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Kings Lynn to Norwich
From Kings Lynn our route continued on minor roads southwards around Castle Rising and into the Sandringham Estate. These lanes through rolling farmland by-passed Dersingham Heacham and Hunstanton on the coast to take us to Burnham Market with views of the sea at Brancaster Bay.
Our next stop was a short detour to the attractive small coastal town of Wells-next-the-Sea. We paused here to enjoy the coastal scenery and took photos, including children face down on the quay intent on their crabbing lines. From Wells-next-the-Sea it was just a short distance to reach Little Walsingham, a pilgrimage centre since medieval times. Within the Shrine church the Holy House replicates the home in Nazareth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, We stopped to visit the Shrine of our Lady of Walsingham. Our route following the River Wensum took us on to Fakenham, but not without another obstacle in the form of a lane flooded from side to side. We dismounted and scrambled along the bank, leaning out to wheel the tandem through the flood. in the village of Sculthorpe, just before Fakenham, we spotted a little old van in immaculate condition with a hand lettered panel saying, "Engledow's Cycle Centre - Premier Cycle Stockists". It was parked, so we could not resist stopping to take a photo of the van and John and tandem. In the same year as our arrival in Fakenham, the town was listed in the Nowhere Guide as “the most boring place on earth”. We believe that more recently the town has been much improved through renovation and pedestrianisation of its centre. In the little village of Themelthorpe we joined the Marriott’s Way cycle-path along a former railway line. We picked up a leaflet about it in Reepham. The leaflet was titled “Miles of Smiles on the Marriott’s Way” and it should have taken us all the way to Norwich. We persevered for a while, but our smiles started to wear thin when the poor riding surface further deteriorated into something almost un-rideable on a tandem, and certainly not worth the discomfort on a tandem. We took to the small lanes route, which was also shown on the Sustrans map in anticipation of most cyclists deciding to abandon the Marriott’s Way as being a nice idea when someone puts down a cycleable surface, but not just now. Into Norwich for our overnight B&B and a most enjoyable evening meal at the art house cinema café. Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through
Norwich to Southwold
Leaving Norwich on minor roads close to the River Yare brought us to the riverside itself after 6 miles at Woodsend. We stopped beside the Woods End Tavern to take a couple of photos. Unfortunately we had only just started again when we had to stop with a puncture. At least it was an attractive riverside spot at which to change an inner tube. The route continued on a series of minor just south of the River Yare before turning away to Loddon.
In Loddon we decided to explore some more of the Norfolk Broads before continuing to Beccles, so we turned off and cycled back to the River Yare at Reedham ferry. Retracing from there we followed tiny lanes in a loop running beside Thurlton Marshes, Thorpe Marshes and Wheatacre Marshes. At Burgh St Peter we stopped to look at it’s curious thatched roofed church with a tower tiered in four layers like a wedding cake. Coming to the River Waveney with no river crossing we could go no further towards Lowestoft and looped back to rejoin Sustrans Route 1 towards Beccles and the River Waveney again. Heading south from Beccles we crossed the county boundary into rich Suffolk farmland and on to Halesworth. We had decided to take an out and back diversion to the North Sea coast to visit Southwold and Walberswick, so between Halesworth and Peasenhall we turned east and headed to the seaside. Southwold is a very attractive resort that has retained some delightful touches such as apart from buying ice creams one can enjoy afternoon tea on a tray on the beach. We explored the town and visited the small local museum and the Sailor’s Reading Room. From the town centre it was a short way to the River Blyth and the footbridge across it to Walberswick. Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through
Southwold to Felixstowe
.Next day we cycled back from our Southwold diversion to rejoin Sustrans Route 1 to Peasenhall. Three miles beyond Peasenhall there are route choices with two versions of Route 1. One goes directly to Woodbridge via Framlingham. The other heads back towards the East Coast through Orford to Felixstowe. We were Felixstowe bound so we turned left.
Following the River Alde we reached the busy A12 where, as instructed, we waited patiently for a gap to allow us to cross over and continue via Blaxhall to reach Snape Maltings on the River Alde. Snape Maltings is an arts complex and the home of the Aldeburgh music festival. We stopped to visit them and to walk out to the edge of the saltmarsh where a Barbara Hepworth group of statues stand in the vista. Our next stop was Orford on the River Ore but separated from the Sea by the long shingle bank of Orford Ness. And our next challenge was to cross the Butley River. We could either go the long way round to the first bridging point near Chillesford, or press on and try our luck with the Butley ferry. We opted to try the ferry. Butley ferry started in the 16th Century. Until the end of the 19th Century a six days per week service operated, but in the 20th Century with motor transport the ferry ceased for 80 years until it was revived by Bryan Rogers in 1997. It was important to ‘phone Bryan before arriving at the ferry. Access to the rudimentary landing stage involved scrambling along a rough footpath and then lifting the tandem over a stile. The ferry could take up to two passengers and two bicycles, but it was not long enough for a tandem. We were, however allowed to attempt the first tandem crossing in the 20th Century. Half of the tandem was loaded into the boat with John who supported the half of the tandem stuck out over the water. This was our first tour on our new tandem; we could not let it go to a watery grave so soon. John and tandem were landed safely and the ferryman rowed back to collect Sheila and bring her across. Recovered from the excitement of the Butley ferry it was soon time to go to prison. The route went straight into Hollesley Bay “open” prison, through the complex and, if you were lucky, out the other side. We smiled at those we cycled by, but did not stop to engage in conversation. Seven more miles and we were halted by water again. We had reached the River Deben. The Bawdsey to Felixstowe ferry was our next river crossing. Again it was an open boat foot passengers and bicycles only ferry, but comfortably larger than the Butley ferry and motor powered. At the Bawdsey landing stage there was a table tennis shaped paddle with instructions to wave it at the landing stage opposite to attract the ferry. John waved it as instructed. Nothing stirred on the opposite bank. He tried again, but still no sign of the boat opposite departing. After a while Sheila tried without any more success. Eventually the ferryboat appeared coming down the river, not from the opposite landing stage at all. Both of us and the tandem were comfortably stowed aboard for the crossing. It was a short run along the waterside edge of Felixstowe to end at Landguard Fort facing the mouth of the River Orwell with Harwich opposite and the quays and cranes of Felixstowe container port beside us on the northern bank. We looked across the short stretch of water to Harwich knowing that close as it was we had many more miles to cycle before we would arrive on the other side and be able to look back towards Felixstowe. Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through
Felixstowe to Harwich
We departed from Felixstowe on the link route running inland between the River Orwell and River Deben in order to reach Woodbridge and rejoin the inland version of Route 1 running south from Peasenhall to Woodbridge via Framlingham. After a brief stop beside the River Deben we reached Woodbridge, but with all accommodation booked we had to travel on northward feeling as though we were doing another circuit of Suffolk in order to reach an Oxfam scheme B&B. Our host was the local vicar and we had much to discuss because before his clerical life he had been a farming advisor in Nigeria and had once owned a tandem. We were intrigued to know how his forthright views on agriculture and the over-use of pesticides went down with his rural parishioners. Our evening meal was in the local pub where it was quiz night.
Back on route again next day took us through Woodbridge again and then to Ipswich. We followed the signed route via the centre of Ipswich admiring the fine pargetting on some of the historic town buildings. On the way to Hadleigh Sustrans offer a short out and back detour to Kersey “scenic village”. Presuming this was a not to be missed, we took it and were rewarded by the delightful village of Kersey with its main street dropping to a ford. We took photos of the village each other and the tandem and then someone offered to take a photo of us both with the tandem. On our way out we spotted a fund-raising coffee morning being held in the garden of a large house and decided this too was an opportunity not to be missed. The route took us on through Hadleigh with its High Street full of well kept historic buildings to reach the A12 at Stratford St Mary. At this point the main version of Route 1 heads directly towards Colchester, but there is also an alternative link taking in Dedham. We took the detour and cycled on to the heart of Constable country to visit Dedham and Flatford Mill. It is possible to miss out a chunk of Route 1 from here by following the link route directly to the south bypassing Colchester and Wivenhoe, but we chose to circle around and rejoin the main route close to Stratford St Mary in order to continue to Colchester and then use cycle paths to reach its historic town centre. The way out of Colchester follows a traffic-free path beside the River Colne to reach Wivenhoe. Before we left Colchester we stopped at a bench beside the river to eat our picnic lunch. Wivenhoe to Harwich was the final stage of about 18 miles of rolling countryside taking us through the villages of Elmstead Market, Tendring Heath, and Great Oakley to reach the North Sea once again, for the final time. Journey’s end sitting on the sea wall at Harwich in early evening sunlight and looking back across the River Stour to Felixstowe docks. With our various scenic detours, a visit to Southwold and “circling” around Suffolk one day in search of a vacant B&B on a bank holiday, we had cycled 470 miles since we left York railway station. Click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through
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