NCN 13 - Bury St. Edmunds - Dereham
Lavenham
Ride Overview
If it’s the peace of a forest and fast and firm gravel tracks that you dream of riding, then stage 3 of Route 13 is going to be your heavenly day. And for those cyclo-tourists who have yet to discover the joys of real gravel riding (rather than the muddy excuse so often promoted as ‘gravel’), they you too, are in for a treat. Long people-less stretches. Firm tracks under the tyres. Flat and fast. No hills. Silence, other than your heart pumping away and the heaviness of your breath as you fail to ride within yourself on the ‘rides’ through Britain’s largest lowland pine forest. There are other things to enjoy too, such as pedalling on one of Europe’s oldest roads (still waiting to be paved after 4,000 years). The fields of pigs, encounters with the military (friendly fire only), the big skies, the flowers and abundant fruit in the hedgerows. But it’s the forest bathing, ‘shinrin yoku’, that’ll be today’s special.
Ride Practicalities
START/FINISH: Bury St. Edmunds/Dereham DISTANCE: 93km TOTAL ASCENT: 570m TERRAIN AND SURFACES: mixed surfaces; bridlepaths and quiet lanes. Some rough sections of sandy/flinty paths, but all do-able on a touring bike with 28mm tyres or more RECOMMENDED CAFÈS/PUBS; CAMPING: ACCOMMODATION: NEARBY MAINLINE TRAIN SERVICES: Dereham; The George LINKS TO OTHER RIDES:
*WMWG only list places for food, drink and beds which have met our strict quality standards. They will promote local growers, are independent who set high standards, but who are not necessarily the cheapest place in town.Distance: 260km
Ride Notes
Some people love Norfolk, its forest and heaths, expanses of corrugated fields filled with potatoes and beet. They speak of moody, dark forests and the silence of the trees. The flint-stoned cottages are highly sought after both to rent and buy.
Thetford Forest has removed all litter bins from its carparks, lay-bys and other public places. For a nation which prides itself on its ability to drop litter everywhere even when bins are provided, the request to ‘take your litter home’ seems at best optimistic. Yet, during the full stretch of riding through the forest, there was not one piece of evident litter. The Forest, largest lowland pine forest in Britain, was created to provide a strategic reserve of timber after WWI. It’s creation destroyed much of the typical Breckland environment of sand dunes and sandy ridges, but before we lament over yet another eco-system sacrificed to the commercial gods, we must remind ourselves that Breckland was a wholly man-made environment created by Neolithic flint excavation.
Thomas Paine, Thetford
According to Thetford’s Tourist Centre, the town was one of England’s most important, ‘during the Anglo-Saxon times’. It’s a drab little town, with dispiriting environs and an ugly church. Nearby are the remains of a ruined abbey. The town has the feel of not having made much progress since those distant Anglo-Saxon days, other than fining cyclists who ride in the town centre (whilst on the NCN 13). Thomas Paine, the town’s most famous son, left as soon as he could, to be a revolutionary in America.
Wretham
The second half of the day is one of gravel tracks, narrow sandy lanes, hedgeless potato and beet fields, sometimes fields of pigs rootling in the soil. Above you, big skies, beside you, fluttering charms of finches. After Wretham, you turn onto The Peddar’s Way, one of Europe’s oldest tracks. The narrow sand/gravel paths, bordered by bracken and exuberant hedges, will for short stretches, test your bike’s resolve as well as you your balance. The great majority is absolutely fine riding.
The roads leading to Dereham, belie the word ‘narrow’. The asphalted surface is barely wide enough for a bicycle, let along a SUV, which of course makes them all the more appealing for riding on.
‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here, go to Norwich’, says a resident of Dereham, Route 13’s destination. He added in an on-line post, that the town is; ‘a rotting corpse full of apathy and yearning.’ He was clearly having a bad day, for his description belies the experience of an overnight stay; friendly and helpful townspeople, a nice market square, a grand hotel, some colourful houses and people happy to chat in the pub.
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All the details given on this route are given in good faith. However, situations on the ground can change, so if you know of any access issues, closures, or have any thoughts and feedback on the route, please include them in the comments section below.
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