Forestry England has confirmed that work is underway at Hodgemoor Woods, near Amersham in Buckinghamshire, to reduce and reshape the site's remaining bike jump features, following the earlier closure of the bike park on safety grounds.

On its own page on the site, Forestry England says

Unfortunately, the bike park at Hodgemoor Woods is closed. The structures on site are unsafe to use, and continuing to ride them creates a risk of serious injury.

Visitors may notice works taking place within the bike park at Hodgemoor Woods.

Following the closure of the facility, the remaining bike jump features are being reduced and reprofiled as part of ongoing site safety and management works. Although the area has been signed as closed, the features continue to attract use, and these works are being undertaken to reduce the risk of injury and ensure the site remains safe for all visitors.

The works will focus on reshaping existing earth structures within the current footprint of the bike area. No material is being removed from site and the surrounding woodland will remain unaffected.

It goes on to say:

Forestry England is currently considering a range of options for the area and how cycling opportunities at Hodgemoor may be provided in the future.

While no decisions have yet been made and we are unable to provide timescales at this stage, we remain committed to exploring practical and sustainable opportunities for cycling within the woodland.

The jumps have been a fixture at Hodgemoor for some time. Riders featured in a BBC London report put the jumps' age at around 25 years, while the operator's own page for the site describes a dirt jump area that has been there for around 20 years. Either way, it is a facility that has outlasted several generations of young riders in the Chilterns.

The BBC London report, shared via Instagram, showed a group of young riders confronting diggers that arrived on site to carry out the work, with those present saying they positioned themselves on the landing of one of the jumps to halt it. Riders interviewed in the report described the jumps as a place where they had learned to ride and built friendships, and said they turned out because they wanted to protect a space they used regularly.

Ellie Good, mother of a young rider who has used the jumps and who has helped gather local support for keeping them, was quoted in the report saying she understood the risks of the sport but "would rather my son broke his leg than had a broken brain" from spending all his time on screens.

Grassroots dirt jump spots like Hodgemoor are rare and hard to replace once lost, and iBikeRide hopes a workable path forward can be found for the riders and families who have built a community around this site.

Given the works are ongoing and the site's longer-term future is unresolved, riders planning to visit should check Hodgemoor Woods Bike Park's Instagram page for the latest before travelling.