The last 12km section, linking Kielder Water & Forest Park with Scotland and the 7Stanes bike centre at Newcastleton, has been completed, just in time for the first ever Montane Kielder 100 mile endurance race on Saturday, a story we reported last week.

If that wasn’t enough, the 62,000 hectare park will also unveil a new trials area on Sunday, including a rock garden, big ‘orange’ rated jumps and a two metre high elevated timber trail.

Located at Kielder Castle Visitor Centre, the developments are part of a £900,000 investment in off-road facilities in Kielder Water & Forest Park. Recent additions to the park include a new bike hire centre opened earlier this year.

Elisabeth Rowark, Kielder Partnership director, said: “A new blue trail will also open soon – the longest of its kind in England – designed for casual and family riders. It will give Kielder Water & Forest Park a full suite of trails, giving bikers of all abilities a great chance to explore this tremendous and historic landscape.”

Alex MacLennan, recreation and tourism manager with the Forestry Commission, said of the trials area: “This kind of riding has a strong following in the region, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. Our ambition is to create one of Britain’s best off road bike centres in Kielder Water & Forest Park, offering something for all ability levels, including those with a taste for the more extreme end of the sport.”

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