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I was over at the downhill trails at Hindhead (Devil's Punch Bowl) last night. There is some major forestry work going on, which seems contained to the downhill trails.
I'm fighting a strong urge to jump to a conclusion that this is targetted at disrupting some unofficial fun, but of course it could just be good forest housekeeping.
I won't complain if the former is the case, it's their land, they can do what they like, but it does make me sad.
Anyone know any more?
Not been there for some time, but good to know as was thinking of heading over. Basically just Gibbet Hill area, or wider than that?
My concern with forestry work going on in a lot of areas around Surrey is as I understand (or someone explained to me) there's a push to create or restore heathland by encouraging felling and leaving mass debris for heath growth. Rather than just simple thinning.
This results in trails lost for both cyclists and walkers, and then protection as ground nesting birds etc move in, with potential banning of recreational use. Not to mention a loss of woodland in what is or was the most tree dense county in England. It's Leafy Surrey, not Desolate Heathland Surrey.
Fwiw lowland heath is a very rare habitat and we've lost about 80% of the area we had in the uk. Restoring some of it is an environmentally sound idea, but agree that this needs to be balanced against the use of the land. With consultation and agreement there's no reason why all paths/trails should be lost. Just needs people to respect the closure of some, rather than adopting the usual blinkers and riding closed trails anyway.
Big boy stuff NNE of Gibbet Hill. This area isn't used by walkers at all, and too difficult to get to by the off-piste Motos, so was ideal. I saw lots of sticks on the trails that are nearer the walker areas so looks like they are getting annoyed with the mixed use. I normally avoid those areas but was pushed over that way by the forestry work.
It is greensand so in line with above about restoring to heathland and I imagine would be likely for a ban on recreational use as there are very few paths.
The Motos have been much more active off the BOAT in that area too, churning up some of the downhill trails. Can't really complain as it's all unofficial, but I wonder how long it will be until there is some clamp down on this also. They are a bit more noisy than the occasional squeeling disc brake.
Maybe they're following up on Greg Minaar's suggestion...
Nice one DezB, just watched that GMBN interview. If they are going to use hindhead they better be bringing in some rocks and a mothering big jack to increase the height.
Last Fort Bill.... they would be crazy.
If it's FC land look here http://data-forestry.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/national-forest-estate-subcompartments-england?geometry=-0.74%2C51.116%2C-0.688%2C51.125
No idea where your trails are but there's some pretty old plantation forest there which could be due felling. People who grow trees for timber aren't going to cut them down early just to stop bikers making trails.