​The Greensand Trust has confirmed that the jump area in Rushmere Country Park will not return after upcoming forestry works, signalling a shift in focus toward family-oriented cycling and further development of the X-Trail. The announcement follows senior management discussions by The Greensand Trust and comes as neighbouring Woburn prepares for a major rebuild led by The Bedford Estates and Matt Jones.

Contractors begin work on 8 December, with machinery access routes passing through the jump area for extraction and storage. The Trust said it considered safety, reinstatement costs, revenue levels, recent incidents, non-payment of riders, and verbal abuse toward staff and volunteers before deciding not to reinstate the jumps.

The previous shared economy of scale between Aspley (home of Woburn Bike Park and Trails) and Rushmere is no longer in place. With The Bedford Estates now developing a larger, well-resourced MTB facility at Woburn, Rushmere will focus on improving its family-oriented cycling offer rather than competing directly.

The X-Trail will be temporarily diverted from the Wild Things section down into the valley and across the bottom before rejoining the usual climb toward Lords Hill. Additional short closures will be required as tree work moves close to the cycle and horse trails.

A refund policy will be introduced for jump-area permit holders, cancelling permits and refunding pro rata for the remaining duration from the date the area closes. Details and instructions on how to claim will be published on the Rushmere website closer to the closure date.

The announcement was shared by Firecrest Mountain Biking, which has coached extensively at Rushmere. They confirmed that the DeVo youth development programme will continue as normal through the felling period and will move to Aston Hill once that site opens in the spring. 

The news has prompted a wide range of reactions from riders and volunteers, particularly those who have invested significant time in building and maintaining the jumps. Many have highlighted the loss of a long-standing volunteer-built facility, while others point to the difficulty of sustaining such areas without dedicated on-site management.

This change at Rushmere comes alongside the major redevelopment at Woburn, where The Bedford Estates and Matt Jones plan to rebuild the site into what Jones describes as the “ultimate official bike park”. Full details on that project can be found here: https://ibikeride.com/news/matt-jones-returns-to-rebuild-woburn-bike-park-into-the-ultimate-official-bike-park

More information:

Rushmere Mountain Bike Trails​

greensandtrust.org

woburn.co.uk/the-estate/woburn-bike-park-and-trails

iBikeRide's statement: Of key concern is that the local community appears not to have been consulted, and that this decision leaves riders without a comparable progressive MTB facility within an accessible distance. The area has been built up and maintained over many years by local volunteers, at their own cost and in their own time.

These facilities give young riders a healthy outlet, a safe place to develop skills, and a strong sense of community cohesion. They are precious community assets and an important part of the local outdoor offer.

Removing them in this way risks taking the rug from under the very community that created and cared for the trails. We call on the Greensand Trust to work with local riders and residents to develop a plan for reinstating this MTB facility in this area once the forestry work is complete.

Make sure your voice is heard. Sign the petition now.