BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Bigger Picture...

The beginnings…

Back in 2005, there were rumblings of a multi-million pound project that would enhance and conserve some of the most important historical sites in the world. Those sites are right here in the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a place noted for its beautiful natural environment, but with a fierce industrial past connected to mining. Now, along with nine other locations in Cornwall, much of the valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, signifying the international importance of its mining landscape. Plus, until 2010, many parts of the AONB are undergoing conservation work as part of the Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project.

Devon Great Consols is the largest copper mine within the designation, covering around 67 hectares. Formed in 1844, the mine workings tapped into abundant copper lodes in the area. At the time, this was like winning the Euro Millions Lottery for the 7th Duke of Bedford and his prospectors. The mine soon became the richest and most productive in the world and within its lifetime, it returned copper ores with a value of over £3.5 million – a mind-boggling fortune in its day.

As the copper seams became exhausted, arsenic mining and processing took its place and continued to provide a healthy revenue from the land. When the mines finally closed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the landscape was indelibly marked by the halcyon days of copper, arsenic, tin, lime and lead mining. Today, giant scars speckle the valley landscape in the form of chimneys, calciners (arched structures where arsenic crystals ‘collected’ on the walls), shadowy shafts and enormous lunar-style waste tips. For industrial archaeologists, this is a treasure trove to be explored. For everyone else, it is a glimpse into another time: a physical reminder of the massive impact mining had on all aspects of modern-day life.

What do ancient mines and dare-devil mountain bikers have in common?

Simple. Important mine sites, like Devon Great Consols, provide all-too-tempting ready-made tracks and trails for mountain bikers to ride. The only problem is, in doing so, they can destroy much of the archaeology, flora and fauna in the process and cause erosion problems on the contaminated waste tips.

The Tamar Valley is a calm and beautiful landscape full of rare species and habitats, but it’s also home to numerous adrenalin-pumping activities. Mountain bikers, canoeists, kayakers, skaters, mountain boarders and trail riders all appreciate how much fun can be had in a landscape like the Tamar Valley – and certainly make the most of it on a regular basis. The challenge arises in trying to balance the tranquility with the action.

Many rare species have made their home at Devon Great Consols: Nightjars nest on the ground close to the ruined arches of old calciners, rare lichens and mosses flourish where other plants would struggle, larger fauna like deer graze on the edges of woodland trails and a whole range of insects and invertebrates buzz and crawl around here in the warmer months. And if the arsenic tips are disturbed, it’s unknown how much pollution would be caused from slippages onto nearby land and waterways.

Unfortunately some riders were having a bit too much fun in this unusual place, illegally riding across the dangerous waste heaps and delicate heathland habitats.

Keen to make sure that everyone in the valley could fulfill the way they want to use it, the Tamar Valley AONB and its partnership set about finding an alternative spot for the dare-devils to get their natural highs. Rather than just ban them from riding anywhere near these heritage spots, the AONB worked with Tavistock Woodlands Estate to find a low-impact location: a place to build some exemplar tracks where the eager riders wouldn’t cause too much damage and devastation!

“It was always quite clear that, the mostly teenage, boys who used the tips has loads of energy: they had already sculpted trails, built jumps and organized events using hand tools and raw determination.

Working with Tavistock Woodland Estate the original disparate group were given permission to use the safer parts of the woodlands, so long as they organized themselves into a club, self policed the area, kept it clean and free of litter and got insured. This was the beginning of the Woodland Riders.

Through this group we started to work on a way to create a new facility that would get them away from the very toxic areas at Devon Great Consols. It’s fantastic that after all this time and effort, we have such an amazing new course, and have a vibrant Club giving many hundreds of young people such a great time. At the same time we hope that they will better appreciate the place they are in, learn more about the wonderful area around them and gather life skills to help them in future years. It proves that if young people are given these opportunities, they can achieve great things, and we are proud that it has been so successful.”

Tim Selman, Tamar Valley AONB Manager

Ready to ride…

The result is three amazing tracks weaving through dense woodland near Gawton Mine on the Devon bank of the Tamar. There is nowhere else in the West Country offering tracks of this caliber. The full-on downhill track, named Super-Tavi has some massively difficult sections and, along with the second downhill track, named Egypt, really requires a downhill bike, body armour, some downhill experience and nerves of steel. The third track, named HSD (High Speed Descent), is more of a freeride, cross-country track and can be easily ridden with a cross-country (hard-tail) bike with front suspension and a cross-country helmet.

The new tracks drop up to 500 feet in less than a mile, which means that riders virtually fly down the courses; surging and sliding over the course contours, taking on vast jumps and curving round sharp bends while trying to avoid a crash.

Money Spinning Wheels

The new tracks aren’t just a clever decoy for fragile habitats and archaeology; they will also generate a huge boost for the local economy. Research shows that specialist courses of this kind could produce many social and economic benefits for the valley.

“Developing these tracks has taken a great deal of time and effort. The results have already proved a hit with mountain bikers and are set to become a major local attraction with benefits for the local economy through increased visitor spend.”

Chris Hariades, Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project Manager

Fort William in Scotland is one example of where mountain biking has improved the rural economy, with riders travelling huge distances just to try out the switchbacks, drops and roots of a downhill trail, and in more recent years it has become the venue for the Mountain Bike World Cup Championships. Revenue for local businesses in increased through demand for refreshments, accommodation and transport links.

Behind the scenes…

The Tamar Valley AONB Unit has worked hard to make the whole project possible by garnering valuable support from partners, and obtaining funding totalling around £80,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, European Regional Development Fund, Natural England and South West Regional Development Agency, plus the AONB’s local authority partners: Caradon District Council, Cornwall County Council, Devon County Council, North Devon District Council, South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council.

For the last three years, the team has been liaising with landowners and local authorities, commissioning a track designer, overseeing construction, developing resources, and surveying the land, wildlife and environment. One of the major surveys undertaken checked the roosts and habits of the resident bat population nearby, and all surveys came back with a thumbs-up for the tracks to go ahead.

“As with many projects of this kind, there’s a lot of furious paddling beneath the water to make sure everything glides along smoothly. It’s been a long, drawn out process getting the legalities finalized, but we’re here now, the work is done and it’s a real result for everyone involved.

“There’s already been people travelling from miles away to hurtle down the courses, and even before they were finished riders were arriving to have a look at the site.”

Richard Halliwell, Resource Development Officer,
Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project

The site was chosen for its low environmental impact. As predominantly coniferous woodland, there was little biodiversity to be affected by the construction. The landowners, Tavistock Woodlands Estate were eager to develop parts of their land for other uses, on top of the forestry activities already established.

“It has been great to see the riders devise their own routes away from the sensitive places on the mini-sites. It shows that wildlife and people can co-exist happily!”

Rosemary Teverson, AONB Project Manager

Mountain bikers get their hands dirty for finishing touches…

Rowan Sorrell has 16 years riding experience, from cross-country to elite racing in downhill contests. Currently ranked 5th in the UK, Rowan was brought onto the project to figure out how to cut three awesome tracks into a tricky landscape. His company Back on Track worked with project contractors and AONB officers to design and construct all three routes.

Groundwork began in late 2007, shaping the steep woodland into three rough tracks and trails. Given the almost gorge-like nature of this part of the valley, specialist machines were used to carve out the lines, but it was left to local downhill mountain bike club, Woodland Riders to add the finishing touches. ‘Riding-in’ is a trial-and-error way of making sure the tracks are exactly right. Members of the club, young and old, have spent many hours over the last few months, riding the courses, working out what needs tweaking and getting off their bikes with spades in hand, shifting earth and rocks to make it perfect.

Local tracks run by local club…

Woodland Riders have taken over the lease of the tracks for an initial 12 months period. Formed in 2005, the club has over 300 members, and since the tracks were completed this number is rising fast!

“The Woodland Riders will be running it as a going concern; it’s a fledgling business at the moment, but time will tell if it can be made viable. The club have ambitious ideas and are certainly passionate about what they do.”

Richard Halliwell, Resource Development Officer,
Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project

Every weekend, come rain or shine, you will find club members hurtling down tracks at up to 30-40 mph, dodging trees, roots, rocks and gut-wrenching drops. Boys, girls, men and women all use the Woodland Riders’ tracks, testing their mettle in this fast-growing extreme sport. There are several original courses at Tavistock Woodlands, built and used by the club over the last few years, but the Gawton routes have already become popular with some of the braver members and as word spreads, visitors from across the country are coming to try the white-knuckle experience.

Many riders have had their fair share of bumps, thumps and smashes. Broken collar bones, ankles, arms and legs are part of the stories that every rider has to share. The thrill of the ride all comes down to how far you can push yourself, how many risks you are willing to take just to increase your velocity; the chance of a crash intensifies, but so does the rush of adrenalin as you avoid tree trucks, rocks and mud by inches.

One of the conditions of using the tracks is that people must be a member of Woodland Riders. It’s relatively simple to join – either for a day, quarterly or annually – via Dartmoor Cycles shop in Tavistock (01822 618178), or by downloading a form from their website and posting it to the address supplied. It will be possible to register and join online soon. Membership fees help support the maintenance of the site, as well as the fees for affiliation to the British Cycling Association and covering the extensive insurance needed for a sport that involves more than the usual dose of jeopardy.

Facts & Figures

• Many hundreds of tonnes of earth has been moved to create the tracks.
• It has taken seven years of planning and two years of construction to make them.
• Woodland Riders has around 150 members, and this number is growing fast.
• Woodland riders was established in 2005.
• The tracks are one part of the Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project. The project is creating 25km of new trails networks in the area, due for completion by summer 2010.
• The Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was designated in 1995 and covers 75 square miles of beautiful and important landscape between Plymouth and Launceston.

Websites: www.tamarvalley.org.uk