Reviews

"Wiltshire's hidden gem- spirthill trail"  British Trails.co.uk

"not what they were expecting, a pleasant surprise"  Chippenham Wheelers

"Ideal for cross country training"  Spambiking

FARMERS Jon and Emma Satchell are celebrating this week as their back garden bike track was dubbed a hidden gem of Wiltshire.

The young couple of Naish House Farm, Spirthill, built the 6.5km course to make ends meet when their farm business began to struggle. The pair, who have two children, Oliver, two, and Edward, one, say the track has been more successful then they imagined.

Ged Doyle, founder of national cycle track review website www.britishtrails.co.uk, said: "This trail is an awesome area if you wish to train for a cross country race, the natural unspoilt features are perfect to hone those skills and reactions." He added that there was still a lot of work to bring the trail up to IMBA standards but said the Satchells were working hard to achieve this. Mrs Satchell, 29, and Mr Satchell, 33, came up with the idea just over a year ago when they realised they needed to diversify their business in order to survive.

Mrs Satchell said: "The farming industry has been suffering for some time so we came up with the idea to help make ends meet. "It's been really popular and we've had some great reviews so we are really hoping people will come down and take a ride." The couple previously allowed local bikers to use the site for motocross events but the field began to erode, forcing the busy pair to rethink.

The trail, which begins at the farm's large picturesque pond, boasts woodland, straights, ridges and meadow views as well as lots of chances to get muddy. There is also a picnic area and Mr and Mrs Satchell, who currently serve cold drinks and snacks, are hoping to construct a barbecue area along the course for fair-weather riders and families. For more information call Mr and Mrs Satchell on (01249) 760144.