New Trail For Mountain Bikers In Swindon

Swindon Borough Council has teamed up with Nationwide Building Society to deliver a new mountain bike trail, which is free for everyone to enjoy. The Croft Community Cycle Trail, in Croft Woods, next to the picnic area, opposite Nationwide in Pipers Way, will be officially opened by Swindon Mayor Cllr Steve Wakefield on Tuesday, 22 July, at 3pm. Volunteers from Nationwide Building Society have helped create the 1km circular trail, owned and facilitated by Swindon Borough Council and financed by a National Lottery grant. The Probation Service has also been involved in the project, as part of its Community Payback Scheme. The initiative began around two years ago, when there was a problem with youngsters making jumps for their mountain bikes in Great Copse. In the process, they were destroying bluebell fields, which are legally protected. So the Council identified a possible site for a designated off-road mountain bike trail in Croft Woods and a public consultation followed. That's when Steve Smith, a technical services analyst at Nationwide and keen mountain biker, got involved. He said: "I was shown the proposed site, which at the time resembled a field of stinging nettles. But I could see it had great potential and offered to help create the trail.” Steve set about designing the course and with the help of volunteers from Nationwide, they built the trail. He said: “It has been a labour of love. I started cutting back the nettles with my wife and soon rallied round volunteers from Nationwide, which has a popular cycling club.” The Nationwide Cycling Club successfully applied for an Awards For All National Lottery grant, and used the £9,000 funding to buy gravel and other materials for the trail. He said: "We're thrilled with the results. Mountain bikers previously had to travel around 40 miles to places like Bristol, but now we’ve got a great facility on our doorstep.” There are further plans to extend the trail, so it spans a further 5km in the woods and includes features for more experienced mountain bikers. Councillor Brian Mattock, Cabinet Member for Local Environment and Sustainability, said: "This is a fantastic new facility for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy. It is also an excellent example of achieving really positive results through partnership working. I hope all mountain bikers - beginners and experts - will take advantage of this trail, which is completely free to use."