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Lee Quarry and Cragg Quarry Mountain Biking
Avg 4.04
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup
Number of Reviews (52)

*You can claim this trail if you are the trail owner

  • Information:
  • Type: MTB Base
  • Grades: Red,Black,Orange
  • Riding: Cross Country,Downhill,Pump Track
  • Facilities: Toilets,Cafe,Car Park
  • Distance(s): Under 5km, 5-10km, 11-20km
  • Country: England
  • County: Lancashire
  • Website: Lee Quarry
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Trail Network & Rider Segments

Trail network status from Trailforks and recent rider segments from Strava (see full mapped routes and details in the Tracks tab).

Trail Status

status via Trailforks.com

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Description

Lee Quarry Mountain Bike trails are in Rossendale in Lancashire. This is an old quarry and so as you would expect it is rocky MTB terrain packed full of drops, berms, and other technical trail features. There is a 7km Red trail, a short 1km Black, a Skills area, two Pump Tracks, and a world-class extensive Trail facility. 

Like this?

Cragg Quarry is also nearby and there's a link trail between Lee and Cragg quarries. Cragg's more of a flowy XC loop. It's popular and reached by a newly constructed bridleway link over Brandwood Lower end moor. You can combine Lee and Cragg Quarry to provide a cross-country route of 17km.

You can also access the Mary Towneley Loop and a host of natural trail routes from nearby the quarry. The natural riding is great both in Lancashire and across the regional border in Calderdale, in West Yorkshire.

Lee Quarry Red

  • The Lee Quarry outer Red MTB trail is around 6km long trail, graded as difficult, with flowing big berms, rock gardens, drop-offs and jumps and is designed with many loops making it great for sessioning and practising those skills.

Lee Quarry Black 

  • The Lee Quarry Black is a short 1km track,  graded as severe, which has all the above but is much more technical and requires excellent bike handling and balance skills at slow speeds at times to navigate the terrain.

Lee Quarry Skills area

  • This incorporates a pump track and areas to practice drop-offs, logs, and berms as well as climbing and descending in rocky terrain. 

Trials Area

  • The Trials area is world-class and has multiple sections. They host nationals here but are set up progressively to encourage beginners into the sport.   

Cragg  Quarry

  • Cragg Quarry has around 6.5km of flowing single-track and can be got to from Lee Quarry by heading south following the newly constructed route across Brandwood Lower End Moor to Rooley Moor Road, turn right (west) and follow the Mary Towneley Loop for just over 1km. If you take the two trails together it is about 17km in total.

Natural Trails

  • It's not just Quarry riding there are lots of natural trails in the area.

Groups and Clubs

Other Stuff

  • If you are looking for a guide or coach in the region then check out Adam at Trail Explorer who works throughout the North West including Lee Quarry and Gisburn Forest
  • Do come prepared (food and clothing wise)
  • The quarry is run by Lancashire Council and is free to the public.
  • The trail was designed by Dafydd Davis and built by local contractor Terra Firma.

Share

  • If you have ridden the mountain bike trails at Lee Quarry or Cragg Quarry then please share your experiences with the community and post your reviews, pictures, videos and tracks to the listing.
DadventuresMTB :
Avg 3.30
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Send it!!

Love to ride here! Now the dig team are on it its going to be bigger and better! Lee quarry is a great place to ride :) 

Would you recommend?

yes

Date written:

03/07/2024 - over 1 year ago

Was this review helpful to you?

2
^
Ben:
Avg 4.90
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Unique riding in a very special place.

It's a great trail that has a strong community of volunteers maintaining it.

look out for the prehistoric riverbed. It's very impressive!

dont just do the circuits. There's great riding in the centre of the quarry too!

What do you like?

Unique riding in the heart of 'the golden valley'

What could be improved?

You've got to have a certain level of fitness to access it. It's well worth the effort though

Would you recommend?

yes

Date written:

03/07/2024 - over 1 year ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
^
guest:
Avg 4.40
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Lee Quarry

Such an amazing place for all abilities.  Often times very quiet, but since the work input by the volunteer group, it's been great to see new faces and riders revisiting after a long spell away.   The competitions held here are always a great success with lots of positive feedback.  Onwards and upwards for this venue I say - putting the "adrenaline gateway" back on the map.

What do you like?

Vast space to test out every skill level, with fantastic scenery whilst you do so

What could be improved?

double yellow lines (unenforcable) now placed at the base of the quarry, lack of good signage

Would you recommend?

yes

Date written:

03/07/2024 - over 1 year ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
^
guest:
Avg 3.70
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Lee and Cragg Quarries

Rugged quarry mountain biking at its best! Technical terrain, mostly red graded with small black sections and training areas.

It's 2 different trails that can be connected via a very fun natural link trail with a few jumps to discover along the way. Best done from Cragg to Lee.

 

What do you like?

The natural ruggedness of these trails give them their uniqueness and their technical red grade. The ride maintains its interest throughout and there are so many options in the area that no 2 rides will feel samey.

You often have the trails to yourself. Few trails have retained the technical elements of these 2 

They both have tough interesting ascents and descents and have not been subjected to sanitisation and smoothing over which is why, despite the lack of facilities they remain well visited and have such a positive reputation amongst experienced mountain bikers accross the UK

What could be improved?

It is hard to access either Lee or Cragg  quarry requiring a steep ascent. It lacks parking and toilet facilities and signposting (although arguably that is also a strength as it requires 'discovering') 

Would you recommend?

yes

Date written:

02/07/2024 - over 1 year ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
^
guest:
Avg 3.50
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

An upgraded Lee Quarry

Lots of hard work is currently being undertaken by a group of volunteers to bring Lee Quarry back to its former glory. And it's riding well! 

What do you like?

A variety of trails to suit differing abilities. Easily accessible. You can spend hours there exploring the terrain.

What could be improved?

Needs some rider facilities. But hopefully that will follow now work is being undertaken. 

Would you recommend?

yes

Date written:

02/07/2024 - over 1 year ago

Was this review helpful to you?

2
^
Jane Pallister:
Avg 5.00
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Stunning, historic, challenging - it’d got it all

Great range of riding terrain.  Climbs. Descents. Single track. Technical.  It's got the lot. A brilliant range of trails for rookies to advanced. 

What do you like?

The entire range of riding and challenges possible in just one place. 

What could be improved?

Parking!  Signage. Hard to know where's the safe/legal place to park. And the entrance point is underwhelming. Needs impressive signage that hints at the joy to come. 

Would you recommend?

yes

Date written:

02/07/2024 - over 1 year ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
^
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