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Monday 10 June 2013

Mavis and Joyce ride around Norfolk

We had a very enjoyable four day cycle ride last week - the warmest week of this year so far. 
We caught the train from Nottingham to Ely and spent an evening and morning looking around Ely including a visit into Ely Cathedral with its magnificent Octagonal Lantern Tower added in 1322.  The Norman work and stained glass windows were awe inspiring.  We cycled to Barton Mills where we stayed the night in a Travel Lodge.
Day two we cycled to Mundford via Mildenhall where the RAF were practicing early morning low flying, lunch at Lakenham and onto Brandon Visitors centre and  through the forest to visit Grime's Graves - the first flint mines to be recognized as such in England and were dug about 5,000 years ago.  Spent the evening  relaxing, eating and drinking in the Crown Hotel at Mundford.
The following day we planned to cycle to Norwich via Frog Hill but discovered the area was out of bounds due to 'Afghan' training and therefore had to take a four mile detour along the very busy A1065.  However, on nearing Thorpe Camp we could see soldiers running across the lane ahead of us and as we drew level, two of them dropped to their knees and pointed their rifles at us! They must have decided on the spur of the moment to practice on moving targets; a worrying few moments in the heat of the day.  Continued on and getting hotter but feeling peckish we diverted to Hingham and discovered a delightful tea room called Chalfonts.  Rode onto Norwich, our last stop and Travel Lodge for the night.  Caught a train the next morning from Norwich to Alfreton and cycled home to Etwall.
A most enjoyable 122 miles cycle ride in glorious weather, albeit a fairly strong North Easterly wind especially so in the exposed fens of Ely and  Mildenhall but otherwise no problems.

3 comments:

Les Sims said...

Well done, girls.
Following your lead, I am going to Ely by train next week to do a circular ride from there to Chatteris and back.

Littleranger said...

How fantastic. Hope you have the same weather that we had. I have the Ordnance Survey map 143 if you would like to borrow it.

Anonymous said...

I think it's safer in Venice!
Phil and Sue