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Lee Quarry and Cragg Quarry Mountain Biking

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

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Trail Status

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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.

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Pam:
Avg 5.00
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Amazing

Fantastic, my sons love and enjoy spending the day on Lee quarry in Rossendale. We're so lucky as its on our door step, what a fantastic place this is, if you've not been here then you need too!!!

Would you recommend?

Date written:

09/10/2016 - over 9 years ago

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0
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Mcnulty:
Avg 4.06
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

More challenging than a forest trail centre

Love this place

What do you like?

The trails here really push you, and there are loads of areas to session and improve skills. Cragg is also great and the cross moors link road with kickers is worth the pedal up.

What could be improved?

No real facilities on site.

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

09/10/2016 - over 9 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
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Phil:
Avg 3.87
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Should be called fun quarry

Most fun you can have with your clothes on

What do you like?

Good if your limited with time, that's not to say you couldn't spend all day there, you can easily session your favourite sections to build your skills, hit the pump tracks, table tops or drop offs. Can easily be joined with cragg quarry if you're making a day of it and the link path between the quarrys is fun. Meal machine is usually there at weekends and the do a mean bacon butty :)

What could be improved?

Hurts when you fall off, lid and gloves mandatory, probably wise to wear additional protection!

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

09/10/2016 - over 9 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
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Jay:
Avg 4.00
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Interesting and different

There is a decent food van at the base of Lee Quarry!

What do you like?

The location is fantastic- great views. The trails are very technical and challenging. If you come regularly you will learn new skills and be a much better rider. It is also varied terrain. And it is free and not crowded at all.

What could be improved?

Getting up is hard work (but worth it!). Some of the uphill is loose which means a lack of grip. Signage isn't great. It gets very windy. But you have to give this place a try if you get chance. Very different to "normal" single track places and that makes it interesting.

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

08/08/2016 - over 9 years ago

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2
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Phila77:
Avg 4.82
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

The trails are OPEN

Lee / Cragg quarry mountain bike trails are OPENSome people think that the quarry is closed due to thestories going around regarding cuts and the boxing day landslide, but this isn’ttrue the trails are OPEN with a volunteer group to maintain the trails beingput together and the area affected by the landslide being repaired.  New Lee quarry way markers have been put up in the lastcouple of months, that guide you around the red trail and also the blacktrails.New red way markers will be going up soon at Cragg quarryand the link road from Lee quarry which will result in over 20k of way markedtrails around the quarries.Also check out the maintenance page on Facebookto check out the work that is happening on the area affected by the landslide and other things happening at the quarry.https://www.facebook.com/groups/932400856813824/Also to see how the trails are running follow the Lee / cragg instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/lee_cragg_quarry_mtb_trails/The Sand Witch café is open at the entrance to the quarrycar park, with bike locking & toilet facilities.Cafe opening timesMon-Sat:     7:00 am - 5:00 pmSun:    8:00 am - 3:00 pmTrails open 24hrs, 

What do you like?

Lots of areas to have a play on to help develop your skills, plus follow the way markers to get a good 20k + ride.

What could be improved?

Needs improved parking and toilet facilities.

Would you recommend?

Date written:

07/06/2016 - over 9 years ago

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2
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Gordon McMinn:
Avg 4.76
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Youth group mountain bike project

A regular trail centre for me to practice in my own time. I'll be taking more groups up with work.Definitly worth visiting more than once to find all the trails.The group I led up there loved every minute...

What do you like?

I work for the Kirklees Adventurous Activity Team and have ridden the quarry several times for my own pleasure. I decided to take take a group of young people with very little mountain biking experience up to the quarry to develop their skills and confidence - I have never heard the end of it!! They loved it and wanted to return the next day... The quarry has sections that are ridable for everyone - from novices to pro's and everywhere in between. With so many features to play on the group was never still for long, short climbs are rewarded with fun and flowing trails that you want to ride again and again... And the locals are friendly and willing to point you in the right direction..

What could be improved?

It's a bit of a slog up to the quarry if your not good at climbing, and tricky if it's windy - but thats part of the charm.

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

03/06/2016 - over 9 years ago

Was this review helpful to you?

1
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