£2m mountain bike trails set to attract cyclists to Down District

£2m mountain bike trails set to attract cyclists to Down District

13 February 2013

WORK on a major new tourist attraction which straddles Castlewellan and Kilbroney forest parks is due to be completed by the end of April.

The near £2m international championship standard mountain bike trail scheme is being funded by Down and Newry and Mourne councils, Sport NI and the Tourist Board.

Contractors have been on site in both forests since last April creating 21 new trails in Castlewellan.The trails, which are nearing completion, will feature in this year’s World Police and Fire Games.

Members of Down Council’s Building Control and Estates Committee were told last week that work on 10 trails has been completed at Castlewellan.

Contractors have yet to start work on another eight, with a further three at various stages of construction. The trails will cover a total of 16km in Castlewellan and 28km in Kilbroney.

Prior to construction work starting on the new trails in Castlewellan an archaeology

survey was carried out, but nothing of significance was discovered.

Committee chairman, councillor Garth Craig, said there is no doubt the mountain bike trails will provide the district with a huge benefit in terms of the people who will use them and visitor spend.

“We all hope that when the project is opened the district will be able to cash in on its success,” he added.

Councillor Willie Clarke agreed that the new trails will make a major contribution to the local economy, given the number of people expected to use what he described as this “exciting new facility.”

He said the designer of the scheme said the trails in Castlewellan and Kilbroney forests are equal to, if not better than, similar facilities in Scotland.

“This is good news for both council areas and will produce an all-island benefit. The trails have the potential to significantly increase the number of visitors we attract to this part of the world. The brilliant thing about the new trails is that they can be used all-year round and in all weathers,” he added.