Castle Wood Skills Loop
The Kielder Trail Reavers, working closely with Forestry Commission England, have built a half kilometre trail adjacent to Kielder Castle. The ‘Castle Wood Skills Loop’ has been built to show mountain bikers what they can expect from similar grade trails that are planned to appear in Kielder Forest.
The blue grade section of Castle Wood Skills Loop is half a kilometre long, single-track that is roughly 1 metre wide with a fine, solid surface. There are slight gradients as well as ground level north shore style decking, bridges and some berms. Blue grade trails are intended for the beginner or novice rider.
The red grade trail is a spur within loop of the blue grade trail. Shorter but more challenging than the blue trail, the red trail is typically less than 1m wide with a loose surface. The obstacles and gradients are also more challenging. Red grade trails are intended for the intermediate rider.
Finally, a short black grade section can be accessed from the red grade section. This contains highly technical features and is designed for expert riders.
How to get there:
Castle Wood Skills Loop can be started from Kielder Castle Forest Park Centre in Kielder which is part of Kielder. Kielder Village near Bellingham is the nearest town or village.
Kielder Castle is situated at the northern end of Kielder Water, off the C200.
OS Grid Reference: NY632934
