Lady Cannings Plantation – Avoid!

Just thought it might be worth mentioning that on my night ride tonight we went up through lady cannings plantation(near ringinglow/sheffield in case there happens to be another one somewhere) on the normal track that starts in the bottom corner and runs up to the stile mid way along the top byway and it’s a mess.

They’re felling at the moment and the machine has made a big mess of all the main track. It’s very boggy in places and much wider than it was. I’ll be avoiding it for quite a while, hopefully it will recover in time.

thought that title was some euphimism 🙂

I rode through some time ago and someone had rigged up a ‘swing’ on the very last bit of the last bit of the singletrack (near the little bridge near the village) on an almost blind corner after the last steep bit / drop.

IMO it was a deliberate trap for cyclists. There’s something about Lady Canning’s that makes me think its the sort of place where an accident like that may happen, but then in the last 10 years nothing has as far as I know.

There’s been a fair amount of branches across the trails in the bottom corner over the last year though so someone doesn’t want us there. Ironically it’s not the landowner or manager though, they’re all quite happy with riding in the plantation. In fact so much so they’re planning on putting a bridleway through the middle this year.

There is / was supposed to be much more than a bridalway planned through there.

Me and my mate went up on Wednesday night. It is as Steve says, a bog. We rode 100yds and turned back.

Re: the potential for booby traps – it’s happened before and will carry on. There are always logs placed in the track to slow bikes down, and the head height swing doesn’t surprise me.

Still, as podge says, in the long term there is a council backed plan to build a red grade singletrack route through there linking the BW on Houndkirk Moor to the road to give cyclists a bit more excitement coming down/getting up to the moor, and lifting the potential for conflict with walkers.

I fear that the red cycle route will become another flash point as dog walkers and booby trap builders use it. It’s something I’m going to be talking to people involved about.

You’ll be pleased to know there is a growing voice representing riders in Sheffield now though, and Lady Canning’s is definitely on their radar. More news here[/url]

Ridesheffield is indeed a growing voice and I’m a part of the key team working on it. There is the potential for some singletrack sections on lady cannings but the bridleway should happen on a much shorter time scale than this.

I’m sure the trail will recover in time but think it will take a while. It’s a shame as it was fun blast down the main trail and in to the corner. I’ll be doing some more exploring soon to see if there’s another way through I can find to use in the mean time.

Nice one Steve – please email me if you find anything useful!

perhaps if you didn’t “blast down the main trail” on what is technically off limits to bikes then those who leave booby-traps would have less reason to do so

[rolleyes]

It isn’t technically off limits to bikes more than anyone else as I understand it. It’s not access land and there are no rights of way on the definitive map running through. The booby traps have all been left in the bottom section not on the main trail. Visibility is good and in 10 years plus of using it I’ve never had any issues with walkers.

You might not have had any issues with walkers but clearly they (or more likely locals / kids) could well have had issues with you. I’ve known people not say anything to me about stuff but the girlfriend has been following me 30 seconds later and heard them mumbling to them selves.

And saying its off limits to everyone doesn’t really mean its OK does it? I’ve been using it for the last few years and noticed more spray paint on the trees and a sheeps skull in the big hole with a sign saying “I’m watching you” I’d love this to be walkers but I suspect its just kids

maybe it’s the ghost sheep

Locals?? There are maybe ten houses at Ringinglow. There are plenty of plenty of people from Sheffield who use it though. I think the main thing about any specific MTB trails is keeping people informed so that they know why it is being done and the rules.