Forestry commission discovery pass

[myskovon]

I just wanted to double check I’m not missing a trick here with the discovery pass system....I don’t live particularly close to any specific location they operate but do live within a reasonable distance of Sherwood, Dalby and Gisburn and like to ride at Hamsterley too - the issue is that it implies you would need to buy each individual forest pass. That’s all well and good but would cost over £200 and I’m never going to visit them enough to make it good value.

I realise money goes back into the venues and that’s why I’m keen to do it but surely other people aren’t buying a discovery pass unless they live on the doorstep as it seems to be valid only at one location and they visit many?

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[Dax]

Money doesn't go back to the venues, it goes to the government.

 

[DAZ1925]

It would be a great idea if they offered discounts for purchasing multiple passes but they don't.

In the past I've had passes for a couple of locations, one of which was for Cannock Chase which also covered Hick's Lodge for £40 both fairly close to me. but a couple of years ago they split the passes and each cost £40 then this year Cannock went up to £50. Free parking for me now, I'd like to support them but they are just getting too greedy.

 

[Kernow]

Money doesn't go back to the venues, it goes to the government.

I would rather not believe that , but I bet you are right . I hoped it stayed in the forestry commission and was used to upkeep and build more trails .

Really I guess we are so lucky with our trail centres and mtb venues there are so many great places to ride across the country , all centres have great marked trails and generally lots of off piste if you can find it , or know a local . Most are free to use , with just a parking fee . I can’t think of any other sports where you can arrive with or van full of people and have almost endless riding or entertainment for a few quid to park . Long live our great trail centres , may they keep growing feeding a great sport and industry .

 

[MattyB]

The Discovery pass seems in reality to be just a parking pass for those who use a single facility regularly. I doubt the FC ever considered that MTBers might want to hold more than one at a time; I suspect dog walkers are their prime purchasers!

 

[Kernow]

The Discovery pass seems in reality to be just a parking pass for those who use a single facility regularly. I doubt the FC ever considered that MTBers might want to hold more than one at a time; I suspect dog walkers are their prime purchasers!

I buy one for our local , £30 maunly to save on parking through the year and there’s a bit of discount if we use the very expensive cafe . I think there’s other benefits if you have kids , like the go ape high ropes stuff etc at some centres and I think discounts at some outdoor outlets etc . It pays for itself and you can specify multiple car numbers , so it can be used by the whole family in all the Vehicles owned saving us quite a bit through the year . Plus your not fussing about change and buying tickets every visit

 

[MattyB]

I buy one for our local , £30 maunly to save on parking through the year and there’s a bit of discount if we use the very expensive cafe . I think there’s other benefits if you have kids , like the go ape high ropes stuff etc at some centres and I think discounts at some outdoor outlets etc . It pays for itself and you can specify multiple car numbers , so it can be used by the whole family in all the Vehicles owned saving us quite a bit through the year . Plus your not fussing about change and buying tickets every visit

TBF being able to use it across different cars does sound handy. I know the National Trust by comparison are not so generous and can get very shirty if you don't have your card memebership as well as car sticker to prove you are a current member.

 

[myskovon]

Most of the venues I use say you can add more than the one vehicle reg but for Dalby Forest it doesn’t - the pass is £54 and it’s £9 to park at peak times if you are there for anything over 20mins! I’d have to use it 6 times a year to pay for the parking and I doubt I will. Just seems to me that if they offered a multi venue pass they would have more customers, whether or not the money is going back into the forest I don’t know but would like to remain optimistic.

 

[steve_sordy]

The Discovery pass for Sherwood Pines was £40 when I first bought one in 2011. Then a few years later they offered it at £39 if you renewed on line. This year it was £50, £49 if renewed on line. You get 2 for 1 bike hire, 10% off at the cafe (not weekends, public or school holidays). Also a range of other stuff I've never bothered with - including something to do with the Go-Ape facility they have there. It saves me money and also stops the fag of finding change and getting a ticket etc. Although very recently they have started a number plate recognition system, pay before leaving. It is a good system that works well provided people actually pay before they leave and not just arrive at the barrier expecting to pay. According to the FC, many, many people used to just leave without ever buying a ticket. This system stops all that.

I can register my wife's car as well, but we can't both use it at the same time. The best use I found for it is when I change my car. I have a personal number plate that always takes way longer than you'd think to swap over, so I use the new car's reg number as the second car.

 

[November Bravo]

The Forestry Commission or Forestry England as its now known IS developing a national pass, or membership it has been a long held desire to go this way, but with each Forest Centre, satellite woodlands all having their own budgets it’s not as straightforward as people might think. Hopefully, the new membership will be available sometime in 2020 alongside a local membership for visitors who don’t intend travelling up and down the country ticking off trail centres.

I would expect prices to match the increased opportunities to ride in more places on one pass.

Also, the Forestry Commission does receive a budget from Defra which must be met each year, which it does, approx. Every £1 invested via defra the tax payer receives £4 back through timber sales, visitor numbers and events.

My site has received significant funding thanks to these numbers in the last couple of years, a skills loop for kids first, and in the next couple of weeks a new 2.2k blue trail section to cater for beginner and intermediate riders, as well as new development of Red trail to compliment the changes to the blue. It might not seem much but if factored in with harvesting operations that often require reinstatement work (the last being May 2018, the next being this year) trails can cost as much as £34/m for new build and up to £23/m for reinstatement (depending on the scope and scale of the work) you’d be mistaken if you believed that car parking revenue doesn’t go back to the sites, often it’s the logistics and ecological constraints that cause delay.

 

[Mad Mark]

I pay the yearly pass at Cannock chase, which is £49 or was last year
If you pay each time I think it is about £6
So if you go more than 8 times in a year it's a massive saving
I probably go about once or twice a week, so an average of 75 times a year which would be a yearly cost of £450
So I don't mind paying the £49 ?

 

[November Bravo]

I pay the yearly pass at Cannock chase, which is £49 or was last year
If you pay each time I think it is about £6
So if you go more than 8 times in a year it's a massive saving
I probably go about once or twice a week, so an average of 75 times a year which would be a yearly cost of £450
So I don't mind paying the £49 ?

Yep, it’s great value no matter which way you look at it. I think it’s relatively cheap if you pay to park, if the day rate is £6 per car and a family of 4 turn up it’s £1.50 each to spend the day walking, riding or playing.

 

[Doomanic]

A multi location pass would be good, assuming it's not ridiculously expensive.

I use FoD a lot and Cannock a little but know of free parking for both, although parking at the centre is useful for toilets/cafe/showers.

 

[November Bravo]

A multi location pass would be good, assuming it's not ridiculously expensive.

I use FoD a lot and Cannock a little but know of free parking for both, although parking at the centre is useful for toilets/cafe/showers.

I imagine it will be more expensive. It depends on what you consider to be ridiculous and whether or not you want the trails maintained, toilets cleaned, staff paid etc. The idea is that it makes it easier for customers to visit more sites at less cost than buying more than one pass which is unrealistic in a sport such as ours which is based on travel and discovering new venues.

The fact is that comes at price, also the customers or visitors who ride bikes are more than happy to ride ridiculously expensive bikes, arrive in expensive cars, vans, pick ups, with all the latest gear but baulk at paying a relatively nominal fee to indulge in their hobby.

?

 

[Doomanic]

I have a pass for FoD, even though I know where all the free parking is. I just don't use it all the time as I mostly ride off-piste away from the centre.


If I could add Cannock for say £15 I'd happily do so for the convenience.

 

[Doomanic]

I've also joined Dean Trail Volunteers but they're not building at the moment.

 

[November Bravo]

I have a pass for FoD, even though I know where all the free parking is. I just don't use it all the time as I mostly ride off-piste away from the centre.


If I could add Cannock for say £15 I'd happily do so for the convenience.

We’ll have to wait and see

I've also joined Dean Trail Volunteers but they're not building at the moment.

good move, volunteers are vital, but hard to find.

 

[MattyB]

I have a pass for FoD, even though I know where all the free parking is. I just don't use it all the time as I mostly ride off-piste away from the centre.

If I could add Cannock for say £15 I'd happily do so for the convenience.

I think it is more likely they offer a universal pass for 2-3x the amount of a single one; £15 for an extra site would be a steal!

 

[Bean]

We have one to Dalby, as we ride and walk there it pays for itself.
As we get down Sherwood and over Lake District a universal pass would be very handy, the guys at Dalby confirmed group pass was being looked into so see how much comes in at.

 

[steve_sordy]

You can still only ride one bike at a time, so a pass that allowed you to ride a second site would mean that you were riding the first site less. The wear and tear you cause is shared out. If the proposition was £50 for your prime site and £15 for each additional site, I'd go for that.

 

[Bean]

A plug in style pass would be great idea, main site then bit more for an extra site. Or reduced parking at other sites might be a way around, say half price parking at other sites, if you have a pass.