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I don't care what you think - I love our brilliant network of purpose built trail centres across Britain. Its a huge part of what makes MTB in the UK, MTB in the UK.
Many of these in England are on Forestry England (Forestry Commision, it used to known?) sites. Its been discussed here and other MTB forums/groups - its a shame that membership has been so disjointed previously, with each site working independently.
I regularly use Sherwood, Dalby, Hamsterley and semi regularly Grizedale, Whinlatter,Gisburn, amongst others, and happily pay the relevant fees but couldnt justify being an inividual member at one, or more, when I use so many of them regularly.
I've just had the follwoing email from them:
We’re excited to say we are currently working on a new Forestry England National Membership scheme to be launched in 2023. The final offer is still being concluded, and if you’re not already a member of one of our forests, make sure to subscribe to our mailing list to hear about our news, events, and activities. We look forward to being able to share more information about National Membership soon as it definitely sounds like you’d make good use of it with your bike.
This is really good news, in my opinion. Im sure there are many other riders out there who could ake good use of this.
Hope this helps someone and maybe, just maybe if a bunch of MTB'ers sign up (Surely they will capture that data at purchase stage) it shows them how much we value our access.
Finally! I wonder how they will price it though - I always thought a national option wasn't offered due to the huge price differences between some of the local memberships
Be good to see what comes of this - Bedgebury now is £72pa (or £14/day), it's fun to take the kids to even if they're doing their best to ruin the MTBing. Something in that ballpark that gives access (or heavy discounts) elsewhere might be worth paying for.
As a regular user of an FC site and occasional user of other sites, I can see how it would improve the appeal towards buying the membership. It is very expensive to pay for a single location.
About time they have a more joint up and consolidated approach which in turn may help the overall interests for MTB community (says optimistic me!)
I once was given free access to Dalby (pre electronic) by the lad on the gate because I had a sherwood pines pass in the window. I was willing to pay and had the cash in my hand but he said it looks like a Dalby one from here. I did have the bike on the roof and he was wearing casual MTB gear, so that probably helped. I did think at the time a discounted rate would be a good idea and easy to implement with new electronic payments.
Excellent news, when it happens...
I recall paying £15 for membership at CyB, Gwydr and somewhere else, maybe NyA?
That was 2005 ish.
Wonder how much they will change for England.
I’m a member at the FOD. It’s £40 for half a dozen car parks. It would be nice if for a similar price it would be a national pass.
Excellent find snotrsg thank you, it makes so much sense this! We too hit Sherwood, Dalby, Hamsterley and more and have always thought they could do with doing a UK pass!
Especially with having little un shortly ready for trailer rides it’s going to be great getting back out there!
With that in mind, anyone selling a Burley thru axle? Wow they’re not cheap 😂
Not had anything from the FOD branch (geddit) about this yet. Be interesting if it happens. I might so somewhere else for a change.
FoD is one of the cheaper passes; Cannock is £60 for fewer (and inferior) trails with a massively increased chance of getting ripped off by a Ned.
I can't see a national pass being particularly cheap.
Rushmere - 10k blue grade xc loop and a small DH area is £88 for an annual pass
Parking is not included- 4 quid a day on top
Greensands trust also charge for Woburn trails an additional 88 for the year, with 15 k of trails and a jump area
Daft thing is that AFAIK all the trail work is done by volunteers
Feels like robbery compared to any other trail centre!
Would love it if FE took over
Daft thing is that AFAIK all the trail work is done by volunteers
That's not at all uncommon but if they didn't "make money" on it they wouldn't let the volunteers build, and they wouldn't let you ride there.
They also - so far as I know - provide materials and the heavy plant neither of which is cheap.
Don't get me wrong I'd rather it was spent on trails but just because the money isn't going directly to that doesn't mean that it's not paying for it.
What does the payment allow? Recreational access to the forestry estate is already allowed for free, so what does the permit cover/allow?
What does the payment allow?
Parking, which otherwise costs a bloody fortune if paid daily.
Makes me wonder what kimbers is paying for though.
Ah ok, so it is just a parking permit - that does make sense as it can be very pricey if visiting even weekly.
My current permit (Wyre Forest) also gives some decent discounts at the site cafe, Cotswold Outdoor, Forest Holidays, etc.
I like the thought of a national permit though, having been rinsed at both Cannock and FoD last weekend!
What's Fod now?
Was I think £7 a pop last time I went to the TC.
The concept sounds good, but i'd bet it will be in the same ballpark cost wise as NT membership based on some of the examples above.
We pay £30 for membership at Haldon, and with the next nearest trail centre being FOD i think we'll definitely be in the lose pot if they go ahead with the scheme.
Absolutely - I'm expecting it to be well into three figures. I'm fine with this - its worth it. I'll still be saving money.
Individual NT membership is £79 I think, so I'd have thought they would peg it similarly to that seeing as the NT must be the only other comparable owner of countryside car parks?
Parking, which otherwise costs a bloody fortune if paid daily.
Makes me wonder what kimbers is paying for though.
its a riding permit
both Rushmere & Woburn are owned/ managed by the Greensands trust, but I think teh Duke of Bedford actually owns the Woburn bits, not sure about Rushmere
parking is free at woburn & at the back woods, it would be unfair on the doggers & teen skunk smokers to charge tbf
https://www.greensandtrust.org/Pages/Events/Category/park-pass
though the better riding which is all semi-unnoffical is in the woburn backwoods and is owned by the Duke of Bedford & has no fees, bit his dukeness occasionally clamps down on riding there
a full loop would require a pass for woburn, possibly breaking the law to ride backwoods, then a bit of bridleway then another pass for rushmere
£20 plus £4 parking if you park at Rushmere
Individual NT membership is £79 I think, so I’d have thought they would peg it similarly to that
I suspect if they benchmark it will be a family membership they look at not individual (because obviously no one drives a whacking great van to a TC without picking solo...)
seeing as the NT must be the only other comparable owner of countryside car parks?
I think half the issue here is that FE doesn't own the woods it manages so far as I know, it leases them from various land owners, hence the huge variety of charges and existing lack of transferability between forests.
I could of course be completely wrong but I always understood it to be another way of funneling tax income to wealthy private individuals.
What does the payment allow? Recreational access to the forestry estate is already allowed for free, so what does the permit cover/allow?
Also, hmmmm, but I don't think that's entirely true. Recreational use on foot, yes. Bike, horse, swimming etc my understanding is its not.
*Nearly all forests managed by Forestry England are dedicated forever for open access on foot. Walking in groups away from paths, for open air recreation, does not require a permit providing that the activity is not commercial and complies with national, and any local, restrictions under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
My bold, from here.
£94, Thetford annual parking pass £70. Probably worth it for me as I'd probably park at Cannock and whinlatter at least once a year on top of Thetford once a month or more with the kids.