Whiteshill Bike Park, the dirt jumps on Whiteshill Playing Field near Stroud in Gloucestershire, is open again after a professional rebuild by B1KE.

The ramps, as Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council calls them, were fenced off from 21 September while B1KE updated the existing jumps, improved the layout and added drainage. B1KE also rebuilt The North Bike Track at Victory Park in nearby Cainscross in 2025. The weather then held up the opening, to give the new ramps time to settle and dry, and on 3 November the council confirmed they were open and ready to use.

Riding it

The council wanted the rebuild to suit a wider age range, and the opening session it planned was to start with beginners before moving on to more advanced riders in the afternoon. There is still something to work up to. Councillors debated whether to drop gap jumps for rollers and tabletops only, weighing their duty of care with reports from B1KE and from a user of the jumps, and voted seven to two in August to keep them in the design.

The ramps are for pedal bikes only, so no e-bikes, and the council asks you to wear a helmet and protective kit, ride within your ability, take turns and take your rubbish home. You share the field with a play area and a football pitch, so go slowly round the outside on your way down. Parking and directions are on our Whiteshill Bike Park listing.

How it came about

Replies to the council's Facebook post have been warm, with thanks on behalf of young riders and hopes that other parish councils will follow. One asked how the project came together, given the worries some councils have about liability.

Riders are a big part of the answer. Since the pandemic, a group of young people had built and looked after the ramps themselves with the council's permission. Its playing field policy shows how that worked: councillors and riders did a maintenance course together, and the ramps have a risk assessment, a safety sign, a weekly inspection and visits from the local PCSO.

In October 2025 the council decided to bring in a professional contractor, then went looking for the money. The funding came from the National Lottery Community Fund (£20,000), Gloucestershire County Council's Grassroots fund (£3,000) and Ecotricity (£1,000), and riders raised money of their own at a village event. A skills day on the old ramps in August drew around 40 young riders.

What's next

The opening session, planned for 24 October, was postponed and we have not seen a new date, so keep an eye on the whiteshill_bike_park Instagram account, run by a rider who helped build the jumps and now looks after them.

The council also plans more fencing and a matted walk area by the shop, where you will need to get off and walk, and has talked about adding a water station and possibly a toilet for field users.

Photo: Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish Council