Anyone heard anything? someone’s telling me that they are in the process of building trails and a car park in a big forest. Forest is well known to Dales MTBers as bridleways go thru it, but it’s a hell of a drive into the void to get there to then ride your bike round in circles.

Well there’s only one big “forest” in the Dales so it’s not too hard to figure out. Might go once as it will let me fill in some Veloviewer Explorer squares in a legal manner 😆

a drive into the void to get there to then ride your bike round in circles.

Describes most trail centres really 😉

Stainburn ??

Erm…

Might go once as it will let me fill in some Veloviewer Explorer squares in a legal manner

report back

If it is that location then it’s either for sale or has just been sold. The particulars of sale mention: “providing substantial
conservation and sporting opportunities“.

Here’s my report:

It’s a trail centre. You ride round and round and round and round and …

It’s a trail centre. You ride round and round and round and round and …

Nah, you ride 2 mins, you rest 2 mins, you ride 2 mins, you rest 2 mins, you ride 2 mins, you keel over into the bushes exhausted. All the while extolling the virtues of your 170mm full sus anchor shod with quad ply bubble gum compound tractor tyres.

“providing substantial
conservation and sporting opportunities”.

Doesn’t that normally mean shooting?

The only forest I could find for sale is Greenfield Forest in Langstrothdale. The largest privately owned forest in the UK though apparently.

pdf

@fifeandy – my mistake 😳

@slowoldman – the sale is/was of a mature forest so “shooting” wouldn’t be something that could be setup very quickly unless it was a whole series of clay pigeon shoots.

bikebouy – Member
Stainburn ??
Erm…

If any of you love riding the Boulder Trail and the off piste stuff in that area get yourselves to Stainburn over the summer. I’ve heard the woods are to be clear felled before the end of the year 🙁

Langstrothdale?

That is a trek and a half for the punters – it would have to be a pretty good trail. Nice add-on to a loop out of Horton though I guess. Still very much an active working forest too, so I’m a bit surprised by that.

It possibly could be Langstrothdale but it, like the forestry over in Widdale and above Dentdale is all quite mature and in the process of being harvested. I’m unaware of any other large forestry areas that aren’t at that stage.

And given they are supposedly in the process of building trails etc I’m sure there would have been some evidence on the ground when I rode through a few weeks back.

Stang? Strictly speaking outside NP area though.

He was Adam ant, said he bumped into the forest ranger, also seemed to be suggesting that some trail had already been built but unridden, which at stainburn or Gisburn it’d be impossible to keep the bstds off riding it before it was open. I’m also not convinced, might be just gossip amongst employees up there, especially if it’s up for sale.

He was Adam ant, said he bumped into the forest ranger,

Kings of the Wild Frontier, eh? 🙂

Seriously, are we talking about Langstrothdale? Can’t see how they could have sneaked car parks etc into there without leaving a mark. They’d need planning for that too, wouldn’t they?

a big forest. Forest is well known to Dales MTBers

I’m missing something possibly, but if this is a request for information, why the secrecy about where it is you are asking about ?

Sorry, High Green field. Got back country navigator out and he seemed to be indicating towards the north of the forest

It’s probably all just a misunderstanding or more likely an idea by the owners that has now developed a life of its own. There are at least one or two regulars who live up there ie chrisE

We lets hope its not a load of bollocks and Dan Atherton is up there helping make the most beautiful trails in the UK.

The trail center cold be Yorkshire MTB centre I think its called, its in Fryup, North Yorks moors near Castelton, it’s being built as we speak, farm buildings converted to a shop / café, no bike sales, the trails / descents will I’m sure be very good.

Cheers
Mark

These dudes? https://www.facebook.com/yorkshirecyclehub/

Believe its (will be) just a hub – cafe, shop etc not purpose built trails as well.

Maybe Singletrack could do some investigation.

Looks good, different National Park though, which would be some awesome Chinese whispers if it’s got back to OP as Langstrothdale!

I may have to pop over to investigate if my bloody achilles injury ever clears up.

No, not Chinese whispers, the guy was bikepacking up there recently and got into a conversation with a forest ranger. However, even whilst he was conveying this glorious news to me, I was sceptical. I believe it’s a Tilhill forest(landegla), so likely at some point in the past Tilhill have er… ‘surveyed’ all forests in their portfolio for trail centre suitability. My gut feeling was that the forest has been visited at some point with a view to it’s feasibility for recreational development and employees on site have picked up on this and decided it as actual fact, rather than just a study. Maybe further fuelled by the fact it’s up for sale, so Tilhill looking to maximise it’s value / attractiveness to potential buyers. Who knows, I just wondered if any locals on here had heard anything.

It is Tilhill. I believe at one point they actually had someone working for them with the specific task of looking at potential in their forests for leisure stuff.

My gut feeling is that the forest has been visited at some point with a view to it’s feasibility for recreational development and employees on site have picked up on this and decided it as actual fact,

Makes sense.

I’ve not heard anything but would also be interested to know if this is true.