Eastridge Woods Mountain Bike Trails

Eastridge Woods Mountain Bike Trails

Eastridge Woods is a hilltop woodland in the Shropshire Hills near Minsterley, built and maintained in partnership between Forestry England and the volunteer-run Eastridge Trail Partnership. The riding is rooty, rocky and often muddy, spread across five waymarked trails: a blue loop, a red cross country route and three black-graded downhill descents. Eastridge sits within reach of Hopton Woods and the Long Mynd, part of what makes the Shropshire Hills one of the stronger regional MTB scenes in the Marches.

The Trails

• Easty Blue (Blue) - a gentler 2.8km loop, a good warm-up or introductory option before tackling the red. Easty Blue's current status is unconfirmed though, so let us know in the comments if you've ridden it recently and it's still running.
• Revelation Trail (Red XC) - the signature 8.4km (5.2 mile) cross country loop. Expect rocks, roots, mud, tough climbs and fast, tight, steep descents, plus Eastridge's characteristic exposed roots and jagged rocks. It has a reputation, riders tend to either love it or hate it.
• Downhill trails (Black, Severe) - three unsurfaced downhill runs, all graded severe and changing with the weather and seasons. 98 DH and Student Champs Downhill are the two long-established named runs, both short, technical descents with berms, jumps and tight turns. Full face helmet and body armour are strongly recommended.

Gravel Riding

A waymarked horse riding route, the Ride Shropshire trail, uses the forest roads that circle the perimeter of the wood. It is a bridleway rather than a dedicated cycling route, but it makes for an easy, family-friendly spin on a gravel bike away from the technical singletrack, shared with walkers and horse riders.

Local Organisation

The trails at Eastridge are built and maintained by the Eastridge Trail Partnership, a group of local volunteers working with Forestry England. Find out about trail days and get involved via their Facebook group.

Facilities

There is a small free car park at the trailhead but no toilets, cafe or other facilities on site, so bring what you need with you. Trails at Eastridge Woods are subject to periodic closures and diversions due to forestry operations. Always check the Forestry England Eastridge Woods page for current alerts before travelling.

Getting Here

The main car park is at Eastridge Woods, SY5 0TP. From Shrewsbury take the A488 to Minsterley. In Minsterley turn left onto Callow Lane just before the pub, continue to the T junction and turn right, bear right where the road forks and take the first turning on the right up a narrow lane.

The car park is free and open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, with no designated accessible parking bays.

There is no direct public transport to the woods. The nearest towns are Minsterley and Pontesbury, a few miles away with limited bus services from Shrewsbury.

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