I’ve read several threads on here about the trails in Lords Wood and conflict with the landowner. I’m an occasional user of the forest and have local friends who ride there too.

Big changes are planned for this forest by the local councils. This includes bulldozing forest for a 200-space car park and a visitor centre. Sanitised family walking and cycling trails will be constructed. See the penultimate page of this document:

http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/assets/files/347/FeasibilityStudyForestPark.pdf

More documents here:

http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/resident/planningandbuildingcontrol/planningpolicy/local-development-framework/evidence-base/evidence-base-leisure/

There is no mention in any of the documents of existing users of this forest like us. Lords Wood is hugely popular given that the only publicity it gets is word of mouth and the trails are built by volunteers.

Unless local riders lobby hard, the planned changes are going to make Lords Wood forest trail riding a thing of the past.

Having read a large chunk of that it sounds like a great idea. While not perfect there is much more chance of establishing legal interesting trails if there is an established forest park.

+1, sounds like they’ve seen Cannock and are copying that, and the trails at Cannock are good.

The proposed cycle trail isn’t on our cheeky stuff anyway. The proposed car park and visitor centre is ground not used for trails. Vehicle access is good via Woburn road. Thumbs up from here.

Looks like a great way to waste 8 million quid.

If it turns out like Alice Holt forest it will be about as interesting as riding around a flat field.

Still, it will probably be defaced, smashed & torched by the Lordshill locals in 18 months.

Could mean another Moors Valley, which is no bad thing. Better still, and perhaps with a bit of WCA’s persuasive skills as demonstrated at the sports centre, we could have a local Bracknell Forest 🙂

For cyclists who are confident riders, it will be possible to extend the existing
local authority cycle routes to tie in with the existing public rights of way
network. This will help to encourage people to travel to and between their local
woodlands by cycle (see Map 12). For families with young children who are
developing their cycling skills, it is proposed that a family cycle trail be created
in Lord’s Wood to encourage them to explore the forest by bike.

They will need educating about ‘confident cyclists’ needs though!

Pleased at the positive reaction. I was more sceptical since there is no mention by the council of existing users or of technical trails. Perhaps they don’t want to frighten their health+safety people, yet.

Keep a close eye on this. Who or what is WCA? Persuasive skills urgently needed here I think.

Who or what is WCA?

“Some say that in a previous life he was Tom Ritchey’s Clunker and he can “ride a jump bike” only with his left foot. All we know is, he’s called WCA”

He seems to get stronger the more he crashes, like some sort of cycling Dorian Gray…

you mean that somewhere in an attic near Lords Wood there is a really dusty broken version of WCA

WCA is WorldClassAccident, a user on here. He negotiated access in the Southampton Sports centre that has allowed construction of the bike park and also kicked off the Big Bike Bash a few years back. He’s akso tried to negotiate trail building access in Lordswood in the past.

Might need a bit of stone for the cycle trail. Can be wet over that side.

If you have a problem.
If no one else can help and you can find him.
Maybe you can hire

WCA

They propose to build a 200 car car park and walking area on a
Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. That’s a bit naughty isn’t it?
Definitely looks like a new Alice Holt rather than Cannock.
Ok for taking the kids for a bimble.

Interesting, could be brilliant

Locals need to get in there early to make sure it’s not the new alike holt. This project looks like it has potential to be a great thing but it needs to have input from mountain bikers not just FC, CTC and the council.

Read all 77 pages last night, not keen on where the centre is planned for, unless I’m missreading the map it looks bang in the middle of some of my favourite trails…however if the loop is like moores valley that’s actually quite good fun if you go flatout

DT78, other than perhaps bits of the redundancy trail I don’t think the proposed centre goes over existing trails.

ah ok, must have got my bearings a bit wrong – thought it looked like it would be near the cross roads (where the chavs normally hang about when taking it in turns on stolen bikes)

The proposed trail also goes along tanners brook at one point, so I imagine no dabs would be flattened to make it ‘rideable’ for a blue grading.

One thing I didn’t spot – was there a proposed timescale for starting/finishing the work?

With a quick scan, i’m sure it said 18 months projected planning from approval, which was 12 months?

Involving various LA’s & government agencies i’m sure that will be stretched to the limit so it will be a while away yet.

Maybe time to get that rigid 29er I was looking at 🙂

I’ve just discovered the university MTB club rides here weekly and even holds marshalled races in Lords Wood. A group of dads at my children’s school also makes regular outings. There must be dozens more groups of riders.

Next week I’ll get back in touch with the council to find out about timelines and how to influence these plans.

Interesting. Keep us posted. Used to love riding there and still reasonably local.