The new ‘Monkey Trail’ is part of a £200,000 project to improve the visitor facilities at Cannock Forest over the past three years, which has included eight kilometres of new singletrack and some new look features added to existing routes.

Cross-country, downhill, and family cycle trails (1-10 miles) have also benefited from the revamp and will be re-launched on the day.

Birches Valley Forest Centre is already the starting point for the popular ‘Follow the Dog’ technical route.  The seven-mile, single-track trail, which was created by Chase Trails as the West Midlands’ first dedicated Cross Country MTB trail, was also be upgraded as part of the changes.

When linked to the Follow the Dog technical route, the new ‘Monkey Trail’, will provide 24 kilometres of the West Midlands’ finest bike trail.

The ‘Monkey Trail’ features some short sharp climbs and long flowing decents, so you can expect some extremely tight twists and turns along the way.  New features that are popular with mountain bikers will include climbing turns, berms, rooty drops and lots of narrow flowing singletrack.

Wider changes and improvements to existing trails will help more people of all ages and abilities get active and develop a healthier lifestyle.  There will be an easy green route for families and beginners through to blue and red courses for cycling enthusiasts.

Natural features found in the forest are now merging into the trail, so that it will look as though it has always been there in just a few months. The trail surface will be made from locally sourced stone and look and ride just as any natural trail in the area.

The Project has been steered into action with the help of the Chase Trails volunteer group, a volunteer group of local mountain bikers.  They have given up countless weekends to help enhance the cycling facilities at Cannock Chase by helping to plan and design significant sections of trail.

Hand built sections of the trails have also been completed by Chase Trails through ‘big build weekends’, weekly volunteering sessions and occasional help external supporters like RAF Stafford.

Anyone interested in supporting the project or joining the Chase Trails volunteer group should visit www.chasetrails.co.uk.

Chase Trails volunteers and partners have raised over [£60,000 – CHECK] for the project, £28,000 of which came from the Staffordshire Aggregates Levy Grant Scheme.  Sport England awarded the initiative £130,800 of National Lottery funding.

Large sections of the trail has also been built by specialist trail builders Clixby’s, from Oakamoor in Staffordshire, who previously constructed singletrack mountain bike trails for the Forestry Commission at Dalby forest in North Yorkshire, Whinlatter Forest in Cumbria and the descent line at Stainburn, near Leeds.

Chase Trails volunteer group, cycle brand - Giant UK, Swinnerton Cycles Forest Centre, Staffordshire Aggregates Levy Grant Scheme, Staffordshire County Council, the Sport England Community Investment Fund and the Forestry Commission have all contributed to the project.

Cemex provided local materials needed for surfacing the trails and Staffordshire County Council supported the project by helping with re-waymarking some of the existing family trails.

Bike hire facilities will be provided by Swinnerton Cycles.  For more information on cycle hire at Cannock Forest, contact Swinnerton Cycles Forest Centre on 01889 575170 or visit www.bikechase.co.uk

For more information about recreational facilities at Cannock Forest and other Forestry Commission woodland around the West Midlands visit www.forestry.gov.uk/westmidlands and www.forestry.gov.uk/cannockforest