In Northants there aint much trails to get stuck into and as a complete beginner im abit put of places like Cannock until iv had some training on the local routes.
So hearing about Wakerley woods and getting my new bike last weekend I thought id give it a go.

Again as a newbie I aint got anything to compare it to but I thought it was alright to have a local play.

Does anyone else local to it get up there much and what are your thought?

Wasnt many people up there – not sure if thats a good or a bad thing mind.

that’s just down the road from my folks! always fancied taking a spin there when i lived at home but never got around to it.

if you enjoy it there, that’s the main thing! 🙂

Sure most guys will think its abit lame but if you got a spare hour its alrigt I think. You should have given it a go – you not local now then?

scotland now! 🙄 might give it a spin if i ever find myself down that way with a bike…

Not a bad little trail for this area (about 15 minutes drive from my front door). My review of it from another site –

“The Scartree Trail is not (as of May 2011) quite finished yet, with some sections still to be surfaced. It is all open though and is a great little red-graded XC trail – about 1/3 fireroad bash, 1/3 flowy singletrack and the final 1/3 more techy/rooted wooded singletrack. Nothing really tough to ride, but a few little technical features to keep you on your toes.

Only 6km long, but 2 or 3 laps is a good, fun little ride on a par with pretty much anything the nearest major trail centres (Thetford and Sherwood) can offer. The only thing it doesn’t have is any REALLY fast, flowing downhill sections – all the downs tend to be straight and easy. If you look around there are some nice little off-piste trails to explore to make up for this though.

Best fun here is to ride it hard – just pootling round is fine, but to get the most out of the trail you need to hammer the singletrack sections as fast as you can.”

If you head over the road to Fineshades, theres’s a Green family trail there that has 3 fun little Blue skills sections on it (with another 3 or 4 either just opened or about to open – haven’t been over there for a few weeks).

slainte 😀 rob

Never been there but I’m in the area. Is it anything like Harlestone Firs?

Oh and do you know if there are any jumps lurking off the trail?

Not sure about jumps as only followed the red routes for a single lap just to see whats there – im still trying to find my feet as im a road cyclist and not a great bike handler.

did have a laugh at myself as near the end there was a small drop and i pretty much fell in it and ended up picking half a tree out of my rear mech.

Well worth the visit for training though IMO

logic1980 – Member
did have a laugh at myself as near the end there was a small drop and i pretty much fell in it and ended up picking half a tree out of my rear mech.

Would that have been the ‘ditch’ at the end of the wooded section after the car park/picnic area by any chance?

If so, you’re by no means the first rider to be caught out by that bit!

Haven’t seen any jumps off-piste at Wakerley – it’s not really that kind of place (yet) as I guess most of the jumpy types round here head over to Corby?

slainte ➡ rob

You’ve also got Woburn Trails a short drive away or Cannock’s not too far either.

I guess most of the jumpy types round here head over to Corby?

I don’t know of any jumps over there as I don’t know anyone else in the area who rides other than a couple of roadies! Been wanting to find some though, are they the secret “invite only” kind of jumps?

to Colournoise – yep thats the one – how are you meant to ride that? before my brian had caught up i was at the bottom – lol

as for corby – west glebe pack has some hidden pumpy bits but not sure how great they would be – always kids on BMX in there – I go there just to mess about some times

logic1980 – Member
to Colournoise – yep thats the one – how are you meant to ride that? before my brian had caught up i was at the bottom – lol

If it’s the bigger one at the end of the section (and not the wheel-sized one earlier on) then what I do is approach slowish and drop a couple of gears, roll into the dip real gently with weight back and then as the front wheel hits the bottom apply some gas and throw weight back/pull bars up. It’s then just a case of powering/lurching up the other side.

It’s the uphill 90 degree right-hander round a tree a little further on that stalls me nearly every time.

slainte 💡 rob

this is 10 mins form me and i didnt even know it was there 😯

might have to take a looksee

thats the one I was on about the right side of the tree drop in – its lower than the other side so you cant jump it and i fell in before looking how i was going to get out – lol

i just picked myself up and went back and looked at it again and then just went to the left of the tree instead – although i think that actually may be the route?

didnt see any dead bodies in the ditch mind 😕

do you go there much?

think its well worth a look – i moved to corby so its best local bit for me as only about 15mins – I road cycle to the south of it quite abit but today was first time i ever went in – i looks bigger when you in but I think the trails got me a bit disorientated –

When I first heard about it in May I was going a couple times a week.

Haven’t been for a while due to a foot injury and manic time at work (last few weeks of term always are).

Now I’m on summer holiday for a few weeks will getting back over there fairly regular I think (mostly when I can’t be arsed driving the hour-and-a-half to Thetford.

slainte ➡ rob

Sometimes you just can’t be bothered travelling to far – i dont normally have time to go driving places so i can see il be up wakerley a fair bit this winter.

may give woburn a go as my Dad lives in milton keynes so thats two birds with one stone

slainte 😀 rob

are they of woburn?

nope…wakerley

In the area it’s the best there is! It will take some work but it is getting there. Someone said to me that it was boring-well ride faster! it’s 20 mins down the road from me so worth the trip.

Just down the road from me too. Have tagged it on to our Sunday morning rides a few times. Our area is not blessed with great places and this is a bit of fun, seems to be quite a bit to explore too.

Being in Stamford I’ve ridden it a few times when out on my bike and knowing how bad those woods get in the winter I hate to think how bad they are going to be with the increased traffic. I hope they budgeted in for a lot of trail maintenance.
I also wonder why the trail builders didn’t take better advantage of the woods as they seem to have skirted around any bombholes or other land features that could have added to the trails

I don’t know of any jumps over there as I don’t know anyone else in the area who rides other than a couple of roadies! Been wanting to find some though, are they the secret “invite only” kind of jumps?

there are some massive “secret” jumps west of Kettering, much to big and scarey for me.

I would suggest a meet over there one weekend as seems there are a number of people local but I dont wanna come across as a trail stalker – lol

Was over there for the first time in a while this morning. They have now finished all the ‘surfaced’ sections and this has improved the trail (no more lumpy bumpy bits on the ‘back’ section anymore and the trail now just about has the one thing it was lacking – a swoopy downwards gradient section).

Also there are some new ‘skills loop’ sections open over on the Fineshades side to liven up the Green route (makes a nice little warm-up for Scartree).

Also noticed more ‘serious’ bikes today (including a quite cool looking white Orange5 and a nice LaPierre) than I’ve seen riding Scartree before – local word must be getting out.

slainte 😀 rob

rode it sunday morning, it’s quite fun, it’s the kind of trail that the more effort you put in the more fun it is. Some issues though, would rather have 2 climbs and come down the section with the switchbacks and Very conscious of the barbed wire fence running along side part of the trail when out of the saddle giving it the beans I don’t think thats very clever. Some more single track to by pass the middle fireroad section would be nice to.

Klunk – Member
Some more single track to by pass the middle fireroad section would be nice to.

Haven’t found anything that bypasses it completely (yet), but there are a couple of off-piste sections that can break it up a bit.

Agree with you about the lack of ‘big’ downhill sections and the fact you need to hammer it to get the most out.

slainte 😉 rob

There is a downhill section to miss out the fireroad bit. IIRC you turn rights before the start of the fireroad bit prior to marker 9(?)

I THINK I know where you mean – does it go down a widish grassy track at first?

slainte ❓ rob

Klunk – Member
I don’t know of any jumps over there as I don’t know anyone else in the area who rides other than a couple of roadies! Been wanting to find some though, are they the secret “invite only” kind of jumps?

there are some massive “secret” jumps west of Kettering, much to big and scarey for me.

Is there a 1/4 pipe in them woods? If so I know which you mean and they’re a bit too big for me also!!

those pesky council house kids can ride a bit 🙂

Was over at Scartree this morning. Seems to be continued trail building going in some areas to bypass some of the less interesting sections. Was (crudely) signed up but not sure how official it it all is.

slainte ➡ rob

found some trails that bypass some of the fireroad section. Post 8 go straight on as opposed to turning right… follow the airfield dispersal ramp concrete all the way to the end. nice flowing single track on the right.

Yeah – knew about that bit already if I read your directions right.

Doesn’t bypass anything but if you straight on at the bottom of the hill after 9 rather than swing right, then take the second obvious trail on the left you can add in a nice little extra loop of singletrack (which returns on the last part of the section you mentioned).

slainte 😀 rob

You can also turn left when you meet the fire-road instead of right (marker 7 IIRC) and then look out for a bridleway route to the right – slightly uphill, that takes you through to the nice singletrack you mention (turn right at the t-junction).

There’s some jumps there too if you know where to look, although that section is quite boggy so you may need to carry over one bit for a few feet.

Then you follow the orange marked walk, over a hill and back down to the end of the fire-road section (re-join at marker 12).

I’m starting to like Wakerley although I wish the trail didn’t go quite so close to the barbed wire fence!

Google Maps using gps tracking

Cool info EL – thanks for the GPS too. Will check that out next time I’m over there.

slainte 😀 rob

I’m starting to like Wakerley although I wish the trail didn’t go quite so close to the barbed wire fence!

it’s very unnerving especially in the wet 😆

rode it yesterday for the first time. nice to have some trails close to Stamford.

Not sure what it will be like after rain though, imagine it will hold water and be quite boggy in places.

It needs to take more advantage of the downhill(ish) sections. They could take advantage of the slight gradient alongside the barbed wire fence and cut some berms and jumps into that section.

I’d be keen to get involved with helping develop this trail – pushing wheelbarrows, digging etc. anyone know how I can do this? Imagine there’d be quite a few volunteers willing to make this trail as good as it can be.

Best bet for helping out is to contact the Forestry Commission office for Northamptonshire – northants@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

The FC build the trails and maintain the woods. Although the guys at Fineshade Cycling are quite ‘in the know’ and told me last time I was down there that there was now funding available for putting in singletrack to avoid the big forest road section.

I’ve just started my own mtb blog and twitter and as this is my local ride I’ll probably be updating it with trail conditions and what not.

http://muddygoose.wordpress.com/ – blog
http://twitter.com/muddygoose/ – twitter