Wakerley Woods - Northamptonshire
There are a fantastic array of riding spots in the UK. From North to South, you're usually never far from a hill to ride down. However, if you happen to live in the Midlands there is a lack of quick access to any decent purpose built trail or natural terrain on a decent gradient. Usually you need at least an hour in the car before you can get your tyres dirty. Yet, tucked away in the not so deep valleys of Northamptonshire is the 'Scar Tree Trail' in Wakerley woods, just off the A47.
![Wakerley Woods]()
January Blues
![Wakerley Woods]()
Redeveloped last year from an old red route that suffered during the wetter months, the new surfaced blue (intermediate difficulty) trail runs well throughout the year. Although not massively lengthy (just over 3.5km), finding any kind of MTB specific singletrack like this in the East Midlands is a rarity. 'Flow' is the central theme at Wakerley, with a plentiful supply of berms and rollers to keep you entertained along the tight wooded singletrack.
![Wakerley Woods]()
Purpose built and free of traffic
![Wakerley Woods]()
Plenty of berms to keep you entertained
Although there there is only a gentle gradient, the uphill switchbacks get the blood flowing, and you are rewarded with tight turns and berms fun enough to leave even more experienced riders with a grin on their face! If you keep an eye out, you can also find the remnants of the old red trail to be found if you look hard enough to provide that extra spice to keep things interesting.
![Wakerley Woods]()
![Wakerley Woods]()
'Off-piste' tech is there if you look hard enough
If you are based in the East Midlands and don't want to spend long in the car, Wakerley is a great option for a blast. Although there aren't many facilities there (other than toilets), you can also find Fineshade woods just across the road, another outdoor centre complete with bike shop and visitors centre. It has a few short blue sections of trail around a fireroad loop, but is much easier so a good option if you find Wakerley too much.
For more info head over to Forestry Commission Website or check out trailforks!
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Redeveloped last year from an old red route that suffered during the wetter months, the new surfaced blue (intermediate difficulty) trail runs well throughout the year. Although not massively lengthy (just over 3.5km), finding any kind of MTB specific singletrack like this in the East Midlands is a rarity. 'Flow' is the central theme at Wakerley, with a plentiful supply of berms and rollers to keep you entertained along the tight wooded singletrack.
Although there there is only a gentle gradient, the uphill switchbacks get the blood flowing, and you are rewarded with tight turns and berms fun enough to leave even more experienced riders with a grin on their face! If you keep an eye out, you can also find the remnants of the old red trail to be found if you look hard enough to provide that extra spice to keep things interesting.
If you are based in the East Midlands and don't want to spend long in the car, Wakerley is a great option for a blast. Although there aren't many facilities there (other than toilets), you can also find Fineshade woods just across the road, another outdoor centre complete with bike shop and visitors centre. It has a few short blue sections of trail around a fireroad loop, but is much easier so a good option if you find Wakerley too much.
For more info head over to Forestry Commission Website or check out trailforks!
Ski, Snowboard & Mountain Bike Instructor Courses & Camps
www.peakleaders.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1337 860 079
Join us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter @PeakLeaders
MENTIONS: @peakleaders
Trailforks.com
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Go there on a weekend and the car park is packed with riders, yet the trail has been reduced down to a 3.5km rolling blue (no offence gandalfsdad)
I wouldn't describe any of it as off-piste tech, even the trail pixie sections or the off piste over the road at Fineshade.
Don't go expecting great things, when its dry (or frozen) its quick, the berms are fun, but its waaaaay too short.
I don't know much about the old red graded Scartree trail, but judging from what we saw at the time, I think from todays standards of what constitutes Red or Blue (and the considered view of every other rider) it probably wouldn't be considered red or red enough. So even though we did add rock features here and there, the new trail will encourage new to intermediate riders, whilst giving more experienced riders such as yourself a quick blast after work.
What I can say is having met the local FC team before we started in 2013, is that the proposed new route was in response to rider complaints that for large periods of the year, due to ground conditions, lack of elevation and natural drainage the old Scartree wasn't rideable over several sections, in particular the field edge side. As I understood it the decision to rock armour the trail was to provide a sustainable riding venue all year round, specifically to attract more riders, the design brief thereafter was to build something that was fast and flowing, but more importantly put some fun back in, it genuinely was done with the best intentions. I take your point though, it's not the longest, unfortunately I think that's all they had available to work with due to other constraints.
(but yeah, it was never really a red).
And the less said about the current attitude of the FC to Wakerley the better...