I’ve done a few rides from Cheltenham up via Birdlip and onto the woods round Cranham. I’m planning a club ride up there. What can be ridden officially round there. There’s a great unofficial single track trail through Buckholt wood. Is there a map anywhere showing where the nature reserve is?

Typical route: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=51.817086465000834~-2.148256301875966&lvl=14&dir=0&sty=s&cid=3A5BB81993123281!197

my opinion, stay away unless dry.

Official position as best as anyone can tell, no digging, construction, north shore, etc.
Riding is tolerated, if it looks like a track it is fair game, a guide is helpful.

As for the nature reserve, it all is.

It’s a mess up there at the moment, looks like there has been several big groups through there over the last week and it has rippen up very badly in some places.

Some of the more under cover areas are turning into bogs.

It needs more frost and some time not being hammered to recover.

I would suggest Painswick beacon and down to Standish Woods as it sits on rocks and stones.

was up there a couple of days ago, all seems pretty good to me. everything is frozen hard so weve got our second summer 😀

pretty much ride any “cheeky” trails, but stick to small groups (max 2 or 3 people) and again NO digging, shore etc.

Thanks for the info.

I think it would be better to wait for spring. There’s no intention to do any digging, just riding.

I’m looking for routes that I can safely write up on our website so non-approved stuff is no good. I’ll take a look at the bridleway situation.

Hmmmm. Everything I’d say is non-approved i’m afraid tom. Hence why many of the local riders get annoyed when the cheltenham club rides there in wet weather and cut all the trails up. Bridleways are pretty limiting over up there as far as i’m aware. Also with the trails being fairly small and lots of little off-shoots I’m not sure how easy it would be to guide a large group around without some at the back getting lost.
Sorry to sound so negative but cranham isn’t really the best place for group rides of 10-20 people which seems to be a regular turn out for mb swindon?

being a member of said cheltenham club, i have to say i get annoyed at times by some members insistance in riding Cranham in all conditions. And i really don’t think it works if the group is much more the 5-6, to much waiting, too much risk of loosing riders. In our defence we aren’t the only large group that rides there when the conditions mean it should be left alone. (not much of a defence i know.)

The problem with riding cranham with to many riders you are not going to enjoy the trails and see them properly.They are excellent trails but are tight in places so as said above only 2-6max i reckon.Lecky might be a better bet then ride over to Cranhan and do a few.Racetrack can take more plus the portway.Shrine and teachers/wall would be a nightmare with 10 or more.What about the Forest of Dean.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm was up there this mornin with the dogs, it was -7! 😯

Tom, you could try Cleve Hill (thinks its called that anyway) right near Cheltenham. Not muddy IIRC
If you took as many MTBSwindoners to Cranham as came to Cannock then you would end up with lots of lost, cold and muddy bikers.

I dont think Jim Bowen would be happy ether.

I dont think Jim Bowen would be happy ether.

lol
cleeve hill is more open and easier to follow people, gravel based so no problems with loads of riders. i’ve got several ideas for routes so drop me an email if you want.

I know Cleeve hill well too. I know some good stuff there from rides with the cccccccccccc.

I’ve been up at Cranham in the dark with the ccccccccc too before with about 15 people and not got lost.

I’ll have a good think about it all anyway.

Your best bet if you have alot of riders is to start at Lecky Hill and make your way over to Cranham lots of trails linking the too.Cleeve hill is ok for a while.

As a regular Malvernista a couple of us have wondered about a trip over to Cranham for a change but, based on the above, we’ll hold fire I think.

I thought a lot of cleeve was ‘cheeky’ given it’s SSSI status?

cleeve is ok, as long as you do not ride on the golf course.

Cranham is a great place to ride in the dry,crap in the mud where other places are not to bad in the mud.60% of the year i reckon its not worth riding but others dont think so thats why the first part of the shrine is messed up the wall is going the same way.The newish bit of the racetrack is fine because its to techy for most so is not getting hammer.Portways are mosty rock now so fine.