going from Norwich to Oxford

Moshe Kamensky said:

Hi,

I'm planning to cycle from Norwich to Oxford, and I'm trying to figure
out what is the best route. I found what seems like good instructions
from Cambridge to Oxford at:

http://www.squarewheels.org.uk/bike/routeCamOx/

But I don't know what would be a nice way to go from Norwich to
Cambridge, and I'm looking for recommendations. I don't have a mountain
bike, but the bike can go on dirt roads, if they are good. So I'm
looking for a way which is mainly on minor car roads, and possibly some
dirt roads, and with a nice view.

Any other advice is also welcome (I'm new here)

Thanks,
Moshe

Here's my recommendation for Norwich to Cambridge:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=387286

Leave Norwich on the Earlham Rd, past the UEA and the Hospital. At
Colney, bear left signposted to Hethersett. This route will mean you
don't have to tempt Death at the Thickthorn A47/A11 roundabout.
From there, the route is:

Hethersett
Wymondham
Morley St Botolph
Deopham
Gt Ellingham
Rockland All Saints
Stow Bedon
Gt Hockham
Croxton
Thetford
Brandon
Lakenheath
Mildenhall
Freckenham
Fordham
Burwell
Swaffham Bulbeck
Stow cum Quy
Cambridge

Mostly lanes/B roads - but a couple of the B roads are quite busy at
peak times. The Mildenhall->Cambs route follows part of the Fenland
Flight Audax route.

Have fun...

Cheers
Chris

Hi

Chris' route is mostly fine.

I usually cut through from Great Hockham to Santon Downham via East Wretham, avoiding Thetford.

This route takes you through the military area, which is normally ghostly quiet, and includes a short section through the forest if you wish.

Brandon to Mildenhall is pretty dire at most times of the day or night. Think US military teenagers in BIIIIGGGG vehicles passing very close. Still, perhaps you're a man of steel nerves!!

You'll have to start early to get to Oxford before dark.

Keith Harrison

Chris Smith said:

Mostly lanes/B roads - but a couple of the B roads are quite busy at peak
times. The Mildenhall->Cambs route follows part of the Fenland Flight
Audax route.

The Mildenhall to Cambridge B-road is definitely busy at commuting time,
8,000 vehicles a day in 2000! To get some relief, from Burwell go to
Reach, Swaffham Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck, Bottisham, Quy. At Quy follow
the signed cycle route that goes through a tunnel under the A14, don't
use the big island unless you enjoy riding between two lanes of 60mph
traffic.

Mike

* Chris Smith <[email hidden]> [24/08/06 14:12]:

Quoted message said:

Moshe Kamensky said:

Hi,
I'm planning to cycle from Norwich to Oxford, and I'm trying to figure
out what is the best route. I found what seems like good instructions
from Cambridge to Oxford at:
http://www.squarewheels.org.uk/bike/routeCamOx/
But I don't know what would be a nice way to go from Norwich to
Cambridge, and I'm looking for recommendations. I don't have a mountain
bike, but the bike can go on dirt roads, if they are good. So I'm
looking for a way which is mainly on minor car roads, and possibly some
dirt roads, and with a nice view.
Any other advice is also welcome (I'm new here)
Thanks,
Moshe

Here's my recommendation for Norwich to Cambridge:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=387286

Leave Norwich on the Earlham Rd, past the UEA and the Hospital. At Colney,
bear left signposted to Hethersett. This route will mean you don't have to
tempt Death at the Thickthorn A47/A11 roundabout.
From there, the route is:

Hethersett
Wymondham
Morley St Botolph
Deopham
Gt Ellingham
Rockland All Saints
Stow Bedon
Gt Hockham
Croxton
Thetford
Brandon
Lakenheath
Mildenhall
Freckenham
Fordham
Burwell
Swaffham Bulbeck
Stow cum Quy
Cambridge

Mostly lanes/B roads - but a couple of the B roads are quite busy at peak
times. The Mildenhall->Cambs route follows part of the Fenland Flight Audax
route.

Thanks! This looks like a nice route, avoiding the roads. One question -
Is Thetford worth visiting? It seems that I can turn right just before
mile 27 in the direction of Santon Downham, and get back to the road at
Brandon.

Thanks,
Moshe

Quoted message said:

Have fun...

Cheers
Chris

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFE7gMAkBjmVsKMBeMRAhGCAJ4+dV4+cHz3+ADONfuv0K3jcg+RqACfVutl
uO+fz/5RO46YjB4qfO59j64=
=gpuS
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

* Mike Causer <[email hidden]> [24/08/06 19:21]:

Quoted message said:

Chris Smith said:

Mostly lanes/B roads - but a couple of the B roads are quite busy at peak
times. The Mildenhall->Cambs route follows part of the Fenland Flight
Audax route.

The Mildenhall to Cambridge B-road is definitely busy at commuting time,
8,000 vehicles a day in 2000! To get some relief, from Burwell go to
Reach, Swaffham Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck, Bottisham, Quy. At Quy follow
the signed cycle route that goes through a tunnel under the A14, don't
use the big island unless you enjoy riding between two lanes of 60mph
traffic.

Thanks. I'm sure I'll remember that 😉

Quoted message said:

Mike

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFE7gN1kBjmVsKMBeMRAp5RAJ0VWiV12U1S/KXCg2zu7MmQ1SY3hwCbB+cb
4/IuU2GENvzBKQQA0lhd7wg=
=UIlp
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Moshe Kamensky said:

Thanks! This looks like a nice route, avoiding the roads. One question -
Is Thetford worth visiting? It seems that I can turn right just before
mile 27 in the direction of Santon Downham, and get back to the road at
Brandon.

Thetford is OK - but has some rather run-down areas best avoided. It's
an ancient Roman settlement - but that seems to have been forgotten in
recent years.

Your problem is this. The A134 is not a very nice road for riding on, so
is best avoided. You can't go North from there because North of Santon
Downham and Lynford is all MOD land used for Troop training and live
firing ranges.

There is a track from near Croxton, all the way to Santon Downham (it
crosses the A134), through the forest which I've ridden a few times.
It's great, but not very friendly after a long spell of dry weather
because the soil is very sandy, making it pretty difficult to cycle
through. At the moment, after a lot of rain, it's probably OK. If you
have the Ordnance Survey maps, it's marked as Harling Drove. You can
ride it all the way to Weeting, North of Brandon.

HTH

Cheers
Chris