Mendip Cross Trails Trust

News Posted: 17 April 2007

The Mendip Cross Trails Trust, known locally in the Mendip Hills in Somerset as MCTT, is working to establish legal trail access for mountain bikers and have have secured over 80 legal trails for multi-use in the last 20 years. Much of their work involves quietly campaigning behind the scenes to great effect.  The Trust was established by enthusiastic horse riders to make strategic improvements to the local bridleway network and it became a registered Charity in 2002.  

With the huge growth in popularity of mountain biking over recent years MCTT, which has influence across a broad area stretching from West Wiltshire to Bristol to South Somerset, is encouraging mountain bikers to become actively involved.

MCTT has a strong board of Trustees, passionate about trail access and a Project Officer who consults and negotiates with landowners and local authorities, creating routes and accessible trails for all non-motorised multi-users.   A  project team supports the project through fund-raising work and ensuring publicity for the Trust. 

The Mendip Hills are home to well known mountain bike events including Cheddar Challenge and CLIC24 which use a small proportion of the excellent and varied trails rising from tight singletrack in the wooded combes to exposed high open moorland. The plethora of off-piste trails are consistently becoming legalised thanks to the hard work of the dedicated MCTT team. New permanent routes cost £10 per metre – roughly a stride so those riders, cyclists and walkers who support MCTT through events and membership are leaving a fantastic legacy of bridleway ‘strides’ across the Mendip Hills.

CLIC24 event manager and now MCTT Trustee, Neil Wilkins explains, “with MCTT behind us, mountain bikers throughout the southwest can now legally ride an amazing network of trails across the Mendip Hills and if riders join the Trust and get involved in the work on the ground there are many more new tracks to add to our collection.”

Neil adds, “many of the most popular trails in the Mendip Hills run across sites of special scientific interest. These are particularly sensitive places where the natural habitat is at risk from over-use at certain times of the year or because it contains endangered or rare species. By supporting the work of MCTT we can ensure the needs of the rider, landowner and natural environment are protected”.

MCTT will be present at this year’s CLIC24 on 12/13 May encouraging riders to get involved. The Trust also runs a programme of riding events, promoting multi-use with categories for cyclists, horse riders and runners. The Trust’s website at www.mctt.org.uk has more information and details about how to join and get involved.