Bike Park… Northampton?

https://www.northantslive.news/news/northamptonshire-news/northampton-bike-park-consultation-plan-4734164?utm_source=facebook.com

There’s a proposal for a small (as far as I can tell Chicksands style) bike park near Northampton. I’m taking the local rag’s description of it being “World class” with a pinch of salt, but interested nonetheless.

They’ve opened up a rider consultation survey to support the application. If you’re within reasonable travelling distance of the place I reckon they’d appreciate your support.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QM8XTQM?fbclid=IwAR3Ia4KBNC2zTNz4laD4NKu2eYKWKZap5qVdQLnMv6qNtxuXC5pQHQAPKyk

As a Shoe Town local I’d love to see this happen. “World class” is definitely over billing it knowing the area it’s planned to be on but anything is better than nothing.

Yeah, would still be a 30+ minute drive for me (I’m Peterborough side of Corby) but still closer than Chicksands.

Is this next to the woods that used to have some dirt jumps in? I haven’t been that way in quite a few years so don’t know what the site is like now

Cool

Am in MK so not far

Blimey. Queen Eleanor Cross to Delapre alongside the A45? I have occasionally passed through the site a year or more ago and ridden the trails as they are/were. I work a fairly short ride south.

It would be lovely to see some sort of riding in the area but “world class bike park” sounds a rather heroic description of what I’d have though possible in a sliver of woods beside some urban parkland without a lot of height gain. That said, it would certainly be possible to build something fun, jumpy or whatever and dual slalom sounds entertaining.

Or is it south of the A45? Describing it as Hardingstone sort of implies that. There’s some green space there too.

Image fail. It’s south of A45 between Hardingstone and Brackmills industrial estate.

Next to Barclays etc I think

Next to Barclays etc I think

Will it become as legendary as the trails behind Swindon Nationwide?

I know it says they will be “world class” but let’s not go crazy Simon.

Is this where the golf course is/was? Not been to Northampton for about 10 years. Also reasonably local so could be good news.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/opportunity-youngsters-and-tourism-proposed-road-bike-park-northampton-backed-biking-enthusiast-3049016

There’s a map in this article.

Northampton, I will be very surprised it will go ahead, some crooked clueless counselor will put a stop to it. But it would be nice for them to prove me wrong.

Image fail. It’s south of A45 between Hardingstone and Brackmills industrial estate.

Ah yes, I see in the survey there’s a plan attached. I kind of know the space, being just up the road from where I grew up and now spend (and stay over) much of my working week, although I don’t live there as such. I’ve cycled through it.

I think it would be a nice step to get something going. Space enough for some short runs, “skills area” or similar. Maybe suit something quite jumpy. It would have to attract only a small minority of the quite substantial local population to be quite well used, I’d have thought. And there’s a dearth of other local options. But it’d be tiny.

Agreed, I really hope some nimby movement doesn’t take against it without any real basis for complaint, but I’d not be filled with confidence about that.

Blimey! I can see my work building on the map in the Chronicle article. Chances are probably slim unfortunately.

Done.

Work started in April, due to be complete late summer 🙂

I hope it’s good, anyone gone to have a look at the work in progress?

https://www.facebook.com/ontrackcc

Have a looky here. I did ride over that way to see if I could see anything but couldn’t get near.

Wow, will be interesting to see how this develops, its not too far away so Id pop up for a spin.

Considering how gently Northamptonshire undulates, that looks like they’re doing something great! Will have to take the kids’ bikes when I visit my Mum.

Blimey Northampton needs something, a very depressed place last time I was there. I used to ride with TS with Treads in Harlestone firs and Chicksands, he’s a shrewd bloke let’s hope something good comes of it.

Well, I find myself quite excited about this all of a sudden. It’s just down the road and it looks like they might make something genuinely worth riding out of a patch of land I didn’t think was much good, was skeptical would be allowed to be devoted to our sport, and with substantial funding that was surely hard to get. Chapeau and some to that man Tony Skirrow.

Northampton has indeed gone steadily downhill in many ways over a long time. It’s lovely to see some focus on something regenerative, free, outdoors and youthful. And out of nowhere it’s in mountain biking.

That’s looking good, it’ll give me an excuse to go into the office once in a while

Yep. As with others I was pretty sceptical about whether or not this would happen, and whether it’d be any good in a county that’s not exactly known for it’s elevation, but that looks alright and then some.

Excellent, I travel down to Northampton fairly frequently for work, pass by this site on my way in to our site, might have to start throwing the bike in the car for a quick spin on the way home!