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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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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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BristolManc:
Avg 2.90
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Contrary to other reviews I think this place is actually best if you're looking to get some XC training in. The hill from the carpark is a real tester, and there has been occassion where I've got to the top and wanted to head home again! There are some challenging technical climbs and one or two nice decents, but often the terrain is quite 'samey'. To make this into a proper day out your best off pairing it with Cragg Quarry, and have a little session on the skills area in the middle of the quarry. There have been plans for a cafe and facility for some time, but nothing has materialised. That area of things are letting it down at the moment. Other than when it's icey the place is pretty weather proof as it drains fairly well so is a good option when other places might be water-logged Keep your eyes out for the Brownback XC seriesthat runs every year, great local event with the chance to get involved in some racing.

Would you recommend?

Date written:

05/04/2013 - almost 13 years ago

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SaddleSource:
Avg 3.66
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Great for Skills, not so mucyh for Cross Country

I've watched Lee Quarry progress from a simple XC loop with a skills area to the facility it has become today. As you would expect in a quarry rockiness is the defining impression you will receive of this place. The climb up to the top is hard and featureless, make no bones about it, but I feel it is rewarded with the fantastic biking playground you are greeted with when you reach the very top. There at least 4 seperate downhill runs, 3 pumptracks, skinnies, seesaws, an area for jump practice, a lot of which can be linked into runs, I think it's definitely worth an hour just playing around, and I've managed much more. From the top you can also carry on round the rim of the quarry to the red or black runs. The black run is VERY difficult, think slow balancing and some quite daunting features, but well worth a shot and rewarding when completed cleanly. The red run can sometimes lack flow till you get beyond the cattle grid, but has some good rock gardens to tackle. You can also link in Cragg Quarry via a Bridleway, I would recommend a trip over there but for me once was enough.

What do you like?

-Fantastic skills area, really good for advancing riding. -fun rocky trails -challenging black route

What could be improved?

-The climb from the car park -lack of proper facilities -often very exposed and cold on the top

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

05/03/2013 - almost 13 years ago

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StupidMonkeyKev:
Avg 3.32
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Lee & Cragg Quarry XC

I'll acknowledge the fact that I like this place less than most, not sure what it is, bit bland.

What do you like?

The views are great, some really good little sections and features. Rewards you if youre fit (its a big hill) especially cragg quarry which is like a giant pump track on the top of the moor.

What could be improved?

Long climb at the start, rocky/lots of pinch punctures or need to use bigger/heavier tyres. All a bit samey, bit short

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

27/02/2013 - almost 13 years ago

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1
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stumpy_dan:
Avg 3.56
Grin Factor
Trail Variety
Skills
Trail Quality
General Setup

Lee Quarry Finally Conquered

I tried to ride Lee Quarry a little earlier in the week but after two attempts had to bail because of the snow blizzard conditions so coming back I was adamant to conquer it. You ride up from the car park straight up the hill. The terrain starts to get rockier pretty early on and you go gradually up and over stone slabs round the hill till you hit the epic sight of the Quarry itself. From then on you descend on the roller coaster of either red or black options strewn with rock and boulders everywhere. It's a bit of a constant up and down selection and the flow felt lacking but was probably a bit impeded by the significant amount of snow and ice still around. Quite early on you hit a play park with little skinnies. I enjoyed sessioning the see-saw as had not actually ridden one before. One of the skinnies ran through a iced over section which was also fun. Trail then takes you back up through a steep stone boulder terrain when you find yourself on quite a exposed and windy range where the drop to your left looks quite sheer and the black option even more so. Near the top there is a section that really looks like the playground of the gods built by the God of Mountain Biking himself (yes he must be a guy). It is quite a unique scene. It has three lines of progressive drop off's, short downhill pump track style lines, specific pump tracks and what must be the best Trials area in the world. From here the waymarking is poor and it is hard to see how the trail continues. Eventually traversing a bit further up the hill you will find yet another play park with all manner of little jump and rock lines to session. The descent is rocky and exposed in places (when wind blows it's kinda scary to be honest) and from the cattle grid contraption back it is flowing and lovely. To me it feels a bit short and not flowy enough (with exception of final descent) to be a top XC trail but as a play park that you get to with great trail design on the way in an epic setting where once there you session your skills all day followed by an awesome descent on the way back, it is great. It is definitely well worth a visit.

What do you like?

-Epic views -Unique -Sessioning skills -Variety

What could be improved?

- limited facilities (tiny car park and 2 portaloos) - Waymarking - Short - Lacks Flow

Would you recommend?

*Yes*

Date written:

05/02/2013 - almost 13 years ago

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