Ride report by Ian A
Due to others’ European Adventures, just Mark and Andrew met at PC on a breezy but bright Autumnal day for the pretty and, even by North Norfolk standards, ‘church heavy’ ride down to Hoveton Hall.
The route took the duo via Gresham, Sustead, Hanworth, crossed the Norwich Road and passed Gunton Park (waving to some impressive red deer stags today) before crossing the Cromer Road and continuing across the mainline via Antingham Hill. Nature called and unfortunately during this stop what Mark thought was a big lump of mud on his shoe/cleat turned out to be much more unsavoury. (Suffice to say, we sat outside the cafe at lunch to dissipate any ripe odours…) Continuing on, the route took in the edge of North Walsham and then a lovely section comprising Meeting Hill, Honing, crossing a pretty spot at Tylers Cut via a bridge just before Dilham, then Neatishead and Irstead.
At St. Michael’s Church Irstead the duo met Ian as planned, who had made his own way there and arrived just a couple of minutes earlier. The church is delightful and has much to commend it. In particular an impressive font which has some of the original paint faintly visible. Stained glass windows, the original 14th Century door and above it, a carving of St. Michael fighting a serpent are some of the other highlights.
Church done, we then spent a couple of minutes by the River Ant which runs into the considerable expanse of Barton Broad just north of Irstead. (There’s a short boardwalk which has a viewpoint giving good views over the broad and you might spot common terns for which the NWT provide nesting platforms.)
Anyway, back to the bike ride! The trio remounted and cycled the next 5 miles together via Ashmanhaugh to reach Flora Cafe just before 1230. Malcolm had made his own way there and given that last time we met him (Little Plumstead) he arrived just as we were leaving (and no we didn’t wait for him!) so by the time we arrived he had finished his lunch. But that meant that while we ate he could update us with his news and musings uninterrupted. Every cloud etc…
Other topics over lunch included Andrew’s mounting confusion with solar panels and electric cars, the pros and cons of smart meters and Ian’s joy over his latest erection in his garden… a metal arch made by a local Artist Blacksmith. We’d enjoyed a good tailwind all morning so after lunch (yes you’ve guessed it) although Malcolm was now going to get a tailwind. Ian said his goodbyes and headed off a couple of minutes before Mark/Andrew at his gentler Wednesday pace, expecting to be caught in a few miles time. The homeward leg crossed the mainline again at Tunstead, then went via Scottow, Swanton Abbot (by which point Ian had been caught, and he stopped to add a photo of the Village Sign there to his growing collection – viewings by arrangement.). Then it was Skeyton, Tuttington (another nice church), Banningham, Ingworth (another nice church), skirting Calthorpe, Wickmere and on to Matlaske.
It was good to see Andrew again as it had been a while but he wasn’t feeling 100% after a recent bout of man flu, so at Matlaske Mark and he diverted straight to PC, shaving about 1.5 miles off of the full route. When Ian (finally?) arrived at Matlaske he was feeling as strong as an Ox and manfully completed the route via Plumstead, Baconsthorpe and to the top of Bodham Hill before turning left for High Kelling at the bottom of New Road. A nice route in dry conditions with a good dollop of churches and dog poo.
Irstead Church: http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/irstead/irstead.htm –
PC to PC was 53.1 miles at an average 14.8 mph (15.1 Out, 14.4 Back)
Riders: Andrew B, Mark M, Ian A, Malcolm S at lunch
Upcoming Rides –
Saturday 19th September – Chrysalis Café, Sparhamhill
Wednesday 23rd September – Nest Café, Burnham Deepdale
Routes for rides on the website under Dates and Destinations: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/
Visit the Clubs Runs Gallery for larger and more photos: https://nnwheelers.co.uk/club-runs/club-runs-photo-gallery/
North Norfolk Wheelers 