Saltwells Wood Explorer

Not cycled for a while and looking for an easy way to get back in the saddle? Fancy a fun way to get your friends or kids riding? Our Easygoing rides are great for building confidence for all abilities and ages along relaxed, mostly traffic-free routes. They’re up to six miles long, with a gentle pace of around six miles an hour. This is a scenic 2.2 mile, traffic free ride around Saltwells Wood, one of the UK's largest Urban Nature Reserves, covering 247 acres. The wood is home to many species of woodland bird, such as tree - creeper, jay and great spotted woodpecker. Wild garlic and anemones are found in the wood together with carpets of bluebells. Within the wood is Doulton's claypit with spectacular cliffs showing a section through the rocks of the Middle and Lower Coal Measures. Abandoned in the 1940's, the claypit has been reclaimed by nature and now has unusual plants including hundreds of Common Spotted and Southern Marsh Orchids. Recently presented with a Centre of Excellence award by the Forestry Authority for woodland management, Saltwells has long been a model urban reserve for Europe under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere project.