Quantock Hills Access Management Group

I’ve been invited to a meeting of the Quantocks Access Management Group next month, to give an input from the cyclist’s point of view. If there are any questions you’d like asked please let me know.

Is there any support for reducing the impact of forestry on established non-bridleway trails in the Great Wood.

I’ll ask Buzz, but as they now own the land I don’t know what sort of response I’ll get as they do have a business to run and they’ll struggle to get the trees out without making a mess. It might be worth setting up a meeting with the forestry people with regard to planning some new tracks once the current round of harvesting is complete.

Yeah they have to fell trees. I think clearing debris is less of a problem than dealing with the ploughing-tracks caused by vehicles.

But maybe with some communication it might be possible for track builders to avoid the main vehicle lines, and for vehicles to avoid some trail lines.

And if track builders had visibility of the harvesting plans they could avoid building in segments soon to be harvested, and so get better use out of their efforts before they get cleared.

I’m giving this a bump, as the meeting is tomorrow morning, “if you don’t ask you don’t get”.

please can the trail down weacombe be re laid to tarmac due to H& S issues

Hey Dibbs
I don’t have any direct questions I need to ask but if I can assist at all then I think you already know just to give me a yell.

Cheers Uncle Dibbs

R

Better access and improved car parking
Trail marking

Think you should tell them its pretty good as it is before any one paticular interest group starts to rock the boat. I got no complaints really or ideas how you can improve natural trails.

Keep access open to all

Trail marking

Hell no.

The last meeting I went to, I felt pretty un-prepared as the woman from the horse riders had a big list of issues.
Saladdoger, I’m going to request Armco barriers for Weacombe, to keep you out of the stream 😀

The last meeting I went to, I felt pretty un-prepared as the woman from the horse riders had a big list of issues.

IME horse riders (or at least the Hunt) cause the majority of damage to trails by piling along them mob handed regardless of ground conditions. The followers on quads, motorbikes and in cars don’t help either.

They’re nearly as bad as STW “Group Rides”.

Would be great if any logging vehicles that chewed up tracks so bad to be unrideable to at least make some efforts to clear up the mess they leave at least on the tracks.
But the main issues for me is continued or improved access to the areas.
Its great that you have been invited to the meeting – good luck with that.

I brought up the point about repairing the damage to tracks and was told that a fair bit of good will had been lost due to a recent bout of vandalism of the forestry machinery (the graffiti indicates it was done by bikers).
The thinning work is due to finish in the next couple of weeks and that should be it for the next 5 years.
We also talked about organizing a meeting of all interested at Cockercombe in the Autumn.
I’ll post when I have any firm details.

Vandalism to forestry machinery is unacceptable – is there something we as bikers can do to help? perhaps the offer of working parties to assist forestry staff?
There is also a difference between whats wanted from people like me a cross country MTBer who likes to ride open country rather than constructed tracks and the downhillers who would sooner build constructed downhill routes, ride down and get a lift back up – perhaps this point needs to be made – certainly there is a need for horse riders, walkers and MTBers to respect each others activities.
Maybe some sponsorship from Bicycle chain, Ralph Colemans, kings etc.

Vandalism is done by people. Let’s not tar us all with the same brush. If vandalism happens then the forestry commission should deal with the individual. Not ban or restrict everyone. It’s too easy to just make sweeping generalisations about groups of people.

I pointed out that the vandalism could have been done by anyone, but was told that the graffiti comments indicated that they where bikers. There was no talk of banning or restricting, but any goodwill on the part of the forestry contractors (some of them bikers) to clear up after themselves had been lost.
My neighbour is about to start working full time for the Forest Enterprise (up until now he’s been partly funded by the Quantock Ranger’s and the Forest Enterprise) and he says they’re looking at a set of guidelines for the use of Forestry land as the standards of trail building and use vary wildly between The Forest of Dean, Haldon and the Quantocks.

Dibbs, fully agree and understand and thank you for your work. I do enjoy thrashing down the combs and trying out the more DH stuff. TBH the Quantocks access works well I have never had any issues with anyone else using the area whatever the form of transport.

Not sure there any problems but I can see more and more people wanting to use these areas. I think its important that the genuine law abiding people remain unhindered in their access. Those carrying out criminal damage should be brought to justice.

I’m horrified that that some kids have written graffiti the logging trucks – it’s really stupid. But “retaliation” by not tidying the mess they made of the countryside is even more stupid. IMO.

I’m horrified that that some kids have written graffiti the logging trucks

I think you’ll find it was quite a bit more serious than that, and we’re talking about people’s livelihood’s here, they’re sub contractors working for Forest Enterprise and if there equipment is damaged they can’t work.
Also bear in mind that there is a temporary closure order on the forest and no one should be in there anyway, the foresters turn a blind eye at the moment but effectively people in there are trespassing.