I’m going to have a morning free near Thetford on Friday, so thought I’d put a bike in the van and have a ride. Never ridden there, but I know there are a few marked trails, are they worth riding? Or would I be better off going off piste? I’ll probably have 3-4 hours to ride, so any tips welcomed!

Ian

The blues on High Lodge side (the waymarked trails) have been improved a lot recently so they’re worth a ride if you’re there, there’s a lot of off-piste on the Brandon side but unless you have a guide you’ll most likely not find any of the good stuff.

3-4 hours you could do the red and blue (really green and blue) trails on HL side twice in 2 hours.
There is a marked family trail on the Brandon side, if you ride this and keep an eye out you’ll find much of the off piste stuff but it’s likely to be stop start if you don’t know you’re way around.
The trails are much more fun if you ride flat out all of the time, if you pootle around waiting for the downhills fun bits you’ll be disappointed as it’s mostly flat.

Bit of everything:

https://www.strava.com/activities/77196552

As above. A lot of the good off-piste from several years back is part of the Lime Burner trail on the High Lodge side. On the Brandon side there’s loads, but a guide is a good idea to help link it together. There has been a lot of work on it recently by TIMBER and for a no-brain-follow-signs trail it’s good fun (if somewhat flat); taken fast it’ll give your skills and fitness a workout.

Parking is markedly cheaper at Brandon Country Park, and it still has good facilities. It’s an easy ride from BCP to High Lodge (where marked trails start from).

I ride a rigid 29er singlespeed when I go there (my folks live nearby and I grew up in East Anglia). A 120mm susser with big wheels would be my chosen steed if I had the option.

FYI, you might see some big holes. They are bomb pits from the war, and actually quite fun, noawadays on a bike that is 🙂

As above hit it fast and it’s fun, off piste there is a lot but it can be really hidden away High Lodge side, easier to find on Brandon side.

Thanks all. so, 130mm B+ hardtail or 29″ 100mm full sus XC bike – sounds like the later may be encourage a bit more speed on the flat stuff to me.

I would park at Brandon (it’s cheaper) and then head over to the waymarked trails that start nr High Lodge.

I did this screenshot for someone who was asking a while back.

Basically go back out of the Brandon car park & cross the road. There’s a fairly subtle trail turning  to the right within the first 30-50m. Take this and you’re basically on the squiggly line that follows the B1106.

Follow the red line and you’ll end up at the start of the two waymarked trails.

One of them has a short & long loop. Basically the long loop will add a bit onto the middle of the route & eventually you’ll end up back at the short/long loop split, so then taking the short loop will carry you on to the end of that trail.

You’ll have plenty of time to do both of the trails.

(fingers crossed this pic link posts OK)

[url=https://flic.kr/p/WbBn4H]Brandon car park to trails.[/url] by STW stumpy01, on Flickr

I’d park at Brandon then follow the map above to the orange line then follow the marked trails to High Lodge (the cafe/visitors centre). From there take the Beater Trail then follow up with the Lime Burner trail to bring you back to the start of the orange line on the map. You can then either retrace your route back to Brandon car park or cross the road where it says “bottom of beast” on the map and take the first trail on the right up through the trees to get back to the car park.

There are still a lot of fallen trees (from Storm Georgina) on the wild trails that have not yet been cleared (especially on BCP side) but all the marked trails have had fallers removed.

They are bomb pits from the war,

Unfortunately not, they are as a result of digging to provide material for the access tracks (from a forestry worker some years back). You’ll need to turn right at the marker for the beast to find one of them and there’s another towards the end of Limeburner on the right as you turn onto a forestry road. Finally there’s enclose to the start of Limeburner that the trail runs through. Watch for sand at the bottom of it. There’s a couple of other pits but I only find them by trial and error nowadays.

It was the worst trail I’ve ridden. So flat. The bomb holes are nothing special. Sorry.

I’m spoilt living on the welsh border.

btw, where it says ‘Thetford trail roadside parking’……. you really don’t want to park there! it should be down at the bottom of the Beast.