Forestry England hopes that more mountain biking events will come to the area after the upgrades, with former DH World Champ Manon Carpenter and Adam Brayton at the opening last week
A new red trail and upgraded black trails have opened at Kielder Forest, built by Forestry England the intention is eventually to make the UK’s largest forest a proper mountain bike destination. The newly developed trails are on Deadwater Fell, featuring an entirely new 650-metre red trail and 565 metres of upgraded black graded trails.
Located above Kielder village, the routes offer panoramic views throughout Kielder Forest and the Scottish Borders. Perhaps not the most well-known area for mountain biking, Forestry England hopes that the development to the trails will encourage more people to visit the area and for events to consider taking place there, too.
How far down? A Mile Down
The red route, called Mile Down (as eventually it will be that long) offers berms and fast-flowing tracks, while the black trails feature drops and rock gardens for riders to tackle. To prove they’re not just gravel roads, former DH World Champ Manon Carpenter and Adam Brayton were at the opening last week. You can watch Adam’s video on the new trails above.
The new and upgraded trails are the work of a collaboration between Forestry England, Northern Downhill and were constructed by Architrail Velosolutions. The revamp of the trails complements the recent refurbishment of the Kielder Forest Bike Centre, which offers bike hire and maintenance options.
“One of the UK’s premier mountain biking destinations”
While we probably wouldn’t go as far as to say Kielder Forest is well-known for its mountain biking, (more for our drop bar gravelly friends), the investment in the local trails does signify a move towards this.
The Mile Down track isn’t the only new red trail to be opened this year – back in January, the old Lonesome Pine trail (also a red) was reopened after upgrades and work was done following damage that was caused by Storm Arwen a few years ago.
The new trail has black and double black diamond options en route to keep things spicy
Alex MacLennan, Recreation and Public Affairs Manager (Northumberland) at Forestry England, said:
“These trail developments represent a significant investment in Kielder’s cycling infrastructure and form a key part of delivering Forestry England’s national cycling strategy. By offering progressively challenging trails, we’re creating opportunities for riders to develop their skills while experiencing the incredible natural beauty of Kielder Forest.
When fully built, the Mile Down red trail will funnily enough be about a mile long
“The sensation of emerging from dense woodland onto ridgelines with epic 360-degree views creates a truly unforgettable mountain biking adventure that we hope will keep cyclists coming back time and again. These additions cement Kielder’s position as one of the UK’s premier mountain biking destinations.”
The lower section of Mile Down is open to the public now, with the top section (which will make the route a mile long) expected to open in the coming months. The refurbed black trails will soon include a top section of the Northern Downhill Descent trail which is named after the team that helped bring it to life. With more investment and upgrades expected this year, will it convince you to head up to the wild north-east with your mountain bike? Or does the forest still have years to go before really cementing its place as a MTB destination?