button_home.jpg - 3989 Bytes
PB_title_picture.jpg - 42538 Bytes
<IMG SRC="nonflash.gif" width=760 height=30 BORDER=0>
Ride Five

INTRO.JPG - 7772 Bytes 1.jpg - 1385 Bytes 2.jpg - 1391 Bytes 3.jpg - 1392 Bytes 4.jpg - 1394 Bytes 5.jpg - 1391 Bytes 6.jpg - 1398 Bytes 7.jpg - 1386 Bytes
About.jpg - 9800 Bytes 8.jpg - 1395 Bytes 9.jpg - 1391 Bytes 10.jpg - 1418 Bytes 11.jpg - 1399 Bytes 12.jpg - 1428 Bytes 13.jpg - 4073 Bytes 14.jpg - 1423 Bytes
A fairly long ride of  thirty three miles  over mostly level ground.

STARTING POINT: SWAFFHAM - THEATRE STREET FREE CAR PARK.

Turn RIGHT out of the car park to the end of the road, RIGHT again into Haspalls Road and down to the junction by the recreation ground.

Take the Beachamwell road, obliquely ACROSS, with the new houses on the right. Follow this lane to the little hamlet of Drymere.

There is then a nice downhill slope for about a mile to where you pass a lane on your left. Ignore this and continue straight on between trees and broad grassy verges to the next junction. Here the main road veers to the right. Leave this and take the road diagonally ACROSS, which, with a row of houses set back, leads you into the village of BEACHAMWELL.

As you approach the village green the road turns sharp right, so that the green is on your left, the pub one end and the church the other. Continue past the little thatched church and the Post Office to the end of the village where you come to a junction.

Turn RIGHT here, where on the left, across the field, are the remains of the Anglo Saxon church of St. John's. At the farm the road takes a sharp 'S' bend between the buildings (watch out for 'free range' chickens browsing in the road!!) and then continues on up to a junction.

Turn LEFT here and you soon arrive at a crossroads where you turn LEFT again, following the lane around to the right and into a long straight stretch with broad verges and hedges set well back from the road. In about three-quarters of a mile you will come to a lane on the LEFT, signposted 'Eastmoor'. Take this narrow lane, going past another road to the left and make your way through the half dozen houses which make up Eastmoor.

Soon after the last house is behind you a 'T' junction is reached, where you follow the main track round to the RIGHT, up a small rise, then down again to cross a small stream. Ignore the turning just after the bridge and continue straight on with reed beds on your left until the lane joins a larger road on a bend.

Turn LEFT here,(the same reed beds on your left), crossing the stream again and continuing until you arrive at the castelated walls of Oxborough Hall. The village of OXBOROUGH is now facing you around the huge green. Go past the main gates of the Hall, and as you come to the ruins of the church of St. John the Evangelist there is a slip road on the RIGHT, leading into a right hand turn.

Take this road, passing the visitors entrance to the Hall, over a tiny ornate stone bridge crossing the river Gadder and continue to the next 'T' junction. Turn RIGHT here and enjoy the very pleasant ride across Foulden Common, a wonderful wildlife site and a good spot to picnic.

The road snakes it's way between trees until it arrives at the village of FOULDEN. Keep straight ahead, passing the 'White Hart' and on to the cross roads. Take the road to the RIGHT, for Didlington, and follow the road out of the village.

This leads you through the pretty broadleaf woodland of Didlington Park and over the new iron and stone bridge traversing the River Wissey. Just after a smaller second bridge, there is a slip road on the RIGHT which you take.

In a short distance you enter the jumble of old houses and cottages known as Little London, then into the narrow village street of NORTHWOLD. After passing the church of St. Andrew's and the Crown .P.H. you come to a junction on the left (Methwold Road) with an old square chapel on the corner.

Turn LEFT here and continue until you reach the very busy A134. With great care go straight ACROSS into the lane opposite, which after making a broad swing to the right and then to the left finaly arrives at a 'T' junction on the edge of Methwold. Take the road to the LEFT for about 400 yards to the next junction at the bollards. Turn LEFT at the bollards into the forest and continue to the next LEFT turn which takes you back to the main A134. Once again go carefully STRAIGHT ACROSS into the lane opposite and continue over the two bridges of the River Wissey, and, just after Didlington Park take the RIGHT fork (signposted Bodney).

Shortly after this and just after a lane enters from the left you come to an unmarked crossroads, where you turn LEFT. From here, ignore any turnings and continue along the fairly straight road which rises slowly away from the lower ground for about four miles.

Soon after a road enters from the left (from Gooderstone)you will come to a crossroads where you turn LEFT, down a steep slope into the valley. At the bottom you pass the entrance to the Iceni Village, go over the little stream and take the RIGHT fork up the hill into COCKLEY CLEY.

Here you join the main Swaffham to Stoke Ferry road, where you turn to the RIGHT. From here it is just three miles back to the town, with a small section just after the golf course where the road narrows and twists.

After passing bungalows on the right, then the recreation ground, ignore the sign for the 'Town centre' and continue straight on until you arrive at the 'No Entry' sign. Turn RIGHT here into Theatre Street and return to the car park.

RIDE FIVE MAP
map5a.jpg - 32054 Bytes

RIDE STATISTICS.

TOTAL DISTANCE:   33.8 MILES
MAX. HEIGHT:   233 FT.
MIN. HEIGHT:   7 FT.
TOTAL HEIGHT ASCENDED:   817 FT.


ox-cloisters.jpg - 34257 Bytes  SketchBartonB.jpg - 29453 Bytes
St. John the Evangelist, Oxborough    Author's sketch of Barton Bendish
NEW.CROWN.NWOLD.FRONT.jpg - 10040 Bytes
The Crown Inn at Northwold


The information on this website was correct at the time of writing - however things change, so if you find any errors please let me know. You are free to download any of the route descriptions or pictures, but I would appreciate feedback, especially if you ride some of the routes.........WISHING YOU SAFE AND HAPPY CYCLING.
BUTTON_FORECAST.jpg - 9766 Bytes

cyclist.gif - 14009 Bytes w  w  w . p  e  a  c  e  f  u  l  b  y  w  a  y  s  .  c  o . u k

CONTACT PEACEFUL BYWAYS