Trail Closures

As most Mountain Bikers are aware, Hurtwood Control Trust and the land owners Shere Manor Estate are highly supportive of mountain biking on The Hurtwood. We have recently spent a considereable amount of time and money formulating an MTB strategy to enable mountain biking to continue safely on The Hurtwood. One of the key issues was that we would not allow any further building of unsanctioned trails. As a consequence we have had to close two such trails and put them beyond use. We already have a large network of trails, most of which need to have time spent maintaing them to bring them up to a sustainable standard, this is our first priority, and not creating any more unsustainable trails.

News

MTB Strategy

Mountain Biking (MTB) is now a very popular activity on The Hurtwood. During 2007 the Trust undertook a significant amount of work to better understand its impact on the environment of The Hurtwood and especially, other users.
We undertook a survey to find out more about the way bikers use The Hurtwood. The result of the survey can be found here. We also held a bikers Forum; you can download the pdf file of the proceedings here and an analysis of the feedback from the attendees is available here. Finally, there is a Biker’s Forum here where all the topics being discussed by bikers will be found.
We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in this process. As a result we have been able to develop what the Trust believes is a practical and implementable strategy for mountain biking on The Hurtwood that can be supported by the quite limited resources available to our Charity.
Central to our strategy is the wish of the Landowners to keep The Hurtwood open for ‘air and exercise’ for any permitted use and this includes biking. A strong desire has also been expressed by everyone we have consulted that The Hurtwood should be maintained as a place for explorers but that wildlife, ancient monuments, the natural landscape and the environment must be properly protected. There are now many diverse uses of The Hurtwood for ‘air and exercise’ so our strategy has also to take account of the need to reduce the potential for conflict and danger. It remains a fact that the ultimate sanction – to close access to The Hurtwood – will always remain although it is not an option that anyone can envisage a need ever to pursue as long as responsible use continues.
Our strategy therefore allows the bikers continued use of legacy trails on The Hurtwood but we will not permit anyone to develop new trails. Our Ranger is empowered to put beyond use any new trails that are discovered.
The legacy trail network is already heavily used and is now at some points arguably in need of attention. Continued use can only lead to further degradation. The Trust will not be able to allocate money or resource for renovation work for the foreseeable future so we must avoid any action that could lead to an increase in the level of biking on The Hurtwood, especially at weekends.

We believe already over 70 bikers have joined as Friends as our strategy has been developing. This is only a small proportion of the total number we know enjoy The Hurtwood. An important part of our strategy therefore is our decision to encourage more bikers to become Friends of The Hurtwood. Our intent is that in so doing bikers should become even more aware of the very special nature of the area in which they ride and thus begin to share in the ownership of our strategy to keep the Hurtwood open for them.
There are a small number of priority areas where we must take action, for example to get bikers off The Hill Fort, a Scheduled Monument, on Holmbury Hill and, to reduce danger resulting from the potential for conflict with other users. Such priority areas will be identified and reviewed annually for inclusion in our Management Plan as resources, especially volunteers, become available.
Our management plan for 2008 includes the provision of a diversion to remove bikers from the Hill Fort, a designated ancient monument at the top of Holmbury Hill. When complete, the old trail which passes directly over the north-west corner of the Fort will be put beyond use.
The 2008 plan also includes the re-routing of the lower end of a legacy trial on Holmbury Hill at its exit onto Ewhurst Rd just south of Peaslake. The hillside has become badly scarred because the original fall line is too steep – the provision of switchbacks will both lengthen the trail to increase interest and at the same time reduce the speed of bikers as they exit onto Ewhurst Rd.
The inclusion of these actions in the 2008 management plan has only been made possible by the enthusiasm of a small group of biker Friends who have volunteered to help us. Their hard commitment is much appreciated. With the added assistance of the CTC, we will be organising workshops designed to impart the necessary skills to this initial group and then to other volunteers, so that we can successfully complete our plans during the course of 2008.
More news will appear here as our strategy is implemented. Meanwhile any bikers interested in volunteering opportunities should email mtb@hurtwoodcontrol.co.uk with their details.

Plan Your Route

In order for you to get the best out of riding on the Hurtwood, we have provided an online detailed map of the area. You can view this here. This is a service available only to Friends of the Hurtwood. It costs just £25 a year to join. And you get instant access to the Mountain Biking Forum here.

If you would like to join as a Friend of the Hurtwood, please donate.
If you have already made a donation and would like to register for access to the forum, map and downloads (including a map showing all the trails) - then please register here.

To get a preview of what to expect while on the Hurtwood, a virtual flight is available, courtesy of Google Earth, which takes you over all the car parks and major points of interest. This can be downloaded, for free here.

Biker's Code of Conduct

As more and more riders discover the Hurtwood is a great place to ride, the Hurtwood Control Committee has developed a Code of Conduct, which we ask you to follow. Below is a short list of advice that ensures you, and the others around you, have a great time taking in the 'air & exercise':

• Only cycle at speeds safe for the trail ahead. You don’t know what is around the next corner. Please be aware that dogs are allowed to exercise freely, without leads, on The Hurtwood.
• Make sure your presence is known, by calling out a greeting if approaching walkers from the rear.
• Always give way to horse riders and walkers.
• Do not cycle in groups of more than 6.
• Be respectful and courteous to other users.
• Choose your route carefully, especially when the ground is wet, to minimise erosion.
• Avoid harsh braking and skidding, thus reducing trail damage.
• Riders must not create new trails, please use the existing network.
• Make sure your bike is safe to ride and be prepared for emergencies.
• Wear a helmet and use protective clothing.
• In an emergency call 999