I'm going over to my old fella's later in the week, taking my bike with me and will be going for a hack on Thursday, does anyone know of anywhere decent to ride within 45 mins (by car) of Wells Next The Sea??
Cheers
Mick
There's a few contours around [url= http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=52.92203778575353~1.2608528137223418&lvl=14&dir=0&sty=s&eo=0 ]Cromer[/url] and [url= http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=52.928609209631624~1.1485862731955176&lvl=14&dir=0&sty=s&eo=0 ]Sheringham[/url], but I've not actually ridden there.
Thetford is the obvious choice (and get a local to show you around), but it's more than 45 mins away.
You'll find probably the best offroad ride in Norfolk starting from Wells. Miles of woodland singletrack and rolling mossy dunes. Would be happy to show you the good bits but thursday I'll be heading back to Scotland. I'll be around in the morning but not sure if a ride would be possible.
Hi geordiemick, I've ridden round that way, while staying at my folks place in Sheringham . I checked out the footpaths and bridleways, and came up with a route. This maybe a little vague, but when leaving Sheringham you can take a bridleway that take you over to a wood on the way to Little Sheringham and up to Sheringham Park following the paths through there and down and across the road to the coastline, by the golf course and up a steep climb. Then I headed back into Sheringham but the coastal path runs for ages in both directions. I also went to Keeling Heath, good for a fast hack around, you can park up at a caravan site but I forget the name.
Hope this is helpful
Steve
geordiemick00 I'll be having a last ride around from Wells tomorrow before heading back to Edinburgh tomorrow evening - you're welcome to join me if you want. I took some one along on the ride out through the pinewoods out to Scolt Head a couple of weeks ago and we had a great time. He did however find some parts of the route a bit too technical - believe it or not.
If you've been here before then you've probably tried a few routes. Sheringham park down to the coast and the cliffs is nice but isn't part of a long off road route - I know, I've tried to link them up. The coast path east from Wells will be a muddy mess - it's hard work at the best of times.
I can't give good references for the best trails in the pinewoods but the best bet is to keep as close to the dunes (seaward side) as you can. Either side of Lady Annes Drive are the best bits. You need to ride them fast to get the best out of them though. If you go out to Scolt Head / Gun Hill you will disturb a few muntjac, possibly a buzzard and a pair of marsh harriers. It would be a good ride anywhere. For Norfolk, it's exceptional.
I did quite a nice leisurely ride with my wife from Wells when we were up there a couple of years back. If you get hold of an OS map for the area there are a fair few bridleways and BOATs and a lot of Sustrans 1 is off road.
The route we did was something like this:
Out on sustrans route 1 along the sea wall to the lifeboat station, follow the trail out through Holkham Woods (some cheeky singletrack here) and after a quick ride on the beach (well you've got to really, haven't you :-)), turn inland at Holkham Gap and then on through Holkham Park to New Holkham. Turn right, and follow the road for a few hundred yards, then right again down there a long bridleway following the course of a Roman road along the park wall. Follow track off the bridleway to Burnham Thorpe (Nelson's birthplace) from here you can either follow the track out to Shammer and then the BOAT down to North Creake or you can go on to Burnham Market for a pie and a pint (and a giggle at the poshos).
From North Creake follow the lanes back to New Holkham to pick up Sustrans 1 again. Right at Golden Gates and into Gallow Hill wood. Downhill back to Wells via the track called Market Lane.
Nothing taxing but all very pleasant. We did it as a (very) leisurely half-day pootle with lots of tea and cake and pub stops but you could do it in an hour or so as a flat out blast.