MOUNTAIN bike trails at Cwmcarn Forest Drive have reopened for the first time since they were closed to the public during lockdown.

The trails on the hills around Cwmcarn had only been fully accessible to the public since November last year, following a lengthy closure while trees were felled.

Euroforest and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) had been working to stop the spread of Larch Disease in the forest and were working to cut down infected trees.

South Wales Argus:

Around 160,000 diseased trees were felled to stop the spread of the disease.

As a result of this, the Cwmcarn Forest Drive was also closed to cars since 2014, and the mountain bike trails faced closures and diversions during this period too.

READ MORE:

  • Gwent coronavirus patients pay tribute to first-of-its kind rehabilitation scheme

Peter Cloke, land management team leader at NRW said: “We temporarily closed the mountain bike trails to discourage people from travelling to Cwmcarn in line with Welsh Government guidance on reducing the spread of coronavirus.

“During this period, we did receive reports of bikes on the trails but we believe these to be local people riding from home. We always encourage visitors to follow our signage as we sometimes close trails for safety reasons including maintenance and forest operations.

“As many more of our sites and trails reopen this week, we’d like to thank the vast majority for staying safe and adhering to our closures.”

A new 'blue' cycle trail, completed in the spring, is a new addition to the network and will allow families to enjoy the surroundings.

These improvements are part of a scheme to redevelop the 1,400 hectare wooded landscape, which is popular with locals and tourists alike.

The next phase of work to reopen the Forest Drive began last month.

Among work to be carried out will include repairs to the road surface, landscaping, three new play areas and eight waterless toilets. The work is expected to take around 12 weeks.