Norfolk Part Two
Bure Valley Path
This again, for our third ride, is an old disused railway line which closed in 1952 to passengers and freight in 1972.
It originally ran from Hoveton Wrexham to Aylsham. Built in 1877 and was initially operated by East Norfolk Railway, then Great Eastern Railway in 1882. Taken over by LNER in 1923, then Nationalised under British Railways in 1948.
It was reopened as a 15 inch Narrow Gauge Railway in 1991 and the cycle path runs alongside it for about nine miles.
We had our picnic lunch on the Station Platform at Buxton.
However, we found it to be a bit boring as it was relatively flat and straight, through basically, the same countryside with very little interesting features along the way. Additionally, the path was also very narrow for most of it and the overgrown vegetation meant that you kept getting caught by brambles.
Bizarrely, the information sheet made no mention at all of the Narrow Gauge Railway and gave a glowing description of the surrounding area that you never actually saw.
Our route and stats.
Themelthorpe Loop
Keeping with the disused railway lines, we did this one for our fourth ride.
All passenger traffic stopped in 1959 and the Themelthorpe Curve was built in 1960 to join two railway different railways lines together. Namely, the Great Eastern Railway, built in 1882 and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, built in 1883. It was to shorten the route of freight trains carrying concrete products running from a terminal at Lenwade and was closed by 1985.
Interestingly, this section was to be the final section of railway track built in Norfolk by British Rail and was the sharpest curve in the whole of the British rail network. Consequently, trains were Limted to 10 mph when going round
The starting point was the Whitwell and Reepham Station, which has a standard gauge Heritage Railway line. This opened in 2009 and runs for 21.5 miles between Cromer and Norwich City.
We had our picnic lunch in the Churchyard of St Andrew’s Church in Themelthorpe itself.
Came across an old World War Two Pill Box.
It is now part of the Marriott’s Way footpath.
Our route and stats.
Gorleston Seafront
A quick ride along the seafront promenade in the nice warm sunshine.
No picnic stop today, as only a short ride, but Mrs DG did want an ice-cream.
Our route and stats.
. She's picking hers up tomorrow or Thursday, and we'll begin training for our Italian adventure!
. We need to come up with a name ..
I stayed inland on the road up and some of the views are just spectacular!
