Summerhill Country Park BMX Track and Closed-Road Cycle Circuit

Summerhill Country Park is Hartlepool Borough Council's country park, and it holds two very different bike facilities: a 750 metre floodlit closed-road cycle circuit on asphalt beside the visitor centre, and a dirt BMX race track a short walk away. A grassed learn-to-ride area for balance bikes and beginners sits beside the circuit, and the park has a cafe, toilets and free parking.

The Closed-Road Cycle Circuit

• The circuit is a 750 metre free-form loop on porous asphalt, fenced off from walkers and floodlit, so it works as a traffic-free place to ride after dark as well as by day.
• It is built on gently sloping ground, with a 3 metre change in height, corners of varying difficulty and an Alpine Pass style link, plus simulated road features such as roundabouts, junctions and zebra crossings, which makes it useful for children learning road skills.
• It was built by Rainton Construction, with the surface laid by MGL Group, and is open to the public, to coaching groups and to clubs. The council publishes a weekly timetable of public sessions on the Active Hartlepool cycle track page, and opening times can change in school holidays, so check before you travel.
• Private, club and group bookings are made through the visitor centre on 01429 284584 or by email to summerhill.cycling@hartlepool.gov.uk. Manilla Cycling and North East BMX Club both work with the track.

The BMX Track

• The BMX track is a dirt race circuit with a start hill, straights and berms, in the west of the park about a five minute walk from the visitor centre. It is the home track of North East BMX Club and hosts regional and British Cycling race meetings, so expect it to be busy on race days.
• The track has spectator fencing, a warm-up and cool-down area and wide berms.
• The council does not publish casual session times for the BMX track, so contact the visitor centre or North East BMX Club to find out when you can ride it.

Learn to Ride

• A grassed learn-to-ride area beside the visitor centre is set up for balance bikes and for practising early skills, so younger children can start before moving onto the circuit.

Also in the Park

• Summerhill Country Park is open all day, seven days a week, with walking and nature trails, a boulder park and activities such as archery and climbing that can be booked through the visitor centre.
• The visitor centre has toilets and a cafe, and there is free parking and wi-fi on site. The centre itself is closed at weekends, apart from the cafe and toilets.

Getting Here

• Summerhill Country Park is on Summerhill Lane, Hartlepool TS25 4LL, off Catcote Road, about two miles from the town centre. Use the free car park by the visitor centre, which is also the starting point for the circuit and the learn-to-ride area.
• For the BMX track, walk west from the visitor centre through the park.
• Hartlepool railway station is about two miles away.

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