In Search of the Lost Havok Bike Trail. Portsmouth. Todmorden

The woods above Portsmouth and Cornholme, near Todmorden, have until recently been the home of the Havok Bike Park. A dense woodland location like a modern-day Narnia, a path runs through the pine trees, though most of it was off limits to anyone not on a bike.
Closed down as a Bike Trail a few years ago, the buildings were removed, but does anything else remain of this once popular location? Or has nature reclaimed it all?

[@elainehalliwell6791]

The mine is where the abandoned vehicles are on the area that has now been landscaped. Everything has been covered over . It was called Hill Top Colliery .closed in 1966 . In 1997 Billy Clayton got permission to reopen again and had 2 drift mines . Closed around 2014. Hence all the mine water in that stream 👍 the quarry is my playground at the moment I'm up there often and there used to be tunnels up there fetching the coal down from the mine to Portsmouth mill .at the top of the quarry was a cable tower that hauled the coal tubs up and down the incline . The steep grassy incline that you walked up is the old mine track incline .. . The forest is man made from the early 80's to prevent flooding down on the valley floor . The Havok bike park forest was great for riding when Local Wayne Greenewood had it. . He had competitions too . Young lads use bits of it these days. The forest has had its day and is supposed to be felled as they do every 40 years .. past its sell bu date.. tho felling is proving to be difficult to get equipment up the steep banking to carry out works so it's a difficult one to say what is happening at the present . Alot of the trees have a disease .I've sent a few emails this last few years and Tillhill forestry now own the land .

[@jfpickering]

I remember all those trees being planted...showing my age.

[@PhilWaud]

First video of yours I've watched, love it mate! Beautiful woodland, yes it looks like a managed woodland and also pretty close to cropping. Apparently a wood is generally less dense and smaller than a forest,. Forests were created for hunting.

[@elainehalliwell6791]

Oh and Havok Bike park used to be called Cockhill bike park back in 2013.👍😁🌲

[@CelinaEbbs]

Privileged to live in Todmorden. I can see this forest from my window.

[@bellavida7628]

I love your video's , they're so interesting and the scenery is amazing. I live in Yorkshire and feel so lucky 🍀 thank you Matt 🕊

[@theparadoxclub1326]

Excellent Video Matt you take us to some beautiful picturesque places you make it feel like we’re with you.. hope you left your undies on at the end 🤔Thanks ✌️

[@CelinaEbbs]

It's called bearnshaw woods, now owned by tillbury ?. Just trees in tubes when I moved up in 84. Great video.

[@daroniussubdeviant3869]

that hill is hollow. i've been inside km of tunnels from an old ventilation hole behind the pinewoods up the turning left after turn leathers.

[@1charlykater]

The wood is called Cock Hill Wood

[@jfpickering]

I hope you tell people where you're going before you set off just in case you injure yourself.