Moorgreen Reservoir - Section Two
Mountain Biking through Portland Park
One of my favourite local loops is a 16 mile off road circuit that passes by the picturesque Moorgreen Reservoir. When the sun is shining the Reservoir reflects perfectly like mirror.
Here is the second video of my 'Moorgreen Reservoir loop' playlist. This section is the route through the Portland Park including crossing the Robin Hood train-line before heading past the Dog and Rabbit. It's a lovely track in Spring and Summer, but mud mud mud in Winter.
Kirkby-in-Ashfield was once an important centre of coal mining and railways in west Nottinghamshire, with three active coal mines and several railway junctions. The former Mansfield and Pinxton Railway from the Erewash Valley Line was joined here by the later Midland Railway line from Nottingham. The Great Central Railway main line passed to the south-west side of the town and had a double junction with the Great Northern Railway Leen Valley Extension line to Langwith Junction and the Mansfield Railway to Clipstone.
The town rapidly expanded during the Victorian era. However, the closure of the coal mines in the 1980s and early 1990s led to a major slump in the local economy, and the area then suffered a high level of socio-economic depression.
The railways were closed during the Beeching era of the early 1960s when branch-line passenger services suffered widespread disruption, leaving the town without a link to central Nottingham and nearby Mansfield. The railway tracks were re-opened to passengers in the 1990s as part of the Robin Hood Line, providing links to other North Nottinghamshire towns and to Nottingham where a transport interchange allows transfer to the trams of Nottingham Express Transit system.
This section crosses one of those links of the Robin hood line in the middle of Portland Park. Coming out of the field in section one takes a left and dip down the side of the field on a fast rattly track which straightens out with great views to the left. Continue for about 300 metres where the track opens out. You’ll see a little gap through the fence on the left that enters a open area. Nip through the gap and head into the trees. As soon as you come to the edge of the field take a left switch back and head back the opposite direction following the other side of the field. The track eventually joins the side of the Ronin hood line on the right-hand side and you’ll be presented with a gate. Here cross the Robin hood line and head straight up the hill on the other side where you will pass the ‘Wild Rabbit’ café. Then it’s straight sailing along the lane to the end of the section.
Look out for the full 'Moorgreen Reservoir Loop' video in a few weeks which links all sections of the healthy 16-mile loop in Nottinghamshire.
Check out all the sections of the Moorgreen Loop below:
