Lowestoft to Ardnamurchan

[Lady Cavendish]

Hi

Following a wonderful suggestion from a previous thread, I'm now doing this in October.

I;ve read Wowbaggers account, but has anyone else done this?

I've arranged my stops as
Lowestoft
Kings Lynn
Market Rasen
York
Kirkby Stephen
Moffat
Balloch
Glencoe
Ardnamuchan

If anyone has any tips/places to see enroute/ route advice between any of these places, that would be fab

[robgul]

Check times for the Corran ferry - IIRC it doesn't run on Sundays.

Rob

[bikepacker]

I did this as a solo ride in 2006. Here is my account http://www.bikepacker.co.uk/reports/e2w.htm

If there is anything specific you want to know just ask.

[tiermat]

I assume the York - Kirkby Stephen bit you are going via Boroughbridge, onto Ripon then via Leyburn?

Let me know if you want some company on that bit, I can meet you in Boroughbridge and would ride up to Leyburn with you (Kirkby Stephen would probably be just a bit too far for me to get back from in the day )

[Lady Cavendish]

Tiermat, I do plan to go that way, although tbh, I haven't properly sorted out the route yet, just the stops!!

I'm doing that bit on a Tuesday though.

I plan to take the Corran Ferry on a Sat- thanks that was a good tip to check!

[jane]

Check times for the Corran ferry - IIRC it doesn't run on Sundays.

Rob

I seem to recall taking it on a Sunday. It's the Camusnagaul one that doesn't run on Sundays.

[jane]

I crossed the country at York through the Dales on my Dungeness-Durness trip last year.   It depends on the route you are taking as to what I would recommend seeing. I don't know if you are going through Reeth- but it's  a lovely village.  My favourite dales are probably off your route if you are planning on York to KS in a day.  If you pass through Coverdale, (unlikely, if you are on your way straight through the Dales) please give my kind regards to landlord of the Thwaite Arms in Horsehouse.  (This is a bad joke, by the way, he is not worthy of the job title, drink and eat elsewhere).
I'm guessing you are taking the B7076 up to Moffat, no?  That's how I got up into Scotland. My memories of it are not good- but it was completely shrouded in mist and torrential rain on my journey, so my judgement is metaphorically and literally clouded.  I was glad to leave it at Lockerbie where my journey took a more westerly direction. I did end up in Ardnamurchan, but via Arran, Kintyre, Islay and Mull, which I would recommend absolutely, but obviously takes tons more time and I appreciate not everyone has that.   If you can fit the Kingairloch road (B8043) into your trip, which, if you are indeed using the Corran ferry,
makes the trip from Glencoe about 70 miles instead of 55 or so, it's worth it.  A lovely, quiet road alongside Loch Linnhe.  Even in summer, on a beautiful day, there's hardly any traffic on this road. About 6 miles south of the ferry,  take the B road to the left, instead of carrying on to Strontian on the A road, follow it round back to the A road.  Worth the detour.

[teethgrinder]

Lowestoft to Kings Lynn. Castle Acre is nice and there's a Good Cafe^TM there too, which served Feline and I a very nice breakfast when we rode the Norfolk 600.
Then there's my favourite cafe, The Farm Cafe, at Fleet Hargate, which is about 15 miles west of Kings Lynn on the A17. May not be everyone's cup of tea  but I like the fast service, low prices and tastey food. If you haven't booked anywhere to sleep in Kings Lynn, then the Anglian Motel over the road is pretty cheap. I stayed there once. The Anglian also has an eatery and bar (the Farm Cafe also has a bar and farm shop) but I much prefer the Farm Cafe. If you do stay there, there's not much to do once you get there, but Kings Lynn doesn't have much going for it that I can think of either.
The A17 is OK to cycle on, but I much prefer the old A17 which passes through the villages and is easy to navigate. I also enjoy the quiet little lanes which cut a corner off between Fosdyke and Kirton on the way to Boston. IIRC, the route is signposted as a cycle route too.

[Lady Cavendish]

All good so far thanks-  I'm keeping notes.

I'm actually staying at my uncles house that night in Terrington St Clement, a bit  west of Kings Lynn. My other nights are all B and Bs.

[Lady Cavendish]

Right, everything is booked. All my trains and my B&Bs. I just need to work out routes. That was a great tip off about going over to Mull on way from Glencoe. 2 ferry trips and a cycle along the Loch.

This is how cycling should be done- none of this through the night Audax nonsense

[Lady Cavendish]

Time to start looking at routes for this.

So, to the East Anglians and those who have cycled round there, on Day 1, Lowestoft to Terrington St Clement/K Lynn, its about 70 miles straight through the middle, or 104 following the coast to G Yarmouth, Fromer, Sheringham, Heacham, Hunstanton etc round the edge.

Is that nice seaside? It looks very navigationally easy to just keep the sea on my right.....or are there any particularly nice routes through the middle? I do like seaside.....

[Chris S]

It's a nice ride round the coast, but the A149 can be busy - especially in the summer, and needs to be avoided between Hunstanton and Kings Lynn. There are alternatives for this section though - including a quite nice NCN route through Castle Rising.

But it's a lot extra. Given the sightseeing to come, I'd punch through the flatlands as fast as possible - but then I would say that, wouldn't I? 

[Lady Cavendish]

Well its October so I guess out of season......

It is a fair bit extra, but I'm 'only' planning 80-90 a day for the majority of the trip so I'll always be at a B&B for dinnertime......would you recommend going straight through the middle then?

Is that coast route pretty flat? 100 on flat roads wouldn't take long, but if it was lumpybumpy......

[Chris S]

After Mundesley, you interact with the Cromer Ridge somewhat, so it does undulate more than you might think polite for Norfolk. Not really "hilly" as such, unless you are tempted to visit the Shire Horse Centre near Sheringham, in which case you climb up to the highest point in Norfolk.

It's pretty in places, functional in others. The Bacton Gas terminal is uninspiring (unless you have a proclivity for pipes), but Cley-next-the-Sea, Blakeney and Holme-next-the-Sea are all sleepy flint-walled villages that look pretty on a nice day.

If you have such a choice - why not have a plan for both routes, and then - if there is a gale-force Northerly off the North Sea, avoid the coast. If it's a warm, hazy Autumn day, the coast will be lovely.

[Lady Cavendish]

Good plan So if through the middle- Stratton St Michael, Wymondham, Watton, Swaffham? That sort of way?

[Chris S]

Something like that, yes. There's a nice route from Carlton Colville to Beccles, then B-roads to Bungay, Hempnall, Wymondham, Watton,Swaffham.

At Swaffham you have to choose whether to take a Northerly route across the Fens (Kings Lynn, Boston - shadowing the A17), or a more Southerly route through Downham Market, Wisbech and Spalding. Options are limited by having to cross the three main rivers; Great Ouse, Welland and Nene.

If you need to go to Lynn after Swaffham, there are lanes that will avoid the A47 (which is a No No for cycling) and the B1145 (which is busy, but tolerable if you don't want lanes).

[Lady Cavendish]

That's very helpful, thank you.

The 'no-no' roads are especially helpful as I can't tell from a map. So A47 no no, A17 is also nono?

What about the A52 from Boston to Skeggy or is that out of area by then?

[Chris S]

Teethgrinder doesn't seem to mind riding on the A17 (though in fairness, probably at night ), but I definitely wouldn't. In fact, I'll avoid it in a car if I have a choice. It's one of those roads with red signs proudly advertising how many have died on there. 'Nuff said.

A47 is as bad. Remember - there are no motorways in East Anglia, North and East of Cambridge, so the trunk roads take everything, and are absolute no-go zones for cyclists IMHO. I've used some of them in the dead of night, but not in the day.

A52 - I don't know, but I think that section was covered in another thread recently - there are plenty of B-road alternatives I think.

[mattc]

Kirton -to- Market-Rasen, &
Market-Rasen -> York

This is on the LEL route.
Routesheet here http://www.aukweb.net/perms/detail/JHA09/ (only provisional but I'm sure it will work)

Stage 4 is MR-Pocklington, 12 miles from York? Then you could dive West through Elvington into York (or 20 other ways)

Maps: http://www.routeyou.com/group/view/4928/lel2013.en

[Lady Cavendish]

Matt you have just saved me many hours. That's awesome thank you......

[mattc]

"
Core skills: shamelessly taking credit for the hard work of others,
...
"

[teethgrinder]

Teethgrinder doesn't seem to mind riding on the A17 (though in fairness, probably at night ), but I definitely wouldn't. In fact, I'll avoid it in a car if I have a choice. It's one of those roads with red signs proudly advertising how many have died on there. 'Nuff said.

I do the A17 in daytime too. It's a single carriageway road and is as wide as dual carriageway. But I much prefer the old A17 to the north (which runs through Terrington St Clement) You still have to a small handfull of miles on the A17.

A47 is a nono.
A52, I'd avoid it, in favour of nice roads if I was touring.

A 149 (Norfolk Coast) I like it when it's sunny and I'm flying, but it's not that nice if you're after a leisurely plod.

If it was my tour. I'd do Lowestoft to the reedham ferry (east of Norwich) and head into the lanes, which I always find to be a treat in Norfolk. Then I'd go via Castle Acre (worth a quick visit) and also Castle Rising (worth a visit too and a nicer entry to Kings Lynn than most other options) Possibly stopping by Sandringham to visit Queen Lizzy, if she's in.

That's a pretty direct route. If you want extra, you can visit the seaside. I quite like Wells Next the Sea. But it's about a mile to the sea itself.

I'd plan direct-ish but pleasant routes between destinations. It's not an Audax and you can always go off piste to visit something that takes your fancy. Base the days on the easy option incase you get bad weather, have bad luck or just fancy an easy day. Having the easy option allready planned will make it an even easier option because you won't need to plan it ad-hock.

[PH]

I did part of it earlier this month, Lowestoft to Appleby.  Inspired in parts by your earlier post, the reports from Wowbagger and Bikepacker, having never been to Lowestoft and the bargain train fare.  I camped a little way before Kings Lyn, between Walesby and Market Rasen, Harrogate, then Appleby for the night before the train home.
My route was partly determined by BCQ locations, though I don’t think it would have been much different if it wasn't.  From Boston to Market Rasen, I went slightly East and over the Fens to Spilsby, then across some of the most lovely cycling country in England to Walesby.  From there across to just south of Scunthorpe, a fair section of the A18 which was OK on a weekend. Onto Thorne, Spilsby, Tadcaster, Harrogate.  I used the old railway cycle paths between  Tadcaster and Harrogate, well surfaced and very pleasant.  Up and down Nidderdale to Masham before picking up the Layburn Road.  I didn't go into Layburn, turning a few miles before to Wensley.  The Aysgarth Falls are a few miles along this valley, well worth a look.  I stayed the other side of the river and took the obvious route to Kirkby Stephen then some deserted country lanes to Appleby.  Highlights – all of it.  I didn't expect Suffolk to be so pretty, I was lucky with the weather and the colours at harvest time added to that.  A few photos here;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phbike/sets/72157631638433312/

[Toady]

A route via Gibraltar Point, Whitby, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Ratray Head and Cape Wrath would be rather pleasing, from a shipping forecast inshore waters point of view.  But a bit of a long way.

[jane]

This is a lovely trip.  I travelled these roads, from the border northwards, about ten years ago on a tour of the Scottish coast. The contrast between the east coast and west coast of the country is fascinating.  I kept to b roads and smaller, as much as I could and I cut off the far northern corner of the country, and headed up Strathnaver from Helmsdale and thence across the north coast to Durness and Cape Wrath and then south, taking in the hilly peninsular roads of the west coast on my way.  I forget the exact mileage, now.  Around 1500 miles, as I recall.