Blackdown Hills near Taunton

Good work Thurman. Thanks for the feedback. I’ll head up there occasionally as my folks live in Blagdon Hill but other than that I’ll stick to the Quantocks.

Hey guys, I run the trails at Orchard Portman, if you want any info get in touch with me over at pinkbike.com (username “almostwise”)

I’m currently lodging in Horton/Broadway area for a few week and did the Herepath trail yesterday afternoon (not advisible with dual ply highrollers by the way, Doh!)and spotted the DH trails at Lime Ridge/Piddle Wood whilst going down through the woods on the trail.

I spotted a few emergency contact number boards and obvious signs of trail building. I stopped and had a nose and it was clear that the trails are under construction in the area. I was surprised to find some very well made wooden structures (nothing too big, that i saw anyway) including some nice bridges over the creek and roller type ramps leading into bomb holes etc. Nice looking berms everywhere, but it was wet. And hadn’t been ridden for a while, obviously due to the work being done. It looks like this is being done by the Taunton Freeriders group.

looked good tho, bit of rubbish around tho, which spoilt the otherwise nice looking set of mini downhills.

The DH stuff at Orchard Portman is pretty impressive for that neck of the woods.

I sent off an e-mail today to Somerset County Council, The Forestry Commission, Architrail, The local Councils and Devon County Council asking for them to do a feasibility study into producing some trails, similar to those of Ashton Court, in the Blackdowns.

The Blackdowns are notoriously boggy and hold the water but I think there is scope there to put down an all weather surface and create something really nice, and a first for Somerset. I suggested the Neroche/Staple Hill area but would be happy with any decent trails up there.

There are some decent woods, and gradients which would be perfect for an all weather trail and we need something like that in Somerset. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything, not that it is very likely!!

Sounds good to me, be ace if something got done up there as I can ride there from my front door 🙂

@ DJ

Any news on the feasibility study??

Chippy – heard back from the Somerset County Council and they basically said that there is no money in the pot for this type of thing. A similar story from the FC and the guy in charge of the 1SW project. He really liked the idea but said they had allocated all the money for the project. He reckoned we should approach the landowners up there and get permission to build our own trails.