The commercial lease for Danny Hart’s Descend Bike Park with Forestry England runs out in 2028 with a six-month plan to remove the vast majority of trees in the forest.
Plans to fell a large portion of the forest that hosts Danny Hart’s Descend Bike Park made in 2023 will start in 2028 as the current bike park lease expires.
According to a BBC report, Forestry England do not intend to renew the lease once the 6-month felling works have completed.
Danny Hart’s Descend Bike Park could no longer exist once 2028 has been and gone. Reports are that in the latest five year lease, signed in 2023, planned felling works were brought to Danny Hart and co.’s attention. These had been rescheduled to happen outside of the lease to avoid any disruption to the current running of the park.
However, it looks like, for now, there are no plans for Forestry England to renew the lease once the felling works are complete. This means that the bike park and the trails may cease to exist, with no official efforts to reinstate any of them afterwards.
Beyond the riders that visit 365 days of the year, from a quick squint at Roots and Rain, there’s a quarter of a century of MTB racing in these woods. Gee Atherton took the fastest time of the day as a Youth at an NPS at Hamsterley all the way back in August 2001. Northern Downhill, UK Gravity Enduro, North East XC, ND(H)uro, Hamsterley Trailblazers, National Downhill and the park’s own events have run here.
Yes, Hamsterley is an active, commercial forest, however it would seem to be a massive shame not to renew the lease and allow the park and its trails to be restored once the felling work has finished. The North East of England isn’t awash with riding destinations, so losing this one would be a major blow.
You can support the park by entering their 10th anniversary race on October 18th here.
