I'd like to open the Reviews(venues) section with an admission.

I went to Bedgebury today
I'm sorry. I know it was crazy of me but I had a last minute in-law cancellation and thought "let's see if it's got better"....
Plus, I kind of hoped the constant criticism from forumites and magazines might have spurred 'them' into motion.

£7.50!!!!  not on your nelly!  Layby for me...
Mud.
Oh, and more mud.
After the climb that follows the 1st bridge there was always a section of quagmire that now has a sneaky (not yet signed) diversion.  Oh what promise it showed, similar in design to some of the Swinley single-track with (almost) a table-top included.  However 'they' have decided to use even more gravel for the new section.  Except for some muddy puddles just before and just after each berm!
Anyone who saw the new 'berms' (in what used to be called, IIRC, "Spooky Wood") will be speechless to see the state they are in now.  If I was managing Bedgebury I would be embarrassed by that alone!  Imagine riding past a building site where there was some nearly-set concrete with ballast in it.  That was Bedgebury's berms today.  A sorry mess of custard-yellow sand mixed with gravel.  When they were 1st put in they were pointless due to being on a flat section.  Now there is ZERO chance of building enough speed to need any degree of berm.
And then more mud.

I know mountain biking tends to be a muddy/dirty sport but at Bedgebury they've taken mud-plugging to a whole new level.

I honestly do not believe anybody can defend Bedgebury any more.  Not even the angry bird that had a pop at us on Bikeradar.  It's time they stopped advertising it as a mountain bike venue.
Oh, and they've even put some new signs up, warning of the severity of the trails

So, to summarise; Bedgebury is a muddy hell-hole.  DON'T BOTHER UNLESS YOU'VE GOT MUD TYRES FRONT & REAR and a missus that doesn't mind a dirty washing machine/floor, etc.  I am now giving-up on Bedgebury until someone can convince me it has changed beyond all recognition and I hope you can all forgive me for my sin.
Amen.

nothing has changed since about 3 weeks ago then, when i found exactly the same. mm mm, wait for the summer, its nice then

My brother and i rode bedgebury twice last week

I know £7.50 is way to much thats why i try to go with someone when i go then we split it and £3.75 isnt to bad the way i see it its less than two
beers in the pub for a days riding!(and most of the time its there main income)

As for the riding for me winter riding is all about the mud and the more the merryer i say!
Mounting biking is for me about challinging and pushing myself and the deep mud and puddles is perfect for that but i can understand that its not to
everyones liking.
Last week we were purposely taking the hardest lines and other people that finished after us looked clean in comparison,we were smothered from head to toe!!

Also remember we have had some bad weather lately and im no geographer but the ground round there dosnt seem to soak the water up at all well.

These are just my opinions but i do agree things could be done to improve the place.

do i need to comment?

ha ha wonder how long it would take for you Buzz...

I only ever go there in the summer.

"farce"

In response to Tom...  my real issue is not so much the mud itself.  We all like the bikers mud-between-the-teeth grin.  
My beef with the place is the fact that a fair bit of money has/is being spent on it, yet it's still worse than natural trails.  I honestly think they should remove the pathetic attempt at berms through 'spooky wood' and if anything just put in a straight line, at least until summer.

shame 'cos I really enjoyed my first summer at Bedgebury.

I was going to write a whole thing but you lot have heard it all before.

Im with mark, only in the summer and for a quick easy ride.

To confirm, is your second sentance relating to Bedgebury or.....  

To be fair, my some of my first rides were at Bedgebury.

Bedgebury is shite. I went there a few years back and to be fair enjoyed it then. Been back once a year every year since and it's got gradually worse and worse to the point where I went 3 months ago and swore I'd never go again. It's a joke which is a shame as the other joke PORC is my only other local option  

it was good during the cold snap around xmas when everything was frozen.I invested in the 'friends of bedgebury' car pass, £40 for a years parking, I figure I will get over there more than 5 times in a year so its worth it.

£40 a year isnt to bad especially if you have family and go there to walk etc. I went there during the cold snap as well but it was still awful this time due to all the mad ruts freezing making it quite tricky to ride but at least it was dry

Quoted from sailor

it was good during the cold snap around xmas when everything was frozen.I invested in the 'friends of bedgebury' car pass, £40 for a years parking, I figure I will get over there more than 5 times in a year so its worth it.

Exactly where does the £40 go? - I bet it's not into trail building/maintenance? - Anyone could dump a ton of gravel down anywhere..

I do beleive the £40 lets you have 2 cars on the ticket, so worth looking at for alternate drivers.

Quoted from Breezer

£40 a year isnt to bad especially if you have family and go there to walk etc. I went there during the cold snap as well but it was still awful this time due to all the mad ruts freezing making it quite tricky to ride but at least it was dry

I quite liked the mad ruts!

no idea where the £40 goes, probably on parking ticket machine maintenance so they can make sure they get the £7.50 from everyone else.

I actually rode there yesterday, it wasn't as bad as I had expected but is still best described asa mud bath.