Work on the rebuild of Aston Hill Bike Park is continuing through winter, with the latest trail build video showing progress on the lower sections of the hill and the main trail corridor now approaching the finish area.

The third episode in Aston Hill’s ongoing trail build (see below), covers work carried out from late December into January, following the return to site after the Christmas break. The video documents digging through snow, frozen ground and wet winter conditions, with builders continuing work despite the seasonal challenges.

Main trail corridor now nearing the finish area

The current focus is on cutting the trail corridor down the hill and connecting it through to the bottom. Access has now been established to the lower section from two directions: via the completed uplift track and via a second access route that has been cut down to the main fire road.

I’m the update they say that once the trail reaches the bottom, it continues over a series of “whoops”, which they describe as being “like a gigantic pump track”, before dropping into the finish area. The finish area is the same location where several previous trails ended, including the Black Run, Surface to Air and Ricochet.

Existing corridors reused, but trails will change

Existing trail corridors are being reused, including those associated with the former Red Run and Ricochet. However, the builders are clear that while the corridors remain, the trails themselves will not be rebuilt exactly as they were before.

The Red Run corridor will return to the same finish area but that it will not be the Red Run “as you knew it”. Trail names have not yet been finalised, and decisions on naming will be made later.

Trail bed work comes before feature decisions

Much of the recent work focuses on establishing a continuous trail bed before features can be planned or built.

Feature placement will be decided only once the trail bed is fully exposed and ground conditions are understood, and once access is in place for machinery and materials. At this stage, no specific features are confirmed.

The trail bed one is now largely in place, with work beginning on trail bed two along the former Ricochet corridor. Clearing and flagging have already taken place, with digging expected to follow.

Lower finish area cleared and prepared

Work is taking place in the lower finish area, where older material has been cleared and overgrown sections tidied.

This phase has involved less visible shaping but is necessary groundwork before further construction continues.

Reopening still targeted for spring 2026

While no specific reopening date is given, Aston Hill is working toward reopening in spring 2026. With the bottom of the hill now in sight and both main trail beds progressing, the rebuild continues to move forward.

What the updated trail network is expected to include

The updated network is expected to include multiple descending lines served by uplift access, feeding into a shared finish area at the bottom of the hill. The previous trail network is being replaced but following similar corridors rather than reopened trail by trail, with final trail names and layouts to be confirmed closer to reopening.

Full background information, trail details and future updates are available here:
https://ibikeride.com/england/aston-hill-mountain-bike-trails

Latest trail build video

If you’ve ridden Aston Hill before, which parts of the hill are you most interested to see return first as the rebuild continues?