Two Days Cycling in Norfolk - Clive Goes Cycling

A two-day cycling trip through north Norfolk offers a mix of gentle coastal roads, quiet country lanes and some of the finest landscaped parkland in eastern England. The route is largely flat, the traffic is light and the scenery shifts constantly between sea, broads and open farmland.

Where to Stay

Mundesley, a few miles south of Cromer, makes a practical base. The Manor Hotel sits beside the coast, is comfortable and welcoming, and has room to store bicycles indoors. Breakfast at the hotel sets you up for the day, while the Ship Inn just down the road handles dinner. It is the only pub in the village, with a good choice of ales and a garden overlooking the beach and sea. It also serves as a natural meeting point for a post-ride drink or three.

The Routes

Day one is a circular route heading south along the coast to Caister-on-Sea, then west to Wroxham, returning to Mundesley past the outskirts of North Walsham. Total distance: 86 miles.

Day two is an out-and-back route through Cromer, Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham Hall, with a lunch stop in Burnham Market. The return leg follows a slightly shorter, more direct version of the same route. Total distance: 85 miles.

Both routes were planned in advance and followed using GPS cycling computers. They run on roads and country lanes, so road bikes and hybrids are the best choice.

Day One

The first day was mostly country lane cycling, though a missed turn on one section sent the group along several overgrown and bumpy bridleways through fields, which slowed progress considerably. Stopping points for water and snacks were scarce, but lunch overlooking the Broads in Wroxham made up for it. The town is busy and well supplied with shops for restocking cycling provisions.

Day Two

The highlight was riding through the landscaped grounds of Holkham Hall near Wells-next-the-Sea. Entering at the north entrance, the route crosses two to three miles of glorious country house estate and is well worth a visit for anyone in the area. A late lunch followed in Burnham Market, a very pretty village west of Holkham.

The return leg took a shorter, more direct line that was fast and flat: roughly 40 miles in just under three hours on hybrid bikes. Half the group managed that. The other three peeled off for a cappuccino and found their own way home from Cromer along an unusual coastal route of stony beach, footpaths and caravan parks. It all added to the adventure.

Overall

The flat routes, light traffic and good progress on both days meant returning home between 5pm and 6pm, with time for a couple of beers at the pub before the evening. Norfolk was new ground, and it was good to explore a different part of the country and ride through both coastal and inland landscapes.

This is not terrain for hills and climbing. Anyone after that is better served elsewhere. But this corner of Norfolk has some great scenery, and the two days were thoroughly enjoyable.