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| Norfolk Coast Bike Ride
This was originally going to be a bike ride from Andermatt to the Mediterranean along the River Rhone but unfortunately a problem with my leg obliged me to cancel that trip at the last minute. Instead we ventured out for a brief ride along the Norfolk coast... Tuesday 14th August 2018 A cloudy start, a bit cool but fine for cycling. We, ie me and Andrew, left Ware around 09.10 on Tuesday 14th August 2018 and cycled along the River Lea towpath to Hertford North station where we got the train to Kings Lynn. By the time we got off the train Andrew had acquired a puncture - rear wheel, of course.
At Kings Lynn he had a look at it and decided the tyre was too damaged and needed replacing so we looked online for a bike shop then pushed his bike a quarter of a mile only to read 'Closed Tuesdays' on a sign in the shop window. So we looked online again and found a Halfords - all the way back to where we had started from plus a bit. Off we plodded, to find this Halfords was an automotive centre only - no bike stuff. The lady there did, however, tell us there was also a normal Halfords store but that it was over a mile and a half away. Back we went to the station where I left my panniers with Andrew and rode off alone to get the stuff, one new 700x35 tyre and an inner tube. It was a busy road too so I rode half the way on the pavement (hooligan, eh).
Back at the station Andrew could now demonstrate his natural grease monkey proclivities and quickly bodged the tyre into place and finally we were set. Set to look for something to eat that is. Nearby we found 'the best value cafe in Kings Lynn'. Well the sign on the wall said so, so it must be true. For 'best value' I think perhaps they meant cheapest. Very basic. Scrambled eggs & a cup of tea.
Time was getting on & we still hadn't really started yet but Andrew wanted to sort out somewhere to stay rather than just cycle along & rely on luck. He consulted the internet and at this point we found out that just about everywhere in Norfolk was full up. Shouldn't people be at work?! Don't they know pensioners need beds after a hard day's mending punctures? (Or watching punctures being mended). Anyway the upshot was that we finally found a place in Sedgeford, the King William IV Inn. Sedgeford was only 14 miles or so from Kings Lynn so it would be a short day, but as it was already gone 15.00 by now, just as well.
En route to Sedgeford we passed by the Queen's second (or maybe third or fourth..) home, Sandringham, so we stopped and had an ice cream and a photo by one of the sidegates. Wednesday 15th August 2018 We got away from the King William about 9.40 and set off for Warham where there was supposed to be an Iceni fort. We found a pub instead and had a cup of tea and a sandwich & the landlord helpfully told us where to go. To get to the fort, that is. Naturally it was up a hill.
So we slogged up the hill, found it and had a walk around. Deep double ditch circular shape. Still deep and steep after nearly 2000 years so it must have taken a lot of effort to build.
Anyway from there we rolled along through Blakeney, Cley and Roughton to Gimingham which Andrew wanted to have a look at for some research he's doing. Then on to Bacton to our accommodation for the night - a somewhat down-market caravan park with a 'hotel' in the middle (the Cliff Top Inn). To fit in here I'd need a few more tattoos and a pitbull or two.
Not a lot of choice in the accommodation area hereabouts in August though - and all the prices are jacked up a fair bit too. Still, we all have to make a living, I suppose. At about 4.00 we'd stopped for a cup of tea at a kids adventure park in the middle of nowhere and were entertained by the Red Arrows practising their routines in the skies above us - great stuff. Tomorrow may be wet so a shorter ride perhaps. 56 miles today. Thursday 16th August 2018 Today started wet and then stayed wet. Not the nicest of rides, therefore, but never mind. We left Bacton by about 9.50 and as the day wasn't really suited to sightseeing everything after that sort of blurred into a series of puddles following the coast road.
Great Yarmouth was fairly busy when we got there and took a while to get through, then after a bit more coast road we finally made it to Lowestoft where Andrew had booked us in at the Victoria Hotel.
The Victoria is quite a nice place, far better than the bear pit we stayed in last night, and yet it manages to be cheaper too. I suppose that's because not so many people choose to holiday in Lowestoft. 43 soggy miles today - fun or what! Friday 17th August 2018 A much nicer day today, sunny with enough clouds about to stop you burning up and no strong winds to battle.
After breakfast at the Victoria (where the eggs benedict were irritatingly served up on top of slices of ham) we set off south at about 10.00. At Southwold we crossed the River Blyth in a rowing boat, bikes and all, paying the salty old sea dog at the oars £2 each for his trouble.
With our spokes sparkling in the sun we whistled on through Walberswick, paused to ingest a brie and cranberry toasty whilst battling wasps, then rolled into Aldeburgh just in time to see a police search squad trawling the sewers, no doubt looking for the missing residents of Midsomer Bottom.
Had a look round the museum and a maple & walnut ice-cream then pedalled the final 10 easy miles to Yoxford where we're installed in the Griffin, a 600 year old pub. They have 'award-winning' home-made pies on their menu - have just ordered a 'Heidi'. It was quite nice.
A modest 41.7 miles today. Saturday 18th August 2018 A cool but dry day for the homeward journey. We rolled along easily enough through Sibton then Framlingham, where there's a fine-looking castle and where I lost Andrew temporarily. We met up again at Earl Soham, however, then it was on to Debenham, Mickfield, Gipping, Haughley and finally Elmswell.
Then an easy train ride to Hertford North and back to Ware on the bikes. 40 miles today… so 195 in total. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
