Forestry England upgrades Forest of Dean bike trails

Cannop Cycle Centre in the Forest of Dean has reopened its Verderers trail and advanced skills area after a significant upgrade.

Forestry England Forest of Dean has invested £80,000 to complete the upgrade, which includes a full rebuild of the final descent on both trails. The work has been partially funded by income from Forestry England memberships and car parking fees.

With around 65,000 bikers using the Verderers Trail in 2019 and that number predicted to rise in 2020, Forestry England hopes that the maintenance work will futureproof the trail.

Forestry England Forest of Dean cycle ranger, Kate Thoday, said: ‘We are really pleased to be able to reopen these trails and see riders enjoy the results of many months of hard work. We are fortunate that we have been able to carry out this maintenance despite the challenges we have all faced this year.

‘These upgrades will boost our already impressive cycling offer here in the Forest of Dean. We have seen record numbers of visitors to Cannop Cycle Centre this summer and it is great to see so many people enjoying the trails and discovering what the forest has to offer.’

For more information, visit forestryengland.uk. Also see 11 places to get on your bike in Gloucestershire

Follow SoGlos on Facebook and sign-up to the weekly SoGlos lifestyle newsletter for the very latest Gloucestershire news stories.

© SoGlos
Monday 28 September 2020