint brush treating all of the boardwalk at the start of Dalbeattie on his ownio! Sod that!.

Hopefully the stanes will get a bit of investment a la the welsh centres as they age and we get some new trails too. Won’t hold my breath though.

No cafe now either!!

There is a way to access the forest from;http://www.locharthur.org.uk/
This takes you straight to Darkside and a couple of “secrets” 😉 , add a bit of forest road miles to the ride and can lead out of Mabie into Troston/Shambellie and up to the Waterloo monument above New Abbey where there is a good descent off the opposite side from the walking path 😆
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-post-25374.html

Oooops.sorry for the thread hijack.. 😳

Hopefully the stanes will get a bit of investment a la the welsh centres as they age and we get some new trails too. Won’t hold my breath though.

Here, here to that 😆
Now that the Kirry project is nearing an end it can only be hoped that the other Stanes get some tlc. There is room at both Kirry and Ae to really expand the reds/blacks and to improve the family orintated green/blues, something that should be a priority imo.
Ae certainly needs something to help keep the cafe/bike shop alive. A proper family enterprise doing a good job but if people dont get decent trails to ride then they dont return. There is a good local vibe going on at the moment and it is lively at weekends with around 30 regulars on the Tues night rides.

I don’t know anything about Scotland but I wonder if at Gisburn they’re removing it (if it’s true) because it’s part if the blue. It’s a tricky piece of boardwalk with off camber, corners and so on and seems far more at home on a red then a blue. The problem is it’s one of the shared trails by both routes, so removing it upsets those doing the red. I don’t think FC have anything against woodwork at Gisburn per se – there’s loads on the red include black grade skinnies etc

Yep, I’ve seen a couple of novices disappear into the bog off it. I’m sure both of them surfaced eventually, and got out before the suckerfish latched on. 🙂

Gisburn is quite a tough blue, all things considered, but the current works will help sort that out a bit.

Timber trails were a relatively easy fix to a number if problems but obviously have a limited lifespan. For the trails that we build on Cannock Chase there is a concerted effort to use large rocks as an alternative although boardwalk is still being built where it’s deemed appropriate.