Cyclopark is a purpose-built facility for cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 and other outdoor activities, located on the south side of Gravesend

Gravesend, Kent

Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...

, north Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

 in south-east England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, adjacent to the A2 dual carriageway.

History

Construction of Cyclopark began in January 2011 and was scheduled to take 10 months, with the site due to open officially in early 2012. Funding was provided by Kent County Council

Kent County Council

Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...

, Sport England

Sport England

Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

, the Colyer-Fergusson Trust, British Cycling

British Cycling

British Cycling is the national governing body for cycle racing in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man...

 and the Homes and Communities Agency

Homes and Communities Agency

The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...

.

Early test events included the Southern Area BMX

Bicycle motocross

Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...

 Championships (15-16 October 2011), and a visit from the US Olympic BMX team.

Facilities

In 43ha of landscaped parkland, the Cyclopark facilities include:

• 6km of off-road trails (graded to provide separate routes for different abilities)
• a 2.9km long, 6m wide tarmac circuit (capable of being extended to 5.3km)
• a 340m BMX track
• children's playground
• skate park

See also

• Crystal Palace (circuit)
  Crystal Palace (circuit)
  Crystal Palace circuit was a motor racing circuit in Crystal Palace, London, England. The circuit was located within Crystal Palace park. The route of the track can still be seen on maps providing access to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre that is also located in the park.- History :The...
  
  
• Fowlmead Country Park
  Fowlmead Country Park
  Fowlmead Country Park is near Deal, in Kent, England.-History:This park is situated on the site of a former spoil tip of the former Betteshanger Colliery, one of the largest collieries in Kent. The colliery opened in 1924-30 and closed in 1989. The spoil tip, was located to the north east of the...
  
  
• Hillingdon Cycle Circuit
  Hillingdon Cycle Circuit
  Hillingdon Cycle Circuit is a purpose-built road cycling circuit situated in Minet Country Park, Hayes in West London. The 0.93 mile long, 6 metre wide circuit is used for year-round racing, training and leisure riding.-History:...
  
  
• Redbridge Cycling Centre
  Redbridge Cycling Centre
  Redbridge Cycling Centre is a new permanent road cycle circuit and mountain bike course at Hog Hill – near Hainault Forest Country Park and directly opposite the Forest Cemetery & Crematorium. The £5m cost of the facility was funded by the London Development Agency as a replacement the...