Bike jumps to be removed for safety
Accidents involving inexperienced riders are forcing Forestry England to remove the Dirt Jump Zone facility at Sherwood Pines. The ‘big air’ jumps are part of the bike park, originally built for experienced riders aspiring to an elite level of technical ability. However, the number of inexperienced riders now using the dirt jumps and having accidents has reached a point where it is unacceptable to us and local emergency services.
The dirt jump area has also become a litter hotspot from the many people gathering around to watch. This year, Sherwood Pines has welcomed record numbers of visitors, particularly as people come to feel safe outdoors during the pandemic. So we’re hoping another benefit of removing these jumps will be reduced antisocial littering.
Removing the bike jumps is another tough decision we’ve had to make recently. We’ve also reviewed some of our commercial activities and that showed we should stop our Christmas Tree sales and pause the Forest Live concerts.
Sherwood Pines remains a much-loved local attraction and welcomes over half a million visitors every year for days out. With its network of walking and cycling trails, play areas, GoApe highwire and nets courses, a bike shop offering bike hire and a popular café. We are still investing and improving the site and there are some exciting developments to come for Sherwood Pines.