Mountain Bike Cycling Venue

Hadleigh Farm, Essex

A new Mountain Bike course will be provided in Hadleigh Farm, Essex, with temporary grandstands and facilities to be built in the run-up to the 2012 Games.

Much like BMX, Mountain Biking is a young sport that has risen to worldwide popularity at an amazing rate. Fast, furious and occasionally downright terrifying, the sport developed in northern California during the 1970s. However, it quickly spread from its low-key beginnings and now has a huge following around the globe, which has only grown since its arrival on the Olympic programme in the 1990s.

Dates: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 August

About Hadleigh Farm

Construction of the Mountain Bike course was completed in March 2011. Hadleigh Farm in Essex was chosen because it fulfills requirements as a technically challenging course. Hadleigh Farm is owned by the Salvation Army. The venue covers a 550-acre site including beautiful grassland and woodland. It also includes the surrounding countryside of Hadleigh Castle Country Park. The terrain is hilly with open grass land covered by low shrubbery. The site offers some fantastic gradients for mountain biking and great viewing opportunities for spectators. The course is set against the backdrop of the 700-year-old ruins of Hadleigh Castle.