Epping Forest MTB has shared a statement from the City of London Corporation warning that recent digging and ramp building have damaged Ambresbury Banks and Loughton Camp, two Iron Age hillforts within Epping Forest. Both sites are Scheduled Monuments of national importance, and cycling and horse riding have never been permitted on either.

What's happened

The Corporation, which manages Epping Forest, says recent digging and ramp building have damaged sections of the ancient earthworks at both sites. Ambresbury Banks and Loughton Camp date back around 2,500 years and are protected as Scheduled Monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The Corporation also points out that unauthorised digging anywhere in the Forest is an offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

Where you can and can't ride

Epping Forest's cycling code of conduct covers the rules:

• Cycling and horse riding are not permitted at Ambresbury Banks or Loughton Camp
• Building or digging jumps, berms or trails, and cutting trees, is not allowed anywhere in the Forest
• Motorbikes and quad bikes are banned across the whole of Epping Forest
• Elsewhere, the Forest's 284km of shared-use paths remain open to considerate cycling under the Countryside Code

Reporting concerns

The Corporation says it is working with Essex Police to pursue prosecutions, alongside increased signage, patrols and CCTV around the hillforts.

• Report criminal activity to Essex Police on 101
• Report damage within the Forest to the City of London Corporation on 020 8532 1010

Where to ride instead

For dug trails, jumps and berms, the Corporation points riders towards purpose-built venues nearby, including Hadleigh Park in Essex and Lee Valley VeloPark at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

For the legal bridleways and tracks within Epping Forest itself, see iBikeRide's Epping Forest guide, and don't forget to rate it for Trail of the Year 2026.