Fewston, Beecroft, Timble Woods, & Swinsty Bike Trail

Yorkshire Water has created a bike trail near Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs. Starting from the car park in Swinsty Moor Plantation, it runs through the Beecroft Plantation, via a 'features area', and up to Timble woods.

This is what Yorkshire Water said about the trail when it first opened.

'A new and exciting mountain bike trail in North Yorkshire is now open to the public, offering riders of all abilities the opportunity to test and develop their riding skills. Yorkshire Water had spent approximately £20,000 to create the action-packed 1.2km route at its Beecroft Plantation, next to Fewston reservoir, near Harrogate.'
Yorkshire Water, 10th September 2013

Most of the route can be done by anyone on any kind of mountain bike or hybrid. The features area in the Beecroft Plantation (the 1.2km section referred to in the press release) requires a bit more mountain biking skill, as does the single track route through Timble woods. Both of these are optional.

Fewston, Beecroft, Timble Woods, & Swinsty Bike Trail: Map & GPS

The bike route is shown in brown on the OpenCycleMap below.

There is also a Yorkshire Water map (but several people have said it's not easy to read).

I've used Plotaroute to create a GPS file that you can download.

Fewston, Beecroft, Timble Woods, & Swinsty Bike Trail: Route Notes

Parking

Parking is at the car park on the edge of the Swinsty Moor Plantation, on the south side of Fewston Embankment (entrance marked P on the map). The car park has toilets, and there's usually an ice cream van.

There is a height barrier, so for vehicles with bikes on the roof, Yorkshire Water suggest their equestrian/cycle users' car park (entrance marked P2). Really, it's just one car park, divided by a fence, and with two entrances. The equestrian/cycle entrance is a few metres up North Lane towards Timble.

The Start of the Bike Route

A footpath that goes round Fewston reservoir starts nearly opposite the entrance to the main car park. Footpaths have yellow waymarkers. Ignore the footpath.

Instead, for the bike route, turn left out of the car park (but not sharp left up North Lane). The road goes down into a dip. At the bottom of the dip, on the right hand side, is the start of the bike trail. There's no signpost, and as you can see from the photo, the entrance is discreet, not obvious. The bike trail has light blue waymarkers.

There's an information board and map near the start of the trail.

Initially, the bike path runs to the left of a dry stone wall, and quite close to the footpath around Fewston reservoir.

Features Area

If you want to ride the features area, you have to turn left at the first junction (up a track along the edge of the Beecroft Plantation), and go straight on (rather than right) at the second junction. Just before the track reaches the road and a blue Yorkshire Water gate, the entrance to the features area is on your right. Again, it's discreet rather than indicated with lights, music, and fireworks.

The GPS file on Plotaroute takes you to the features area.

If you don't want to do the features area, the route through the woods (with two slightly different variants) is shown on the map. You'll pass the bottom of the features area, where it rejoins the main route. 

Across Rues Lane

Just before you reach Rues Lane, there's a little right/left dogleg, off the track where it goes past a house which has been restored, and into the woods. Cross Rues Lane, and on the other side of the road there's a gate and an information board. Go through the gate and follow the track. You pass some beech trees on the right.

Gill Beck & Timble woods

Then the trail runs alongside Gill Beck for a time. It's a lovely little stream, and this is perhaps the most picturesque part of the ride.

Here, there are sections of the path with tree roots to negotiate, and sharp ups and downs.

Leaving Gill Beck, you go past the bottom of the single track section. The main route is the right fork, and it's a track through Timble woods. It takes you round two sides of a square, uphill to Timble Ings.

At Timble Ings, there are wildlife ponds which were created in 2006. An information board explains that the number of ponds in Britain has reduced dramatically over recent decades, and there has been a corresponding decline in species that rely on pond habitat.

The ponds at Timble Ings are positively alive with frogs, toads, water boatmen, damselflies, dragonflies, and a whole lot more.

There's an abundance of butterflies in the woods and meadows you pass through on this ride, but particularly around Timble Ings. In late July or early August, there are peacock butterflies in profusion - timing their emergence to coincide with the flowering of the knapweed.

Credit where credit is due, whoever is managing this area at Yorkshire Water appears to be producing a landscape that's rich in wildlife.

From Timble Ings, it's nearly all downill. You emerge into the open, with the woods on your left, and ride towards Red Gate.

The Single Track Section

Immediately after Red Gate, the track descends to Long Dike. Go up the other side of the dip, and the single track section starts on your left. It's quite technical, as there are tree roots and rocks to negotiate.

When you get to the bottom, turn left and ride two sides of the square again to get back to Timble Ings.

The Way Back

If you're not doing the single track section, or when you've done it and come round again, continue straight on, on the main track, back to Rues Lane.

Then, you can either turn left down Rues Lane, and ride back through the Beecroft Plantation (green arrows on the map); or go straight across Rues Lane, then after a short distance, fork right on a minor road to Timble (orange arrows on the map). The orange arrows are just to differentiate this route from the Rues Lane route, not to indicate that it's any more difficult.

Timble

Timble is a delightful, quiet village. House martins nest under the eaves of Robinsons Library. The swish Timble Inn is an option for a drink or lunch.

From Timble, North Lane takes you back to the Swinsty Moor Plantation car park.

Fewston, Beecroft, Timble Woods, & Swinsty Bike Trail: Features Area

The Yorkshire Water press release says of this features area:

'The course, which features bumps and jumps of varying degrees of difficulty - along with 'chicken runs' for those who want to avoid obstacles - was designed using input from local mountain bikers to ensure that there is something for everyone, regardless of their level of ability, and is part of the wider 9km cycle network in the Washburn Valley. What's more, it's completely free to use.'
Yorkshire Water press release

There are some rolling bumps.

Features are made using rocks and logs.

Some features are more challenging than others, but there are always chicken runs so you can avoid features you don't want to ride.

Features Area: Video

This video from MTB Cycle Yorkshire shows mountain bikers on the features area in the Beecroft Plantation:

Fewston, Beecroft, Timble Woods, & Swinsty Bike Trail: Comments and Suggestions

What do you think of the bike trail. Is there any way it could be improved? Have I missed something in this guide to the bike route? (I hope that the maps and GPS I've provided will be enough, even without good signage on the ground).