Hamsterley Forest
Where
Forest Enterpise ::
Hamsterley Forest
visitor center
Map image produced from the Ordnance Survey
Get-a-map
service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of
Ordnance Survey and
Multi Media Mapping.
Hamsterley is a small village, about 6 miles north west of Bishop
Auckland in Durham. The forest is situated in a valley to the north
west of the village. It is maintained by Forest enterprise and local
riders.
The Routes
There are 2 main routes "red" and "black" the remainder
being in the valley and are for kids and grannies (I'm not saying
there aren’t any fit grannies), they are colour way marked. The red
route starts by a car park, about 1 mile up from the info office,
where maps can be purchased. It is situated at the eastern end of the
forest.
Look for the signs i.e. wooden posts. You set off up hill for a
climb to the start of the single track. The single track contours up
the southern side of the valley. It's rocky, root and bloody good fun.
After about 1km, you'll starts to drop down crossing a small bridge
before twisting and climbing again, this goes on for a couple of km
until you drop down into the valley again. Whilst descending along a
tight steep section I rounded a corner to find a family of 4 walking
up the track towards me, I managed to stop in time, just.
It was at this point I remembered that the forest is open and way
marked for all kinds of outdoor activities, so beware.
The next 2-3 km is all on fire road, of the hard pack gravel
variety, which is properly just as well as its all climbing.
Eventually you come out onto the edge of the Dales and follow them for
at least 2 km. You'll continue climbing along single track and lose
earth fire road before ducking back through the woods on gravel track
again.
You soon realise, as you come into a cleared area, that this is a
working forest. There is a vast area cleared of trees, looking like
some kind of environmental disaster area. But if it wasn’t kept for
Forestry then I don’t suppose we would have access here at all.
For the next 3-4 km it’s all up and down on the fire roads. Happily
it's mostly down and fast, just the way I like it. There’s even a ford
to cross, or a foot bridge if you want to keep your feet and arse dry.
Before you know it your on the last bit of single track and back in
the car park.
The black route starts a few hundred meters up from
the info office. It starts by turning right on single track, up a
short sharp climb before tuning left and up an even sharper one. From
here on in its single track heaven.
All you need to do is follow the signs and grin. There’re only a
few short sections of fire road, outclassed by the excellent single
track on the northern side of the valley. Most memorable being the
wall section. A rocky & root track that follows the line of a dry
stone wall along the edge of the forest, for at least a couple of km.
The section finishes by dropping down a steep slope with jumps and
drops aplenty. Followed by a short length of fire road back into the
woods. Then down into the valley again to the start point of the red
route. It's climbs the same way but with a left instead of right at the
top, then its more of the same on this the southern side of the
valley. There used to be a short course down hill through the woods,
starting in the south eastern corner, but its been dismantled. Whether
this is so a new and better course can be built, I don’t know. Watch
this space for an answer! Anyway follow the signs and you can’t go
wrong.
"There's a supposed NPS standard DH course now, it's located at the
northwest end of the forest so park in the other car park for easier
access"
21 Aug 00
