Top 6 Bike Parks around Chartham

Yes, several spots cater to families. The New Road Forest Trail, Blean Woods offers gravel roads and natural singletrack suitable for all ages and abilities, including small jumps and river crossings. Clowes Wood also provides miles of cycling trails in a nature reserve setting. Additionally, the Great Stour Way is a traffic-free, surfaced path ideal for relaxed family rides along the River Stour.

For more technical riding, head to Covert Woods Mountain Bike Trails, which features an XC loop and at least four downhill runs with well-made berms and jumps. Perry Wood also offers XC bike trails and a Freeride/Downhill area in an old quarry site, known for its soft ground providing soft landings.

Lyminge Forest offers a good mix of fire roads, gravel, and singletrack trails. While it can get busy on weekends, heading away from the main car park towards Elhampark Wood can provide more space. For more technical riding within the forest, explore the well-maintained singletrack trails in Covert Wood.

Beyond the dedicated bike park features, sections of the North Downs Way, particularly those accessible from areas like King's Wood, offer challenging mountain biking opportunities. These routes can include significant elevation gain, champagne gravel fire roads, and fantastic singletrack through the woods, ideal for experienced riders seeking longer, more demanding rides.

The area is enjoyable year-round, but spring is particularly beautiful, especially in King's Wood when the bluebells are in bloom. For trails like those in Lyminge Forest, it's best to visit after a few days without rain to ensure optimal trail conditions.

The region is rich in natural beauty. The Great Stour Way follows the scenic River Stour through marshes and meadows, offering opportunities to spot wildlife like kingfishers. Clowes Wood is a nature reserve where you might see woodpeckers, woodcock, and even owls. King's Wood is renowned for its stunning bluebell displays in spring.

Absolutely! Besides cycling, you can find numerous hiking opportunities. For easy walks, explore routes like the 'St Mary's Church, Chartham loop' or 'Bridge Over the Stour loop'. For more moderate to difficult hikes, consider trails such as 'The Great Stour & Orchard loop' or 'Chilham Square – Westgate Towers loop'. You can find more details on these routes in the Hiking around Chartham guide.

Some areas offer good public transport links. For instance, New Road Forest Trail, Blean Woods has great transport links to Whitstable and Herne Bay via New Road or the Crab and Winkle Cycle Way. The Great Stour Way is easily accessible between Canterbury and Chartham.

Yes, if you're looking for road cycling, there are several routes around Chartham. Examples include the 'View of Seasalter Beach – Cows in Kentish Countryside loop from Dunkirk' or the 'Chartham Village – The Hub Café, Wye loop from Chartham'. You can explore more options in the Road Cycling Routes around Chartham guide.

Visitors appreciate the diverse range of cycling experiences, from relaxed, traffic-free paths to challenging mountain bike trails with natural and man-made features. The natural beauty of the ancient woodlands, river valleys, and rolling hills, combined with the variety of terrain, makes the area a popular choice for cyclists of all skill levels.

When riding in New Road Forest Trail, Blean Woods, be aware that while the majority is traffic-free, there are fire-road sections that may have some forest traffic. The trails are primarily off-road dirt tracks and access roads, so road bikes are not suitable. It's a great spot for mountain biking of all ages and abilities, offering gravel roads, natural singletrack, technical features, river crossings, and small jumps.