the quarry

[Elaine Halliwell]

only been to the quarry 3 or 4 times now and just wondering when the next phase is going to go ahead, ..... can i say what an amazing place this quarry is, and what high berms there is too ! fantasic... just loving every part of it !

[Dave Haygarth]

Hi Elaine

Tony Lund is the man to speak to - I'm trying to encourage him and other big stakeholders to use this site to informally consult and discuss the development with 'the community' such as us lot of muppets are..

I know that the next big phase is to extend via existing rights of way to link in with other quarries Whitworth and Rooley Moor way.

[graham marshall]

think its just funding to get and redtape to wade through if you go up on sept 6 to the brownbacks racing and ask tony lund the head warden he'll prob be able to tell you more g

[Tony Lund]

We have been successful with our various funding bids and have over £500k to send on new mtb trails within the Rossendale area over the next 18months or so. The bulk of the funding £350K is coming from Aggregates Levy.

Planned at the moment for within Lee Quarry are

A new section of red graded xc singletrack with some black options/features this will be between 1km and 1.5km long depending on the final route used which will depend on what can be fitted in with the budget available.

New skills areas/sections which will include

The Drop line 150m long 3m wide will have three ability levels side by side enabling riders to learn how to ride drops of different sizes and difficulty.

The Berm Track 180m long 1m wide eleven consecutive berms (and nothing else!)

The Pump Track 120m long 0.7m wide pump line on a gradient

Black graded progressive skills line 250m long 1 to 2 m wide rock drops, table tops, rollers, berms all on the same track (i.e. putting everything learnt on the above three tracks in to practice)

Black graded expert line 250m long 1m wide similar to the line above but with even more challenges.

Pump track figure of eight pump track built on flat section start finish at the same point.

The above should all be finished by April/may this year. This means we will have quite a few extra features to use at the weekender event in July.

Also happening this year should be the work at Cragg Quarry, Rowan Sorrell has put the initial designs together for us and he says “Cragg Quarry deserves to be the jewel in the crown of the whole trail centre project. It has fantastic rolling shapes, ideal to adapt to mountain bikes and its location affords stunning views out over Rossendale and up into the Lakes on a clear day. The new wind farm located on the moor to the back of the quarry actually adds to the character of the ride and provides an interesting backdrop to the trail. The loop in Cragg Quarry will be a packed 4.5km with plenty of contoured bench cuts and sudden feature sections seamlessly linked together into one exciting ride. The trail climbs gently through the quarry just off the route of the Pennine Bridleway. This extra elevation gives riders great views and still throws in a few technical rock features en route, but it is on the return leg, with the overall gradient now working to the rider’s advantage, that the thrills are cranked up a notch. The trail flows, rolling, dipping and rising with berms along its route; it can be tackled gently or attacked head on, making for a physical, but ultimately very rewarding ride due to the views and great features found throughout the quarry site. There are old buildings, inclines and cart tracks all taken in along the route so the rider not only has a great ride but also really gets a feel for the heritage of this site. Rock gardens, rock rolls and slab paving are all incorporated into the trail to make the most of the natural resources and features on site.”

Next financial year we are planning on constructing a bridleway link from Lee Quarry up to Rooley Moor Road, a link over to Facit Quarry and then some mtb trails down through Facit Quarry. Once we have this lot in place that quick half day blast round Lee Quarry can be turned in to a full day out. The idea is to keep it technically challenging with plenty of red/black options.

W are also planning an off road link between Lee Quarry and Gisburn Forest any one fancy a quick lap round Lee Quarry followed by a spin up to Gisburn and back?

[Dave Haygarth]

Sounds ace Tony. I think a large (c. 50 hectare) covered all-weather area will be about the only thing left on my shopping list for the quarry. Especially handy for days like today. Keep up the excellent work.

Tony Lund said:

We have been successful with our various funding bids and have over £500k to send on new mtb trails within the Rossendale area over the next 18months or so. The bulk of the funding £350K is coming from Aggregates Levy. ........

[graham marshall]

should be some major developements over winter and spring - lets hope the weather and red tape allows it to happen in time for summer g

[grant halliwell]

hi yes it is a great place i live in whitworth i get there as often as i can not sure when rest of its going ahead