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Where to Ride: Breckland
By Brett Travers
Breckland, at the heart of East Anglia, is a unique rural area of approximately 940 square kilometres (370 square miles) covering much of South Norfolk and North Suffolk. As one of the most sparsely populated parts of the UK, the Brecks' lowland setting, which is dominated by swathes of forest, heathland and agriculture, makes for an extremely appealing place to ride a bike.
Thetford, which is located just inside the county of Norfolk and was once the Saxon capital of East Anglia, is the base for all three of our featured rides. The town lends its name to Britain's largest lowland pine forest, which is managed by the Forestry Commission. Thetford Forest is ideal in that it has provisions for cyclists (and non-cyclists) at all levels of ability.
For families and leisure riders Thetford Forest has around 25 kilometres of way-marked, traffic-free cycle tracks. The other on-site facilities at the two centres (High Lodge Visitor Centre and Brandon Country Park) simplify your day out and allow you to make the most of your leisure time.
Mountain bikers (MTB) are also extremely well catered for at Thetford Forest. The two main routes for MTBs (black and red) provide riders with around 34 kilometres of way-marked, predominantly singletrack trails. When you also add in the mass of un-marked trails that are there to be ridden it is clear to see why this is a popular destination for mountain bike riding and racing.
The Brecks, which is predominantly flat, also has a good network of minor rural roads that are virtually traffic-free and link up market towns such as Swaffham, Watton, Brandon, Mildenhall and Thetford. Historical landmarks ranging from Neolithic industrial flint mining sites to military mock-ups of Afghan villages, along with an abundance of wildlife, makes for an extremely interesting area to ride on the road.
Here are three hand picked routes, catering for leisure, MTB and road riders.
Leisure
With over 23 kilometres (14 miles) of way-marked family orientated trails Thetford Forest, which covers an area of Suffolk and Norfolk, is a fantastic location for leisure riding. When the other on-site activities and facilities are also taken into account, it is easy to see why so many people enjoy using the Forest as a base to pass away their free time. Read More...
MTB
As a location for mountain biking Thetford Forest, which covers an area of North Suffolk and South Norfolk, offers you singletrack, singletrack and yet more singletrack riding. What this lowland forest lacks in hills it makes up for with its vast network of way-marked and non-routed technical trails, making it a very popular mountain biking destination. Read More...
Road
Most people visiting the Brecks for cycling will probably not look beyond Thetford Forest. However, an offering of quiet country lanes, unique rural charm and a sprinkling of attractive market towns await those that do take to the road by bike. Read More...
Useful Links
South-Norfolk - Cycling Routes
Forestry Commission - Thetford Forest Park
