Quiet route between Stoke on Trent and Harwich

[art]

Hi Folks - newboy reporting for duty!
I'm just starting to plan a short summer tour and was hoping some kind souls on this forum could provide me with some local knowledge/ advice on my proposed route starting from Stoke on Trent, via Burton upon Trent, Leicester, Corby, Huntingdon, Cambridge and ending up in Harwich. I'm trying to avoid using A roads if at all possible, but, it looks like I'll have my work cut out between Leicester and Cambridge...
If needs must, I will use an A road, but prefer low traffic routes. Any suggestions?

 

[elduderino]

This site has been good to me for planning rides http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

I attempted the same route as you for my first tour a couple of years ago and the route I took mainly involved A roads that were packed with traffic and had no shoulder to ride on, it very nearly put me off touring. I made it just passed Corby and ended up begging a mate to come pick me up and then drop me off in Harwich.

My route is here, so avoid this and you should be alright. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2557165

I'm sure someone esle will know a better route. I was attempting the North Sea Cycle Route and remember pulling up outside a shop not far from my house. The shopkeeper eyed up my bike and asked where I was heading. I smiled and proudly proclaimed France.

I got nowhere near France and ended up going from the Hoek as far as Esbjerg, Denmark (without a map for Holland and Germany) before I ran out of money and so I flew home.

I've been hooked since. Enjoy the ride, just don't follow my route


Edit: the road from Loughborough into Leicester had a pretty good cycle path alongside the main road if I remember right.

 

[art]

elduderino - many thanks for the info. I think I'll have to study the maps very closely for this part of the journey. I'm actually starting from Chester, but as Leicester will be my first overnight stop, I don't really fancy cycling about 100 miles on my first day, so I'm planning to get the train to Stoke and then cycle to Leicester. I'm planning to incorporate a mini 3 day tour around the Netherlands and then head back home. Unfortunately my tour will be restricted by both time and financial constraints - but it's better than nothing!

 

[Auntie Helen]

Art, this isn't too helpful probably but I live nearish to Harwich and the NCN51 (Sustrans Route) is pretty decent from Colchester to Harwich (which is about 20 miles). It's lovely rolling B-roads for pretty much all of that part of the journey. Don't know what the route is like west of Colchester though - I think the Sustrans routes can be pretty variable.

 

[art]

Auntie Helen
I intend to cycle from the Cambridge direction into Harwich, hopefully via Haverhill, Sudbury, Manningtree. So if I end up going towards Colchester, I'm in trouble! But thanks for the reply.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Well Manningtree to Harwich has some lovely routes too which would join the NCN51 and be rather nice. Once you get to Manningtree you follow the coast road for a bit to Bradfield Heath, then go south to Wix, then you join the NCN51 and trundle across to Harwich. It's a lovely ride (in my opinion). I go to Manningtree a great deal (will do my grocery shopping there this morning on the bike) and there's some lovely scenery along the coast road, particularly if you go as far as Wrabness (though that's a bit hilly).

Just got some blurb on Colchester cycling events this year and this piece caught my eye:
"5-13 June, Tour de Route 51, arriving at Colchester Cycling Festival on 13 June
A week long ride and series of events along Route 51, from Cambridge to Bury, Ipswich, Felixstowe and Colchester is being led by Sustrans. This group ride from Harwich could be part of the Sustrans “Fresh Air Miles” promotion. The last leg is from Harwich to Colchester, and they will finish at the Festival, meeting with the Mayor of Colchester?"

 

[vernon]

Try using www.viamichelin.co.uk

It has a cycling option which selects the quieter roads and the routes are usually shorter than those using major roads.

I've found it very useful for plotting 100km and 200km rides and I have used it to plot alternative routes to the NCN meanderings.

 

[e-rider]

Try www.bikely.com for route planning. Stay well clear of the 'A' roads near Harwich as they're very dangerous.

 

[art]

Thanks folks for the info and links to the various sites.

Some of signage for the NCN and local routes which I have tried to follow these past few years leave a bit to be desired...... I got totally confused (or should I say lost) cycling from Selby to Sheffield last year. But the NCN 51 sounds a good bet for the final run into Harwich.