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Has anyone ridden the newish mtb trail? It starts near the Knot towards West Park gate (Higher Poynton).
It's been under construction for a few years now, but a few weeks ago while riding up, we saw some signs.
Yep, it's probably been there a couple of years now. It starts with an uphill section, even though it already starts at the top end of the valley, with bits that are so steep they're barely rideable. The downhill bit is then steeper than it would otherwise need to be (because it has that extra height to lose), fairly narrow and exposed, and also pretty much die-straight, so when you get to the bottom you've picked up a fair bit of speed so the skinny bridge that's set at a jaunty dog-leg angle to the track comes as something of a surprise...
TL:DR - it's crap. It could have been a nice whizzy wiggly track through the trees, it isn't.
Agree with IHN. I've "ridden" it once.
TL:DR - it's crap. It could have been a nice whizzy wiggly track through the trees, it isn't.
You mean the National Trust have been given an opportunity to do something for cycling / mountain biking and utterly squandered it?
I'm astonished...
Closely followed by all the wails of "well we built this incredible trail for cyclists but they're still digging jumps in our woodland, we must ban all bikes immediately!" and "cyclists told us we should build a trail so at vast expense we built this and none of them are using it, we won't ever build anything for them ever again!"
You mean the National Trust have been given an opportunity to do something for cycling / mountain biking and utterly squandered it?
To be fair, I've chatted to some of the rangers at Lyme and they are keen to do 'something' to provide some MTB stuff there, and they do turn a blind eye to cheeky stuff if folks don't take the piss. It's just a shame they built the thing they did without, I assume, bringing in a group like PeakMTB to advise on what would work.
I'll tell you what is a nice whizzy wiggly path through the trees - the path that runs down the side of the main drive. Obviously, riding down it on a busy weekend is a bit of a Rule 1 contravention, but on a quiet midweek evening it's a fun little razz on a mountain or gravel bike.
You mean the National Trust have been given an opportunity to do something for cycling / mountain biking and utterly squandered it?
This goes way back to 2017 when consultation was initiated by Graham Clark, the NT Outdoor Activities Development Officer. Digging started in 2019 but stalled somewhat during Covid and also due to abuse (entering the park outside hours, digging in the woodlands, etc.). Finding a suitable location for any development at all was an issue. If I remember correctly there are huge parts of the estate where it is nigh on impossible to carry out any kind of development due to the NT statutory obligation protect the land (or something).
IIRC they're also hampered by the terms of the lease from Stockport Borough Council (who actually own the park). The lease renews every seven years, and the renewal agrees/states what they'll do in the next seven year period, so if they want to do something that's not agreed in the current lease they have to wait until the next renewal to get it agreed before they can do it.
There is a trail ? I tend to ride through from West gate to East Gate then down Green Lane. I note the descent to East Gate is starting to get eroded again after it was all 'sanitised' a few years back. Bit rougher on the gravel bike. I love the climb from West gate.
If you climb up from West gate to the gate at the entrance to the tarmac parking area, the immediately before the wall look left. The start of the trail is a few yards in and then heads back downhill towards West gate.
It's a funny one Lyme Park. Although there has been tolerated trails there since the 90's (Lantern Wood etc) and it's got some decent elevation. I'd class it as an old school XC ride with some fast hill bombs and somewhere to pass through. TBH it's a better place to walk around than ride because all the best DH bits have a lot of trudge in-between. The wooded areas are surrounded by high walls and fences, it never feels worth it to me and I really like the place, to mooch about!
IMO the best bits start from Bowstones at the top of the park. The quietest often deserted and furthest away from the official car parks. But getting up there on bike involves a demoralising road climb. The hill bomb off the top down to Knightslow Wood, I believe was used for races way back. There are some natural undulations in Knightslow (not an obvious trail) that work as pretty big jumps, then you can make your way over to Paddock Cottage and drop down to The Knott. There's a group of well known riders (on YT with a few ex pros) that use the route from time to time!
There's a decent looking bit of FP (reasonbly tech for round there) right on the far edge of the moor that leads into The Knot which looks like it would be steep and fun. But like much of what's at Lyme you have to trudge across rubbish bits to get to it and then it's over in the blink of an eye and you have to clamber across a brook/wall/style and uphill again! Slightly outside the park there's a fun bit over where they run the Brinks Enduro but again you have to be heading in that direction to make it worth it. It works better as a point to point ride where you pick a route to pass through the park rather than trying to string all the disparate/disjointed bits together!
The new trail was decent I thought, rode it a couple of times on night rides. Try it and see.
Manc friends have told me about racing xc in Lyme park way back in the day (also CX racing in Woodbank park) - difficult to picture nowadays for those venues.
IMO the best bits start from Bowstones at the top of the park. The quietest often deserted and furthest away from the official car parks. But getting up there on bike involves a demoralising road climb.
Make sure you wave on the way past 🙂 I don't mind the road climb up to Bowstones (I basically live at the foot of it). It's got cracking views, it's generally quiet, and the steep bit is not actually that long.
I don't bother going in at Bowstones though, I keep going to Dale Top, where there's a nice little singletracky-type descent, then across the old mine workings and the mildly techy drop down to Bakestonedale. Then the grassy climb back up (which is a drag, but think if the fitness gainz) and some ace fun hooning down Sugar Lane, which is like being on a two-wheeled toboggan.
It works better as a point to point ride where you pick a route to pass through the park rather than trying to string all the disparate/disjointed bits together!
Oh aye, it's definitely not a destination, like you say you just pick the most interesting way of going through. Even if you stick to the estate roads though, it's hardly unpleasant - you have to have a bit of a cold soul to complain about riding through an attractive deer park, past a beautiful old house, with expansive views all the way to Winter Hill on the other side of Manchester.
I always thought that Lyme and Tatton would both make amazing venues for a road circuit (like Richmond Park).
I note the descent to East Gate is starting to get eroded again after it was all 'sanitised' a few years back. Bit rougher on the gravel bike.
The knackered bridge at the bottom is now officially knackered. As of earlier this week it's been closed, you have to use the wooden steps and bridge now (and if you look at the underside of the brick bridge whilst doing so, you can understand how truly f___d it is).
As of earlier this week it's been closed,
Bugger. It was closed for ages then re-opened. It's a b****** getting the tandem through the replacement bridge so it looks like that loop is off the list for a while then 🙁
I always thought that Lyme and Tatton would both make amazing venues for a road circuit (like Richmond Park).
Except there isn't a circuit of roads in Lyme, they all radiate out from the hall. Agree about Tatton though
so it looks like that loop is off the list for a while then
It was just taped off, but someone pulled the tape off (to ride their horses over, cos about a tonne of horses is exactly what that bridge needs...) but I bet it will be fenced off soon.
Make sure you wave on the way past
I don't mind the road climb up to Bowstones (I basically live at the foot of it)
Is that swan boat on the pond yours? It's alright you don't have to answer!
You don't mind that climb, you sick pervert 😉
It's got cracking views, it's generally quiet
Shhhh yes it's a good little spot for a walk and quiet virtually all year round. You get to look down on the lowly tourist peasants, NT members and the like, who schlep from the car parks up to the cage at most but are allergic to the higher grounds furthest away from the car parks 🙂
Except there isn't a circuit of roads in Lyme, they all radiate out from the hall. Agree about Tatton though
Sorry, I should have been clearer, I meant they'd both be great parks to build a new road circuit.
It was just taped off, but someone pulled the tape off (to ride their horses over, cos about a tonne of horses is exactly what that bridge needs...) but I bet it will be fenced off soon.
That bridge has been on the edge of falling to bits for years. It occasionally gets taped off then people will push through it and it gets used again before being taped off once again. I've not been up there recently to see it - I think I last rode across there about 2-3 months ago - but according to someone who posted some pics of it on social media, it's worse than ever.
The problem is that the bridge is not actually on Lyme Park land so it's not NT responsibility and I reckon trying to force a landowner to do anything will be one of those things that could drag on for years.
Is that swan boat on the pond yours? It's alright you don't have to answer!
Hah, no, although outdoor swimming loving Mrs IHN is very jealous of their pond.
according to someone who posted some pics of it on social media, it's worse than ever.
The problem is that the bridge is not actually on Lyme Park land so it's not NT responsibility and I reckon trying to force a landowner to do anything will be one of those things that could drag on for years.
It's absolutely shafted. I've been pretty blasé about riding and walking over it the four years we've been here, but won't anymore (mainly since the latest sign went up, which prompted me to use the wooden bridge and have a look at how bad it actually is, and it doesn't take a civil engineer to see that it's completely borked)
It won't get fixed. It's a footpath, so all that's need is a footbridge and whilst the existing one also needs some TLC, there's a voluntary group in Disley that maintains the local footpaths, stiles etc, so I wouldn't be surprised if they set to work.
Manc friends have told me about racing xc in Lyme park way back in the day (also CX racing in Woodbank park) - difficult to picture nowadays for those venues.
im afraid I’m old enough to be able to say I rode CX at Woodbank (& the summer evening crits)
the cx course had an impossible (when muddy) climb that I remember being absolutely horrible - literally a hands and knees crawl 😬
So, was anyone off here one of the fellas on gravel bikes I definitely didn't see riding through Lantern Wood first thing this morning, eh, nudge-nudge wink-wink... 😉
Ah yes I remember a friend who participated in the mtb races around the Bowstones (moorland edges) of Lyme park and down toward the hall. This was late 1980's and early 1990's.
At least we're now allowed to ride up to the 'cage' (not sure but I think it's after 5.30pm ish).
Look out for the young Hobby plus parent. It has quite a loud call. We saw them last night on the way down the drive making our way back out to Red lane. Lots of wildlife around if you are patient and go during a quieter time.
At least we're now allowed to ride up to the 'cage' (not sure but I think it's after 5.30pm ish).
...or whenever you like. Folks, including me, ride up there all the time.
Slight thread resurrection - the track to East Lodge that goes via the knackered bridge (Bollinhurst Bridge) is now closed completely. It's fully barriered off at the red lines*, you'll need to go via the highlighted route (which is cheekily rideable)
*The barrier at the eastern end is where I've marked, I'm assuming they've barriered it at the western end where I've marked it.
Looks like it will be shut for some time reading the Council's closure notice.
Thanks for the heads up. I got notice of this from Cheshire council only today. Will be interesting to see what the diversion is like to ride.
Will be interesting to see what the diversion is like to ride.
It's not very tandem friendly I'm afraid, there's a couple of kissing gates at the southern end and a big deer gate near Drake Carr cottage
A little update about the ongoing Knackered Bridge Palaver. There's an ongoing cycle of the path being fenced off at each end as above, people moving the fences out of the way, and repeat... FWIW I've not used the path since it was shut.
On this morning's go walk I noticed that this sign
has appeared here:
I don't know what prompted it. I've not seen any increase in the number of cyclists using the path (in fact, as ever, I've not seen any cyclists using the path). The guy who has the 'pasture land grazed by sheep' only appears about once a week as he lives somewhere near Glossop and just rents the fields so I doubt he's noticed anything. I doubt it's the fella who owns the field between the sign and the stream, which has some horses on, as he's the type, if he was bothered (which I'm sure he's not), that would stick a sign up himself rather than complain to the council.
I also don't get why the fact that path runs through land grazed by sheep is called out. Do they think sheep are scared of bikes? (Answer: they're not)
Anyway, there you go. Ride it, don't ride it, it's fine, the sheep and horses don't care. In fact, the horses may well come and say hello.