Suffolk in a Spin
A wonderful one nighter – a Suffolk circular with windmills, crinkle-crankle and curtain walls; moats, meres, manor houses and more, all joined up by joyfully gentle cycling. Saddle up and head for historic Framlingham, home to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Castle on the Hill’, to rest up your trusty Cycle Breaks steed and enjoy an overnight at the heart of this fine market town. Sip on locally brewed ales, ciders or even wines from the nearby vineyard and dine on delicious produce that has come directly from plot to plate. En route you’ll discover great greens and smooth valley slopes, model farms, wool towns and villages once touched by busier times, but now quietly tucked away. Treat yourself to a get-away-from-it-all that’s a real-taste-of-Suffolk break... in a roundabout sort of way. Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£192.00
2 Days, 1 Night
Feb - Nov
Grade 1 (Very Easy)
Overview
Let country lanes lead you through some of Suffolk’s most classic countryside, including the home of Ronald Blythe’s rural idyll, ‘Akenfield’. Pedal through wool towns and Victorian estate villages, past old priory sites and fine flint churches; up gentle hill and over wide village green. Highlights include Needham Market church; half-timbered Debenham, Saxtead Green’s iconic post mill, Helmingham Hall Gardens and Framlingham’s 12th century curtain-wall castle and mere.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive, set off & start to discover
Take a quick peek at a real Suffolk wonder before you leave Needham Market – the amazing double hammerbeam roof in St John the Baptist church is like no medieval other and will set the bar for the other superb sights you’ll catch glimpse of en route as you push those pedals towards Framlingham.
Up River Gipping valley slopes and down towards the Deben, you’ll find a magical nature reserve meadow full of wildflowers and mighty oaks at Mickfield before you get to graze on the wool town delights of the tempting medieval market town of Debenham. Park up by the green, by the cottage front gardens and former market cross; take a stroll past the old toll house or venture into mighty St Mary Magdalene to experience the unique ‘Galilee’ porch and bell-tower.
The villages of Monk Soham and Earl Soham suggest the historic lie of the land, but at Saxtead all is green and pleasant by the white, iconic post mill. Climb up to the fantail, find the ice-cream van or pop in the pub if you will, but Framlingham is just a short spin away.
Visit the castle and view ‘Hogwarts’ across the mere from the curtain wall walk. Admire the tombs of the great and not always so good in St Michael’s church. Pedal along to Shawsgate Vineyard for a glass of something very local – or just sit on the Square with a coffee at the Dancing Goat like Ed used to, and watch the world go by.
Overnight: Framlingham.
Mileage: Rec 22 Min 21 Max 38
Day 2 The rural retreat
Heading for home already? Don’t worry, there’s plenty to discover along the way. Weave round Easton’s crinkle-crankle redbrick wall which once encompassed a fine Queen Anne mansion. Bits of the hall were reputedly shipped to a ranch in the States, but much of the Victorian model estate village including the dairy – now Easton’s farm park – still exist today.
Just up the lane, Letheringham is in a different time-zone altogether, home to a watermill, moated hall and priory church which seems to cling to a distant past. Up next, the rise and fall of idyllic ‘Akenfield’ landscapes – a countryside which Ronald Blythe suggested might be happy with its lot.
At Helmingham though, fine diaper-patterned gatehouses point the way through the deer park to the height of aspiration – the exquisite gardens of the moated Elizabethan hall. Created by owner and award-winning garden guru, Xa Tollemache, the grounds include walled, knot and wildflower gardens with highly renowned herbaceous borders and delightful vistas. They’re a real summer treat, but this part of Suffolk is inviting at any time of the year.
Finally, the lanes lead back towards Needham Market, but at Coddenham, there’s one last chance to take stock of the passage of Suffolk time. Climb up to St Mary’s on the hill and look out across a landscape. This was once an important medieval manor and, earlier still, home to one of East Anglia’s most significant Roman settlements. Suffolk is full of surprises and reasons to return.
Mileage: Rec 22 Min 22 Max 32
Gallery
Dates & Prices
Download PricesFor tour start days/dates, seasons and all prices, please click on the PRICES button above
PRICE INCLUDES
Ensuite accommodation as described with full English breakfast (prices based on two adults sharing)
Hire of hybrid bicycle and ancillary equipment (single pannier and handlebar bag or map holder, pump, basic tools, spare inner tube & puncture repair equipment, helmet if required)
Luggage transfer between hotels
Local assistance on call (we will attend for puncture repair in Suffolk)
Detailed itinerary with meticulously planned and researched routes following quiet country lanes with a choice of routes available each day (usually recommended, long and short)
Route notes, descriptions and use of good OS mapping (maps available on arrival) We pride ourselves on our detailed level of documentation which includes plenty of top tips for places to visit or for relaxing and sampling the local fare along the way. We send electronic versions of these documents by email approximately two weeks before your stay so you can plan ahead and look forward to your gentle cycling adventure
We have now switched the default navigation system to GPS – in our opinion this is now the most convenient method as it eliminates the need for frequent stops to check the map
- We provide you with access to a premium GPS smartphone navigation app (IOS or Android) and send you links so that you can download all of the route options before you leave home. We will provide a handlebar bracket for your phone if required; it is also recommended that you bring a spare battery/powerbank to make sure that your phone lasts the day
- We can also provide GPS tracks in whatever format if you prefer to load them into your own GPS Unit
- Finally, we can provide a limited number of G PS units with the routes preloaded – this is on a first come first served basis – please let us know as soon as you can if you would like to use one
- We also provide OS 1:50,000 mapping on arrival as additional support to allow for any impromptu route changes
- Traditional map-based navigation (using marked OS maps) is still available as an alternative at extra cost upon request (at least two weeks in advance)
Please note that the price EXCLUDES
Costs of getting to and from the start point
Accommodation Options
In the historic market town of Framlingham.A very good 2 star hotel in Framlingham
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