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How to get there:
Get off the M4 at junction 24, follow signs for the A48 Chepstow and after approx 8 miles turn left at Parc Seymour. Go through the village and just follow the lane right to the top of the hill. At the top turn right for approx 500yds then the car park is on the right. To find the track go back to the road and go straight over past the gate, take the left hand track and the entrance is about 800yds on the right.
Whats There:
Well just like the Forest of Dean this is a big area littered with single track and fire roads but for this review I’ll just concentrate on the recognised downhill track known as the Dragon. Why the Dragon? This track was built by Jason Carpenter of Dragon Downhill fame many moons ago and has been used for rounds of the Welsh national series, ridden by many an up and coming British pro including a young Brendan Fairclough. Unfortunately due to uplift issues the course lay unused for a number of seasons then was all but demolished by commercial logging activities roughly 2 years ago. To try and recuse it a number of enthusiasts (www.wentwooddownhill.co.uk) have set about rebuilding the course and it is now back to being a very usable and testing track.
Whats it Like:
Well the very first section as you get off the 4x4 tracks is more just a means to access the course proper but is a nice run in, through a bit of single track then into a channel left by the huge logging trucks that has been cleared out and some small jumps and drops sending you downhill, along a small 4x4 track then over a log and its onto the official start.
Get a bit of speed into the first berm as it sends you right and over 2 stump jumps and into a bit of rooty single-track, another small root jump then 2 tight berms and a pump jump into a berm or compression if you take the lower line ,this is followed by a big compression crossing an old access road then a choice of 2 lines, a gap jump of about 5ft high with a largish carry or an off camber chicken run across another access track onto the mid section. This section has seen a fair amount of work carried out and it shows, down a channel, 2 more berms then a ski jump type drop, more twists then a couple of nice big rollable doubles, getting steeper and more rocky as you move out of the tree cover and onto open ground.
This area is where the mud gives way to a stony surface, and if you take a breather here there is an awesome view across from the other side of Cwmcarn to Abergavenny and beyond. Down more twisting track which is cut deep into the surface so the berms are very high, then a choice!! This is where the BIG road gap is, about 7 ft high with at least a 18 ft carry this is not for a chicken rider like me but the option to pre jump and just pop over the lip is fine or you can take the chicken runs either side.
Anyway, on to the final section, more sand, stone and high banked berms with a few neat little log jumps which need to be timed right and the final berm leading into a real steep drop. It has 3 possible lines, down the middle with a risk of catching a pedal, to the left off the slab which looks a bit sketchy but is smooth or to the right off the slab which is bigger again. Craig tells me this drop is also easy but I’ve stuck with left line and that’s the lot, onto a big fireroad. The guys from wentwood tell me there is a further section over the road but it needs clearing and re-shaping, a combination of weather and mx’ers has made it all but unrideable at present.
Conclusion:
If its dry then definitely, this course is pretty remote so crowds are never a problem so its quite acceptable to session little bits of it without someone blasting past. If its wet its not much fun and damn near impossible to push up in Vans or 5.10s.
What's Around:
Either Newport or Chepstow have all the normal amenities, or head north and go to Usk for a pub lunch. A word of warning though, Wentwood has a bit of a rep for theft so don’t leave any valuables on sight in the car.
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