Watchwood

Watchwood is a plantation beside the A614 on the northern edge of Calverton, just north of Nottingham, with an unofficial network of short downhill trails dug by local riders. There are half a dozen main downhill lines, with shorter offshoots and two climbing tracks between them, from tight, twisting lines through close-set trees to fast, bermed runs with tabletops and drops. Each run takes about a minute and the push back up is short, so it is a place for lapping. Nothing is waymarked, and the trails change as riders dig and as forestry work moves through the wood.

The Trails

• HANAH: one of the best-known lines, around 310 m with more than twenty bermed turns and plenty of optional jumps. It is named after the initials of the riders who dug it and their children, and it finishes in a small jump area of little gaps and tabletops where riders tend to gather.
• No Dig No Ride: the follow-up to HANAH, around 390 m, faster, with more berms and bigger jumps.
• Who's the Daddy, Jim'll Fix It and Micro DH: shorter, flowing runs down the hill with berms and the odd kicker. Micro DH is one of the quicker, more direct ways down.
• Shh, Secret Alternative Start: a tight, technical start through the trees that opens out lower down.
• Most of the descents start from the fire road along the top of the wood. To get back up, ride the climbing tracks (Push up - Let me catch my breath, and Back up the middle) rather than pushing up the descents.
• Many of the other lines weave tightly between the trees, with small berms and mini kickers that can all be rolled, which makes them a good place to build confidence before the bigger jumps. Others add small tabletops, drops and fast, bobsleigh-style berms.
• Riders report the trails run fast in the dry and hold up well after rain.
• A hardtail or a full suspension bike both work. The trails are tight in places, so very wide bars can be a squeeze between the trees.
• Everything here is hand-built by local riders and features change over time, so look over a jump or drop before you ride it.
• None of the trails are waymarked and lines come and go, so download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off.
• Watchwood is a working forest. Felling and timber haulage can close parts of the wood, so follow any signs and closures on site and give way to forestry vehicles.
• For waymarked trails, Sherwood Pines is a short drive north up the A614.

Getting Here

• Gravelly Hollow, Calverton, NG14 6PF. There is a small car park at the entrance to the wood on Gravelly Hollow, with roadside parking along the lane.
• There is also a lay-by on the A614 beside the wood.
• If you come over on foot or by bike from Burntstump Country Park, take care crossing the A614, where traffic is fast.
• The nearest shops and cafes are in Calverton.

Share

• If you have visited Watchwood, please share your reviews, photos, and videos to this listing. A photo of the trails would be especially welcome.
• Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph