Chicksands bike park

Chicksands has transformed into a serious destination for mountain bikers and trail riders. The bike park sits near Henlow and serves up a proper range of tracks - everything from beginner green runs through to properly technical black routes that'll test your nerve. It's the kind of place where you'll see riders of all abilities queuing at the same features, which says something about how well it's designed.

The trails wind through woodland, and the whole setup feels like they've actually thought about flow and progression rather than just bolting obstacles onto random ground. Families with older kids who can handle intermediate terrain will get hours out of this. Younger ones might find it intimidating, and there's not much for non-riders to do here - this is genuinely specialist territory.

You'll want to allow at least half a day if you're properly testing the park. Bring your own bike in good working order; there's no indication of hire availability. Spring and autumn tend to be best - summer can get churned up by heavy use, and winter's a slog.

It works well as part of a Hertfordshire biking trip, especially combined with Henlow Bridge Lakes just down the road. That's your base sorted for families who want their non-cycling members catered for with the lakeside setup, while the bikers escape to Chicksands daily. Not your average tourist spot, but absolutely the right answer if trail riding's what you came for.