Nunney BMX Track
Nunney’s BMX track was established in the mid-2010s as a community initiative to provide local youth with a dedicated riding facility. Planning began around 2015, with the Parish Council and residents working together to fund and design a small pump track. By summer 2016, construction was completed by a specialist contractor (Rocketworld MX Ltd) for approximately £4,400. Local volunteers and donors also contributed materials and labor. The track officially opened with a modest ceremony on 23 July 2016 , marking a new recreational milestone for the village. In the first year, minor additions were made (e.g. installing perimeter fencing and access gates for maintenance/emergencies). Since its opening, the Nunney BMX track has become a fixture of the village’s Old Quarry Gardens recreation and free parking area, complementing the nearby playground and award winning open field – The Russell Field. The Parish Council maintains the facility’s condition, arranging periodic maintenance (such as resurfacing with additional gravel “scalpings” in 2017 ) to keep it safe and usable.
Track Features
The Nunney BMX track is a compact dirt pump track characterized by a series of rolling jumps (rollers) and banked turns (berms) set in a looped circuit. The surface is essentially packed soil/clay with grass verges, and it undulates with several small hills and dips to challenge riders’ pump technique. The layout is beginner-friendly – the jumps are low to medium height, and the track forms an oval or kidney shape that riders can continuously lap.
There are a few tight curved banked corners to practice turning skills and a handful of straight sections with whoops (bumpy sections) to generate speed by pumping. The entire track is only a short walk from Nunney Castle. In fact, the setting is one of the track’s unique features: it lies in a scenic spot with mature trees around (part of the Old Quarry Gardens parkland) and even offers a glimpse of the medieval castle nearby.
The track is unsupervised and free to use, open year-round. It’s not a full-size competition BMX race track (no starting gate or large asphalt turns), but rather a local pump track suitable for BMX bikes, mountain bikes, and even skateboards, mountain boards, or scooters. Because the surface is natural dirt, weather can affect conditions – after rain it can be soft or muddy, and in dry summers it can get dusty or develop small cracks.
The Parish Council has installed perimeter fencing on the car-park side for safety and has placed a couple of benches, a picnic table, and bins nearby for spectators/parents.
Overall, Nunney’s BMX track is a modest but well-designed facility with enough bumps and curves to be fun for riders of various skill levels, especially youths and beginners.
Events and Competition
The track has drawn cyclists from neighboring areas who stop by to try it out while visiting Nunney Castle (it’s even mentioned in tourism reviews as a bonus activity) . In one instance, mountainboard enthusiasts (off-road skateboarders) visited and enjoyed the pump track for a different sport, as seen in a 2019 video by local riders. This highlights the track’s versatility for various wheeled sports. While Nunney BMX track hasn’t held major competitions, it did put the village on the map for BMX enthusiasts in a small way – it’s now listed in local guides of things to do with children and bikes. The focus remains on casual, all-ages fun rather than formal racing, which aligns with the facility’s community-oriented purpose.
Future Plans
Maintaining and improving the BMX track has been an ongoing discussion in Nunney’s local planning. As the track approaches a decade old, the Parish Council has identified necessary upgrades to keep it safe and fun. A professional RoSPA safety inspection highlighted some wear and tear that was repaired and some adjacent ash trees needed felling as they were dropping debris on the track. Those trees have since been cut down. The Council is considering adding a signage board with usage guidelines and safety reminders, especially as the track continues to attract young riders. Looking further ahead, there’s community interest in enhancing the whole Old Quarry Gardens recreation zone – for example, adding a Zen Garden with sensory features. However, these ideas are in early stages and would depend on funding and community support.