We explore some local trails this month on a hilly loop around Cheddar in the Mendip Hills. Our Jimmer is let out for good behaviour, but will Max ever invite him back?
You don’t always have to hit the back of beyond for a spectacular ride. We check out the area around Cheddar Gorge, not far from the MBUK of ice
For this month’s Big Ride, the promise of some great local riding has drawn art editor Jimmer out for the day. He’s slightly concerned about being overbiked aboard his big-hitting GT Force, but I’m confident his endless enthusiasm and energy will see him through. Hopefully, though, he’ll slow down the supersonic pace he usually talks at so that Russell and I can understand him.
Say cheese…
Our route starts from the bustling tourist hotspot of Cheddar, with its impressive limestone gorge, caves (home to the 9,000-year-old Cheddar Man skeleton) and, of course, its legendary cheese. However, the hills around here also boast fantastic biking. We set off along the Strawberry Line cycle route and skirt Cheddar Reservoir. Passing through the medieval square of Axbridge, and resisting the Almshouse Tea Shop, we briefly join tarmac but we’re soon spinning along the flat cycle path again, on the lookout for the Shute Shelve Tunnel. We’re actually seeking the path before the railway tunnel, to get up to the road that crosses the bridge, otherwise there’s a bit of out-and-back on the cycle path and Yardley Lane.
As we emerge at King’s Wood car park and weave our way through the dog walkers, the dull, misty weather starts to clear. We’ve managed to time our
ride immediately after the only deluge of rain in a long, dry spell so the damp surface and first steep climb provide a test for Jimmer’s bike. He makes light work of it though, his 150mm of rear travel soaking up the rutted, rooty track, and continues to rabbit on unhindered. The final ascent on tarmac delivers us to the boundary of the Mendip Hills and, more importantly, the western edge of Rowberrow Warren. There are some excellent trails in this wooded area, developed and maintained by Ride Mendips, a charity established by a group of local MTBers. This very week waymarker posts and noticeboards have been put up, which makes it a whole lot easier to find and navigate the tangle of tracks. We spy a singletrack trail cutting through the trees, as an alternative to the forest track – it proves to be an interesting and rather challenging option.
The sun’s definitely won the battle today and is warming up the damp, dank foliage. At the top we reach a shiny new sign marking the ‘Christmas Trees’ trail, which plunges us into the conifers once more. The super-wiggly trail and slippery roots demand all our attention, as we search for traction in the corners and try not to get momentarily blinded by the bright shafts of light piercing the dense canopy. It’s a superb little red route, with small jumps, roots, rocks and chutes as it continues over a forest track, into ‘Happy Valley’.
Man overboard
At the end of this is the black-graded ‘Vicious Valley’, but with today’s damp conditions we decide to quit while we’re ahead and climb back up the hill in search of the next waymarked trail on our list, ‘Pump Track’. Jimmer’s GT is really at home in these woods, and he rips down this blue trail as I do my best to chase his wheel. The run starts off nicely, flowing well over dry surfaces, but the middle section is holding water – the Mendips are generally best avoided when it’s been wet for a while. A suspect jump line sees Jimmer catch some air straight off the side of the trail. Russell and I are so concerned we can’t contain our laughter. Over the forest track the trail splits, into either ‘The Chippy’ or ‘The Twins’. We choose the former and are pleased with our decision, as we slide between trees and launch off lips and fallen branches for a superb finale.
Totally stumped
With the sun illuminating the lush green canopy and the trail flowing well, we’re in heaven and more than happy to do numerous runs as Russell snaps away. Jimmer is enjoying it so much he goes further each time, until we decide we can’t restrain him any longer and release him into the wild. However, his enthusiasm gets the better of him, as being airborne means that he’s unable to direct himself around the split in the trail, and he lands on a large tree stump. This crash looks more serious than the last one, so we decide to check that bike and rider are OK before we start laughing. Jimmer bounces back like a Tigger though, and we’re soon finishing ‘The Chippy’ and straight into ‘Yee Haw’,
a raw, natural-feeling trail – an impression that’s exacerbated by the overgrown foliage and soft muddy surface, which dips and twists over polished roots for some proper old-school fun.
After exiting the trees, we opt for the less technical, grassy grind up Black Down onto open, barren moorland, which offers 360-degree views over the flat lowlands that surround these hills. To the north, we can see across the River Severn to South Wales, and to the south the panorama stretches over the Somerset Levels. It’s a great place to be when it’s clear and dry, but even after months of mostly dry weather, one day of heavy rainfall has left some sections soft and muddy.
A fast, rocky track leads us down past the Mendips Raceway, which hosts banger and caravan racing. Its fencing looks much sturdier than it did some years ago, when I recall being able to scramble up the bank and watch some racing mid-ride. We’ve got our own race down the next section of trail though, as it turns into rocky, rooty singletrack. Again, Jimmer’s bike comes into its own as he hoons off down the trail and I chase him down, narrowly avoiding him as we both brake sharply before a gate. I’m grateful for this reset button though, before we set off again for the final section dropping back into Cheddar.
A gorgeous descent
After cruising into town, we pull up at a cafe to replenish our energy levels. The best is yet to come – and that includes the climb up through Cheddar Gorge. It may be on tarmac and busier than we’d like, but the high-sided cliffs flanking the snaking road are a mesmerising sight and distract us from the grind. Near the top, we join a slippery track up the hillside. It’s not much of a bridleway, more of a steep slope, where, unusually, the protruding roots offer your best chance of any traction. Jimmer adopts the hike-a-bike position while Russell has to push his heavy e-bike and I try using my bike as a crutch, because my shoes offer precisely zero grip. It’d be comical for anyone watching, but Russell and Jimmer aren’t best pleased, so I’m not exactly Mr Popular. However, as the gradient eases, traction returns and we finally crest the top to be rewarded with a magnificent view over Cheddar and the reservoir beyond.
We sit down to soak in the view and draw air back into our lungs, ensuring our legs are feeling strong again before we edge ourselves as close to the clifftop as we dare and peer down into Cheddar Gorge. It’s an impressive sight and you can see why it attracts so many people. However, it’s also an awesome descent, so we rejoin the trail, which is a fast blast at first before becoming a technical, rocky affair, which we proceed to bounce down while attempting to avoid the tourists. Unsurprisingly, this is a popular walking path so you do need to take care – especially with the rocks slickened from the high footfall. But with it being the end of the day, it’s reasonably quiet now, so for the last section of descent we have a great uninterrupted run all the way back down into Cheddar. It’s a cracking finish to a great ride, in an area that’s often overlooked. Parts of it may not hold up too well in bad weather and it gets busy at peak times, but time it right and you’ll be rewarded with stunning scenery, sublime trails and good food, all within a stone’s throw of the M5.