Hot, open and waiting for your sweaty biking action!
If you’re nowhere near the slaughter and damnation that is the Yorkshire Dales, the trail opening scene is looking a whole lot rosier for Whitsun.
Peak District

Most significant re-openings are in the Peak District, where to their credit they’ve been working hard as possible to get every possible trail open that they can. Trails through farmyards or pig grazing are still out as are hot spots in two corners of the park, but otherwise it’s looking good.
Check out the Peak park website for full details
More good news from around the country comes courtsey of everyone who’s been sending information in. Thanks a lot and keep it coming.

 
Crychan, Tywi Irfon Forest

Just to let you know, the Crychan, Tywi Irfon Forest and other upland areas around Llanwrtyd Wells have been re-opened since early this week. The proviso is that any tracks crossing farmland are still out-of-bounds, which means that a few of the longer distance routes in this excellent MTB area may be tricky. Nonetheless, its another area that has been opened up, so we should be grateful!
Llanwrtyd Wells

Gordon Green, proprietor of the Neuadd Arms and MTB supremo of Llanwrtyd has all the details and can be contacted on 01591 610236.

Best regards, John Gartside

 
Please find attached JPEG maps of Forestry Commission land around Llanwrtyd Wells re-opened to the public There is now plenty of great mountain biking available!!

Cheers, Clive and Diane, Stonecroft Inn.

Red closed, green open based on OS sheets 147 + 160

 
Milton Keynes area

All of Woburn Woods and limited areas of Stockgrove country park are open. This includes the jump near Woburn Sand (for the air bandits). Unfortunately some linking bridle ways and parts of the canal are still closed.
Andrew

 
Woodbury Common

Woodbury Common (nr Exeter) has had it’s blanket ban lifted, that means that the area
from the Four Furs carpark and East towards Yettington and up to the Quarry
is now open. However the rest of the Common is still closed. Having
spoken to one of the Clinton Estates wardens he told me the area is being
watched closely to ensure that only the open area’s are used. Anyone found
outside of these area’s will ruin it not just for everyone not just the bikers…………..
There are signs and maps around the carpark and on the trails to clearly show what is inbounds.

 
Ridgeway

According to Wilts County Council, the parts of the Ridgeway running through Wiltshire will be open this Saturday (26/5) Time to dust off the mountain bike….
Cheers Richard

A little puzzled to read on your site that the South Downs Way is still closed in West Sussex. West Sussex is now (according to its website) completely open unless you see red sign with white writing stating the path is closed. During a 20 mile ride at the weekend around the Hants/Sussex border (including a section of the SDW) I found only one No Entry sign which (I have now found out) was one of the old red on white signs, so no longer valid. Everywhere else was open.
Martin Harrison

And the situation looks set to get better as the MAFF finally realise that bikes have a “very low” chance of spreading the disease. To qoute the ministry “Bicycle tyres would have to have picked up infected material, carried it for some distance, deposited it, and a susceptible animal picked up an infectious dose. The likelihood of this happening outside three kilometre protection zones is very low.”
The new report continues “controls on the use of rights of way should only be imposed on agricultural premises and agricultural land within three km of infected premises”. Maff has also simplified its guidance to local authorities which should, “enable rapid reopening of all closed paths, or access land except those within, crossing or leading to three km protection zones.
Further details are on the MAFF site. Now all we have to do isstart lobbying the local councils to get them moving as fast as possible. Just remember, polite, well argued but firm and persistnet gets better results than shouting and mudslinging. Never be afraid to offer to get out there and help, either as it puts a spoke in their ‘understaffed arguments’ and may be the start of a beautiful rights of way friendship.