You can see my YouTube of this ride here

What we saying about Thetford Forest for mountain biking? Well, for a trail centre in a non-mountainous region, it’s pretty damn good actually!

Being in the area for other reasons, I wanted to fit in a mountain bike sesh. After searching online, I settled on Thetford Forest as it was the only trail centre that was ‘on my way’ to Attleborough.

The High Lodge trail centre is further off the A11 than I thought it would be, and it has a very long (surfaced) drive, before you get to the parking area.

I’d left a chilly and overcast Cambridge at around 1pm, arriving at the trail centre just before 2pm, and what a result, it was brilliant blue skies and pretty damn hot!

I wondered why there was so many marshals guiding cars to the parking areas, turns out that night there was to be a Kasabian concert, so it was pretty busy.

Each car park has a name, so you can easily find it again, should there be a concert when you are there, I parked in the Hedgehog car park. Possibly when there’s not a function on, you just park around the visitor centre car parks.

It’s really well organised, with the driveway being a one-way system. I had no hold-ups in or out, and it was very busy with the concert traffic still arriving.

The parking fees are well organised as well, which means you have to pay! They run a number plate recognition system, and you pay in pay-points outside the visitor centre when you’re ready to go, then just drive out, no tickets or barriers. It’s a little more expensive than other forest car parks, usually you pay around £7 for a day. My three and a bit hours cost £9.50. I suppose for how well organised it is, and for how well the trails are presented, it’s not bad for an afternoon’s entertainment! I’m thinking it’s similar to Whinlatter which has NPR and cost more than ‘usual’ forest parking.

Some locals told me that you could park for free at Brandon Country Park, not sure where that is in relation to the trail centre, but worth looking into if you’re planning on going.

Anyway,