Cycling

South Derbyshire and The National Forest provide an ideal environment for cycling. To browse The National Forest’s guide to the best places to cycle in South Derbyshire please use the following link:

Explore Scenic Cycling Trails in the National Forest.

Cadley Park

Cadley Park has been created on the site of the old Cadley Hill colliery which was established in 1861. In the early 1980s it still employed 3500 men who produced two million tons of coal. The site is now a new park within the Swadlincote area, with the aim of providing an environment which encourages and facilitates active travel, engagement in active environments and a rich biodiverse nature area for the local population of Swadlincote and the wider District to enjoy, connecting existing and new communities together.

The park is 3.89 hectares in size provides a facility mix of cycle features such as a pump track and learn to ride zone, pedestrian walkways, and environmental and biodiversity resources as well as its connectivity to the wider area.

Rosliston Forestry Centre:

Sites where you can indulge in a passion, or put your pedal power to the test, include Rosliston Forestry Centre, which offers a range of routes for all abilities. Get Active in the Forest host a cycling group, led by a British Cycling Instructor at Rosliston Forestry Centre every Friday morning from 10-11am. Rental bikes are also made available to both adults and children for up to 4 hours to explore what Rosliston Forestry Centre has to offer.

Other Sites and Routes:

There are several published cycling routes within South Derbyshire that are suited to all of the family, as well as experienced cyclists:

• Cycling at Calke ^{(pdf, 400kb)}
• Cycling at Foremark and Bretby ^{(pdf, 415kb)}
• Cycling at Longford ^{(pdf, 147kb)}
• Cycling at Trusley and Osleston ^{(pdf, 152kb)}
• Cycling the Conkers circuit ^{(pdf, 2mb)}
• The Horseshoe Trail ^{(pdf, 635kb)}
• Cycling trails around Swadlincote ^{(pdf, 3.6mb)}

More routes, as well as a wide variety of cycling information and advice, are available from Cycling Derbyshire  and Sustrans. This includes an interactive map of walking and cycling routes which can be found on the Visit South Derbyshire website.

Just the over the border in North-West Leicestershire, Hicks Lodge and Snibston Colliery Park host trails for cyclists of all abilities, whether using a bike with stabilisers or climbing the terrain on a mountain bike. Snibston Colliery Park also provides a pump track for cyclists to practice their skills.

We want to make sure South Derbyshire provides an environment to enable people of all ages to cycle regularly for leisure, active travel, commuting or sport. Our efforts to achieve this includes Active Schools Partnership’s Bikeability offer. The programme delivers courses across South Derbyshire schools, providing the next generation the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on the roads.

Bicycle parking has been made available across the district, please click here to see a map of the locations.