On the A697 between Longframlington and Powburn is a little haven of single track mountain bike ecstasy in the guise of Thrunton Woods. It’s a little mysterious because you can go there any weekend or summer evening and clearly see that the car park is well patronised by mountain bikers, but where do they ride? If you were to start at the main car park and take the fire road up into the forest you won’t find any trails way-marked so unless you are looking very carefully or following someone with actual trail knowledge all you are likely to follow is fire roads and bridle paths.

Thrunton Woods is relatively small, there is a small car park and picnic area with no toilets or faculties for changing into your mountain bike clothes. The actual woods are about 5 kilometres x 3 kilometres with a maximum elevation of 250 metres in the main woods and just to the south the adjoining Coe and Long Crags rise to an elevation of 319 metres. With the main car park at an elevation of around 150 metres this means there are no real gut busting climbs. There are some steeper downhill sections to the north of the wood but generally the main trails are fairly technical descending single track that start and end at a fire road, so you generally climb on the fire roads and descend on single track. You won’t find any berms or north shore but you will encounter many rocks, drops, tree stumps and the odd narrow wooden bridges just to make your ride more interesting.

The trails are developed and maintained by the Thrunton Trail Builders with the Forestry Commissions approval, providing they are not way-marked. I suppose they know that mountain bikers using the woods will invariably veer onto narrow paths between the trees, therefore it makes sense to give them somewhere to haul ass out of the way of unsuspecting walkers. However, the problem for the mountain biker is, finding the unmarked entrances.

Fortunately I have a good friend, who not only introduced me to mountain biking he is also one of the Thrunton Trail Builders. The trail builders are a little like the freemasons, unless you actually know one or the funny hand shake, your chances of finding them is slim and without them there is virtually no chance as a first time visitor of finding the trails. After been mountain biking in Thrunton Woods on numerous occasions with the trail builders, I still have trouble finding my way around, the place is a labyrinth. However to save you frustration of finding routes I have listed a few of the single track sections that I am aware of, well I’m 90% sure I have them right. Either way it should keep you grinning for a couple of hours.

1, HP Sauce: Take the fire road from the main car park for about 1 kilometre bearing left at the first junction then right at the second junction. About 150 metres after the junction you will see an uphill, narrow disused fire road on the right, take this road until you reach Dougie’s bench. At Doug’s bench turn and go slightly back down the hill you have just climbed and you will see a trail to the left. Follow the tyre tracks into the trees, you will climb slightly at first then after the bend you will start descending over rock slabs and dodging tree stumps. You will weave to the left to an opening in the trees where you will encounter fairly sharp drop followed by a small log jump, then its back onto the fire road.

2: Take the fire road from the main car park bearing left at the first junction, around 800 metres up the firer road you will see a sharp drop to the left. Take this path which turns fairly sharp left around a tree then follow the trail through a gap in the wall. The path gets a little bumpy and rooty then you bear right then left into a dark rocky wooded section, follow this path to the fire road.

3, Super G: Take the fire road from the main car park bearing left at the first junction then bearing right at the second junction for about 1.5 kilometres until you come to a T junction. Turn left at the junction after about 80 metres you will come to a small bend. Look to your left and you will see a gap in the trees fronted by a large hump, just ride over this hump and follow the trail into the woods. The path soon splits into two trails whichever you take expect a rock n rooty ride with a couple of unexpected drops.

4: The best way to find this route is to take the perimeter fire road that follows Coe Burn as it climbs Coe Hill. You will come to a junction where you will need to take a right turn then follow the road uphill then take the left turn. About 50 to 80 metres after the left turn look to the right a for a gap in trees, this is your entry point. When entering you will soon come to right bend and the Bridge of Doom, best to check it out before you ride. It’s basically a large very rock followed by a narrow wooden bridge then a very sharp left turn to a short steep descent followed by a sharp right turn.

The path then takes you on single track through the woods, along the trail you will come to a channel and feel you need to go left and down, don’t, instead take a right then a left to continue following the trail to another large rock. Just after the rock you will see a skull and cross bone only take this route if you can manage a 2 metre jump, alternately take a sharp right then left down a steep bank. Follow the trail downhill to a grassy fire road. Or you could instead turn right uphill and you will see a path on your left, this leads to a very technical section (The Eiger), I haven’t tried it because I don’t like hospital food.

5: This route is found by taking the perimeter fire road from the main road towards the bottom of Coe Hill, you will see a path to the left (if you can see the Coe Burn on your left you have passed the entrance). Take the trail and follow the burn down stream. This is trail is not a descent, it’s more of a rooty single track with a couple of technical sections. After you cross a small burn you will come to a short technical climb that doable but really hard.

6 & 7: Hard Nab, Coe Crags and Long Crags: These are typical cross country routes listed on any OS map, they offer some very hairy downhill sections. Be careful as many walkers share these routes. I hope this article will help you discover some of the many routes in Thrunton Woods, if you want to discover more trails you will need to either keep trying the gaps in the trees or join the Trail Builders. I will link to their website as soon as they have one live.