Route advice: A47 Norfolk

[rb58]

A bunch of us CycleChatters are planning a night ride from Norwich. Out to the coast and then down to London. The provisional route has us on the A47 across the broads for a five mile stretch (junction with Branch Road to Runham). Anyone got any experience of this stretch and what it's likely to be like at about 12.30 - 1.00am on a Saturday morning?

Cheers.

 

[dnrc]

i assume you would be going from branch road out towards yarmouth?

that's the acle straight then. a dead straight, fairly thin, dark road, normally with fast moving traffic. It a notorious road for accidents.

I would definitely avoid it during the day. at that time of night it'll probably be mainly taxi's when the clubs kick out. that's the main (only) road from norwich to yarmouth. I would still try to avoid it if possible though




I would consider from norwich going north of the a47:
salhouse, south walsham, then billockby or stokesby then onto caister

or south of the river:
kirby, rockland, loddon, haddiscoe, st olaves, then gorleston or lowestoft

either of those routes would take you down mainly very quiet country roads, and the bigger and busier bits will be likely streetlit.

 

[mjr]

As above - it's been notorious for decades so I think I've never actually ridden that stretch. It's not even much fun to drive.

Basically, assume both of the Highways England roads in Norfolk - the A47 and A11 - are optimised for killing cyclists and you get the general idea. There are a few sections which are OK to ride, but they are very much the exceptions. Take the alternative routes unless it adds more than 50% IMO.

And people wonder why we hate the DfT...

 

[PeteXXX]

As has been said... The Acle Straight

 

[rb58]

Thanks all. I've change the route to avoid the A47.

 

[StuAff]

A bunch of us CycleChatters are planning a night ride from Norwich. Out to the coast and then down to London. The provisional route has us on the A47 across the broads for a five mile stretch (junction with Branch Road to Runham). Anyone got any experience of this stretch and what it's likely to be like at about 12.30 - 1.00am on a Saturday morning?

Cheers.

When?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Busy even that time of night. I'd head out through the racecourse plantation then pick up the B road then more yellow roads to Acle.

 

[Saluki]

Avoid the Acle Straight like the plague.
I last rode up there in about 1981 when I went to the Radio 1 Roadshow in Gt Yarmouth. We came home a different way as we scared the daylights out of ourselves. The traffic was not nearly as bad as it is now. Even at 1am, I'd not ride up that.