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Truly Great Norfolk

Tour: N6
Circular Cycling Holiday
Hotel To Hotel Cycling Holiday

Take in some of East Anglia’s finest Great Houses, greatest sandy beaches and countless great villages dwarfed only by history, all under one great big Norfolk sky. There are Palladian mansions to pop in or pedal past and royal connections at Sandringham and Oxborough too. Great Walsingham warrants a pilgrimage beyond the beach and historic quayside of Wells; Great Massingham boasts abbey fishponds and Great Bircham a towering mill. Coast through gloriously green estates, discover stylish market towns and follow history down the Peddars Way Path. With woodland, heathland and rolling landscapes all the way, this tour is a clear contender for some truly great cycling! Read More

Destination

England

Start Day

Any Day

Board Basis

Bed & Breakfast

Prices from

£910.00

Duration

6 Days, 5 Nights

Availability

Feb - Nov

Tour Grade

Grade 2 (Easy)

Read Overview
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Overview

From the heathland of the Brecks in the south to Nelson’s coastal homelands in the north, this tour picks out some of Norfolk’s greatest highlights. It brings together an irresistible mix of superb and varied cycling between great hotels, wildly different landscapes and rural gems which are a joy to discover.

Tour Code:
N6
Activity:
Cycling
Type:
Circular Cycling Holiday, Hotel To Hotel Cycling Holiday
Country:
England
Area:
Norfolk
Duration:
6 Days, 5 Nights
Board Basis:
Bed & Breakfast
Availability:
Feb - Nov

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive & relax

Arrive at your hotel, just outside Watton, where your bikes will be provided after breakfast the following morning.

Day 2 Tales of Tudor Queens

Travelling through the haunting landscapes of Breckland’s woods and heath, your first day of discovery includes Oxburgh Hall – the red brick, moated manor house, linked with Mary Queen of Scots and one of the most romantic and picturesque Tudor Great Houses in the country. The historic market town of Swaffham with its wedged-shaped market place, flanked by graceful 18th century buildings will be home for the night.

Overnight in Swaffham

Mileage: Rec 22 Min 9 Max 22

Day 3 All villages great & small

It’s northwards towards Great and Little Massingham, but there are other treats in store first at historic West Acre, a place famed for its walled gardens. Great Massingham oozes history too with its impressive green and dominating large ponds, ancient ‘fisheries’ which date back to the time of an 11th century Augustian Abbey. Just a little pedal pushing later, Houghton Hall comes into view, promising more wonderful walled gardens alongside a perfectly Palladian mansion built by Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. The final rural stretch of the day heads further coastwards to the set of villages known as ‘The Burnhams’ and in particular to the stylish spot of Burnham Market aka Chelsea-on-Sea for your next over night.

Overnight at Burnham Market

Mileage: Rec 26 Min 26 Max 26

Day 4 Time for a parsonage, pilgrimage, Palladian masterpiece and a paddle

Head out via Burnham Thorpe where Lord Nelson’s father was once the local rector. Alas the parsonage where Horatio was born in 1758 is no more, but a plaque marks the spot. The country route to the coast then takes on some stunning cycling through the smart grounds of Holkham Estate. Enjoy the vistas as the landscape unfurls towards obelisk and ice house and down to the magnificent fountains in front of the Palladian home of the Earl of Leicester. A visit is a must, but there’s always the call of the coast too. Holkham Bay is breathtakingly beautiful, but the ride along the North Norfolk Coast Path through pine woods to the beach huts on stilts, the promise of a paddle and the historic quayside at Wells-next-the-Sea is a gentle enough journey. Cut back to the Burnhams or continue round to discover the mysteries of Walsinghams great and small. Little Walsingham became a place of pilgrimage second only to Canterbury following a holy vision in 1061 and makes for a fascinating visit before winding your way back to Burnham Market for your next overnight.

Overnight in Burnham Market

Mileage: Rec 26 Min 14 Max 26

Day 5 Floral fields and a right royal estate

Head out west from Burnham Market on the National Cycle Route 1 towards Hunstanton, the only resort in East Anglia on an east coast which faces west, and pick up quiet country lanes leading southwards close to fields of lavender, all within reach of the sea breeze. Seek out Sandringham, a long-time royal favorite and now H.M. The King’s Norfolk country retreat set in beautifully informal parklands and gardens renowned for their Rhododendrons and Camelias. Don’t miss the great state ballroom or the stable block, packed full of royal mementoes and bygones celebrating royal country life. Back in the saddle, the final pedal of the day leads through the wooded grounds of the estate and on to Great Bircham, taking in its fine tower mill before your final overnight in this charming rural village.

Overnight in Great Bircham

Mileage: Rec 25 Min 11 Max 30

Day 6 A great masterpiece en route back to the Brecks

From Great Bircham there’s a final chance to sneak a peek at Palladian Houghton Hall and wonder at Massinghams great and small, before picking up the time-honoured Peddars Way to arrive at inspiring Castle Acre. Here sits history in microcosm: a tiny medieval town, sandwiched between a 12th century castle with massive earthworks and one of the largest and best preserved monastic sites in England, dating back to 1090… a place to let your mind wander, before you guide the handlebars back towards Watton through the estate villages and sandy landscapes of the Brecks.

Mileage: Rec 28 Min 25 Max 28

Dates & Prices

Download Prices

For 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

Delivery & collection of bicycles (delivery is after breakfast on Day 2 of your tour unless we agree an alternative time)

Local assistance on call (although puncture repair is excluded)

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 GPS 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 will 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

Selected 3 star hotels in Great Bircham and near Watton; a 4 star hotel in Burnham Market and an unrated family run hotel in Swaffham

We are please to discuss details on request.

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