Your next great ride
A149, CROMER TO HUNSTANTON
RIDING IN WINTER is all about taking your chances and making the most of the good weather while you’ve got it — and this means short, sharp, condensed bouts of riding pleasure rather than day-long schleps.
When it comes to this kind of riding, few places are better than the A149 between Cromer and Hunstanton. Hugging the North Sea, it rises and falls, twists and turns, cutting through salt-marshes and quaint fishing villages before soaring (in Norfolk terms at least) into the rolling hills of rural coastal Norfolk. Stuck in its own micro-climate and warmed by the presence of the sea, it’s a choice destination for a winter escape.
During the summer, it’s clogged with middle-class tourists in their Audi Q5s but on a cool, crisp winter day, it can be your own personal playground. Back in the 1990s, this road was Mecca for East Anglian sportsbike riders, as they massed at the kiss-me-quick bike meets at Sunny Hunny but it’s actually besttackled on an adventure bike. Packed with bumps and blind corners that tighten unexpectedly, it rewards the visibility and the agility of a high-barred long-distance machine.
The highlight for some is the swerves and climbs between Salthouse and Weybourne — catch it on a traffic-free run and it’s demanding, exciting and asks a lot of bike and rider. But for many, the attraction is the abundance of great pubs serving brilliant food and some of the UK’S best fish and chip shops.
WHEN TO GO A cool, crisp winter’s day is perfect. The coarse-surfaced roads provide grip in the cool weather and you’re avoiding the congestion of the peak summer period.
HOW TO GET THERE There’s little choice with this. The A47 from Peterborough to King’s Lynn is direct, but the A1065 is the most enjoyable and flowing. You’d then pick up the B1105 from Fakenham to arrive at Wells-next-the-sea.
WHERE TO STAY Loads of choice. Glamping is a common North Norfolk option. The Wild Luxury site at Thornam Bay is a lovely place to stay.
WHERE TO RIDE The section from Sheringham (under the bridge for the steam railway) to Wells-next-the-sea is the most enjoyable.