Micheldever Wood / Black Wood near Winchester – worth exploring?

Yes the Woolpack at Totford has been bought by the Heinekin familly as a familly hunting / shooting / fishing base.
I think a STW venture into the woods around winchester is called for. Alll we need it to do s stop raining for a week. I have ridden in and around Micheldever wood, never found too much snigle tho.
The Newforce thursday night fast and furious riders are the ones who will know. They were too fast and furious for me so I never found anywhere worth a return. They ride out from winch on a Thursday, so will know all the local woods. I need to make up a good Candovers loop for after work riding in the summer. If we get one next year.

I think a STW venture into the woods around winchester is called for.

That sounds like a plan.
Altough I lived in Kingworthy/ Winchester for 10 years, I was more into beer then so my knowledge of local trails is zero. An STW jaunt around the area does sound like a good idea though.

i wouldnt recommend a stw ride around farley on a sunday with as many people as at swinley, you will continuously be bumping into ramblers and dogs and generally wont be enjoyable. its a dog walking heaven. They also have 10k runs and weird events there on occasion. A night ride would be well good though.

Also farley isnt anymore lethal with clay, chalk, leaves than the south downs, and many surrounding areas. theres is one patch that i recall being ice ring like but fairly good really. Can get very muddy though when wet.

Thanks for the farley MTB proposals pdf

Sounds like a plan is forming.

Singletrackmind, as you are the Master Brewer, where's the decent beer to be had in the vicinity? Obviously we need to check that Mulletus and Rusty are not serving ASBO's from those establishments 🙄

We could either start from Farley Mount (easy for parking) and head westwards through Parnholt Wood then towards Crawley. Or it might be easier to start from Avington (eastern side of Winch) where there will be a much larger choice of tracks (I can certainly help here).

All is ok c_g, i'm a happy drunk. 😉
Please don't plan anything for the next couple of weeks, i'm not around.
There's also the Gorrick Test Valley Tour on the 22nd from Andover, not sure if people are planning to do this?

the Gorrick Test Valley Tour looks good, thanks for that, I might do it, looks very friendly.

Just resurrecting this, for a possible January ride.

dobo – could you lead a fast ride around mid-Hampshire? I will take my rightful place leading the Slackers 🙄

It could involve Mulletus and Rusty revisiting old haunts (pubs) and Singletrackmind having a busman's holiday 😉

Anyone up for this?

I missed the Swinley ride, but YES! 😀

Why not come along to our thursday night rides,we ride from the Queen inn st,cross, winchester. set off 7pm distance 20-30 miles,all the best bits you can only ride at night. The Madras single speeders.

Yep, i'm in. I've lived in Dorset for the last 7 years, so they wont recognise me anymore! 🙂 Dont ask me about booze though, i dont drink. Winchester area a little off my riding radar, bit further north and i might be more help.

Count me in. It's always nice to go back to Winchester.

Have been meaning to do some exploring here for ages so the sun was shining and where better to ride than Hampshire!

So … no mention made on the information board sited in the car park as to whether we're allowed here. However, I noticed a few tyre marks as I rode that nice little track through the beech trees. Will be gorgeous when the bluebells arrive. 🙂

Just bimbled around and couldn't really find anything although the information boards explaining the tumuli etc were interesting.

What was disappointing? Being unable to somehow link Micheldever Wood with the South Down Lane bridleway at the Northern end of the Wood. It's a nice track and so unexpected beside the M3.

On a positive note though is the close proximity to the Winchester Services where an all-day fried breakfast can be enjoyed. 😉

So … any interest in a wee Winchester pootle some time?

I wonder why they didn't put "motorcycles and horse riding prohibited". Oh well.

I'm interested CG! date depending.

Put me down for it! I grew up in South Wonston, so I used to go up there all the time. Haven't been back there in ages.

i'll come if i can. pretty local.

Looks as though this could be a goer then 😀

Shall sort out a date but meanwhile if anyone knows any "must do" legal tracks, e-mail in profile.

i'm in if it fits with my shifts

Very interested, dependant on date, if it really is a pootle!

It will definitely be a pootle cos that's my only speed 🙂

Am studying the map and plotting. Thinking of starting from a choice of Farley Mount Country Park (is it that busy at weekends?), Wherwell, New Alresford etc.

I'm on the case. 8)

+1 here. Lots of local tracks, but as you say its linking them all together.
See if I can drag Dez and the mad Pointer along too.

Please see new thread! Saturday 8th May is the day.

Black Wood is superb, and no-one goes there. A hidden gem. For combined quantity and quality of singletrack, I don't know anywhere else in Hampshire that comes close. The annual moto endurance is this weekend (24/25 April 2010). Get up there during or soon after, and follow the track around (over 13 miles). It is often damp in there but I don't remember it ever being sticky, just soft. There are some vehicle tracks in the SW corner that flood. I think the entire route is covered by tree canopy, so it will never completely dry out. Also in the SW area is some interesting singletrack that is not part of the m/c enduro course. Black Wood is definitely Forestry Commission, and there are no signs saying no cycling. So few people use the woods that you're unlikely to annoy anyone, or even see anyone.

Micheldever Woods has a wide-ish singletrack running up the east side of the gravel road, a bit unexciting when dry, much better when damp. Coming back south down the gravel road, turn off right to the west, about half way up the long incline, then you can pick up a narrow and winding track to the left (after 50-100m?)(there is a big bomb hole a bit to the right) taking you back south, with a wider fast downhill runout right back to the car park. You'll cross a few other tracks and if you explore along these, you'll find some more tracks. Enjoy!

Hi Brian, thanks for all that useful info! Do you know if you are allowed to ride in these woods? Will I get a telling off if I do? Micheldever is listed as FC and cycling appears to be allowed, but I can't find much info on Black Wood.

Poppa, Black Wood is marked the same as Micheldever Wood: An FC sign and no mention of cycling being prohibited. It's so quiet, you are very unlikely to encounter people, except maybe the eastern side on weekends. As they allow the motorcycling event, they can't be worried about damage from cycling. And if anybody should ever object, they can do no more than ask you not to – but I'm sure it's ok. I've been through Micheldever Woods loads and never had any comments, in fact you'll find quite a few families cycling in there. Go for it!

Also, re. mention of Farley Mount elsewhere, try the western perimeter for an excellent and little used singletrack. From the exit for the bridleway that heads north out of west wood, stay inside the woods and follow the track (quite wide to start) as close to the northern boundary as possible, then pick your way thru the logged area in the NW corner, to pick up the track right by the western fence. The northern part of the west side is the best, tight and twisty with a few roots to catch you out. Then this joins a larger track to continue south. I shall be enjoying this one this weekend 🙂

Thank you BrianofWinchester. 🙂 More exploring to be done!

Why don't you come along on the 8th May for the Winchester ride from New Alresford?

Hi cinnamon_girl, thanks – I will see if I'm free on the 8th May. Where do I find the 'new thread'? (Presumably with all the details). Cheers.

Here you go:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/winchester-area-ride-saturday-8th-may-maymay-not-include-bluebells

Thanks! Will let you know a bit nearer the time…

I'm hoping to get up to Black Wood (maybe Micheldever Woods too) sometime over this bank holiday weekend, if anyone's interested in a tour.

Will have to have an explore. I've cycled lots in Micheldever woods but never ventured into Black Wood.

Saturday 1st May: Black Wood: Excellent 🙂

OK, it was hard work, with plenty of uphill, and damp but firm ground adding resistance, but well worth the effort. The motorcycle trail is currently well defined on the ground. Anti-clockwise is the preferred direction. The route is slightly different from last year's. Measured 14 miles and 1000ft of vertical, following the motorcycle trail.

Where do you park for Black Wood Brian? I'm not far away and a 14 mile loop sounds interesting, but having trouble determining where to park from looking at maps. Where's the best place to start/ finish?

I'm not going to have a bike for at least 2 more weeks, so getting myself prepared to get back in the saddle!

Well, I started in Micheldever Woods car park, which adds 11 miles and a ride thru M.W. Just for Black Wood, there are a few options:
Micheldever Station car park, think it costs a quid;
Or follow the road up from West Stratton, then the north side of Larkwhistle Farm Road is a little access road for industrial units (not sure how safe this is);
Or a bit further east along L.F. Rd, by the Black Wood sign may be possible;
Or there is a small car park on the east side, off the A33 (I think just opposite the road to Woodmancott).

I thought there was a little pull-in beside Black Wood, off the A33, leading to Micheldever? Or is there parking in North Waltham?

Obviously it's a case of trying to minimise time spent riding on the A33.

Presumably it is not worth checking out following the recent rain?

It should be fine. Plenty dry enough on Saturday, and not much rain since. Looks like it could take quite a bit of rain and still be OK.

Where's the best access point to the trail?

Just about any way in will do, as the trail loops around so much. If you continue up the road from West Stratton, and in past the industrial units (was 'Grainfarmers'), then after the tarmac, continue up the rutted grassy track and cross the perimiter bridleway, then aim to continue up the grassy track into the woods, but you have to climb over a log or two (nettles starting to appear here too). As soon as you're over the log, look to the right and in an opening you should see a hairpin bend of the motorcycle route. Take the righthand leg for anticlockwise. I have a GPS log of the trail, this year and last, but not sure how to make them available here. Maybe I can sort out a picture…

try this: (but you must replace the three $ symbols by ampersands (this forum does not appear to like ampersands!) Don't just click on the link: copy, paste and edit it.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2$cp=51.17017215671135~-1.2581191653671908$lvl=11$cid=507C42E2FB8E0467!113

and here's last years trail (again, replace the $s with ampersands)

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2$cp=51.15843863412685~-1.2164054507675814$lvl=12$cid=507C42E2FB8E0467!117

On the maps you can select OS maps and zoom right in to the 25k map.