The National Cycle Route 13 is a cycling route that is part of the

National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. It connects

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

with

Fakenham Fakenham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, about north west of Norwich. The town is the junction of several local roads, including the A148 from King's Lynn to Cromer, the A1067 to Norw ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

Overview

This route is still under development This route links with the proposed NCR 16 near Basildon, it follows NCR 1 from Chelmsford to Hadleigh, it links with

NCR 51 National Cycle Route 51 is an English long distance cycle route running broadly east-west connecting Colchester and the port of Harwich to Oxford via Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bicester, and Kidlington. Links to ...

at Bury St Edmunds and then links again with NCR 1 near Fakenham

Route

London to Chelmsford

Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through ...

, Poplar , Blackwall ,

Royal Victoria Dock The Royal Victoria Dock is the largest of three docks in the Royal Docks of east London, now part of the redeveloped Docklands. History Although, the structure was in place in the year 1850, it was opened in 1855, on a previously uninhabit ...

Beckton Beckton is a suburb in east London, England, located east of Charing Cross and part of the London Borough of Newham. Adjacent to the River Thames, the area consisted of unpopulated marshland known as the East Ham Levels in the parishes of Barki ...

Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Fore ...

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a 16th century fort and an anc ...

Stanford-le-Hope Stanford-le-Hope is a town, former civil parish and Church of England parish situated in the county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is within the unitary authority of Thurrock and located 23.8 miles (38.4&nb ...

Basildon Basildon ( ) is the largest town in the borough of Basildon, within the county of Essex, England. It has a population of 107,123. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1159. It lies east of Central London, south of the city of Chelmsford and ...

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of Londo ...

This route section is still under development. The route starts at the

, then follows the north bank of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

heading eastwards, to

Westferry Westferry is a station on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), at the junction of Limehouse Causeway and Westferry Road in Limehouse in London Docklands, England. The station is located in Travelcard Zone 2. To the west is Limehouse station, ...

, Poplar and Blackwall. Then it passes the

s to head via an off-road route towards the A13. It then joins the Cycle Superhighway 3 beside the A13 to head to

Rainham, Greater London Rainham ( ) is a suburb of East London, England, in the London Borough of Havering. Historically an ancient parish in the county of Essex, Rainham is east of Charing Cross and is surrounded by a residential area, which has grown from the histo ...

. On the

Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The ...

side, some small sections of National Cycle Network Route 13 are open, but this is mainly a work in progress. The current highlights of the route are Grays Riverside,

Rainham Marshes Rainham may refer to: *Rainham, Kent, Medway, England **Rainham railway station (Kent) *Rainham, London Rainham ( ) is a suburb of East London, England, in the London Borough of Havering. Historically an ancient parish in the county of Essex, ...

Nature Reserve and the recently completed surfacing of the Mardyke Way (following the Mardyke (river)) between Ship Lane and Stifford Bridge. The riverside paths on both sides of the river are spectacular walking routes, but they are not currently open to cyclists (with a few exceptions).

Chelmsford to Bury St Edmunds

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes) ** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal el ...

, Lavenham ,

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton ...

, This section of the route is under development. Only a short section near Sudbury is traffic free, following a disused railway route to

Long Melford Long Melford, colloquially and historically also referred to as Melford, is a large village and civil parish in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is on Suffolk's border with Essex, which is marked by the River Stour, ...

. It then heads along the roads, to Lavenham,

Cockfield, Suffolk Cockfield is a village and civil parish located approximately from Lavenham in Suffolk, England. The village consists of a central point and several outlying hamlets: Buttons Green, Colchester Green, Cross Green, Great Green, Oldhall Green ...

, before entering Bury St Edmonds (via the small village of Rushbrooke). Some sections in the market town are traffic free.

Bury St Edmunds to Fakenham

Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , in 2015 had a population of 24, ...

, Watton ,

Dereham Dereham (), also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the Breckland District of the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, about 15 miles (25 km) west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles (4 ...

It then heads on mainly minor roads to

Great Barton Great Barton is a large village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, about East of Bury St Edmunds on the A143.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – So ...

Great Livermere Great Livermere is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located around four miles north-east of the borough's largest town Bury St Edmunds. Great Livermere also has a village hall located ...

Honington, Suffolk Honington is a village and civil parish located in Bardwell Ward and Pakenham and Troston Wards of West Suffolk District Council, Suffolk in eastern England It is near to the border with Norfolk. It lies on the River Black Bourn, about 8 ...

Coney Weston Coney Weston is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England, within the West Suffolk district. It is a primarily rural residential town that has dormitory town status. It is north of Ixworth and from Bury St Edmunds Etymology Coney West ...

and

Knettishall Knettishall is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the south bank of the River Little Ouse (the Norfolk-Suffolk border), in 2005 it had a population of 40. From the 2011 census the p ...

. Where it meets Regional Route 30 from Diss,

Mellis Mellis is a small village in Suffolk, England. It has the largest area of unfenced common land in England. Oliver Cromwell exercised his troops in Mellis. It once had a railway station on the main line between London and Norwich, and a small ...

and

Eye, Suffolk Eye () is a market town and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk, about south of Diss, Norfolk, Diss, north of Ipswich and south-west of Norwich. The population in the 2011 Census of 2,154 was estimated to be 2,361 in 2 ...

. Then both cycle routes head towards

. After Croxton, Norfolk, Regional Route 30 leads west to

Brandon, Suffolk Brandon is a town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. Brandon is located in the Breckland area of Suffolk, close to the adjoining county of Norfolk. It lies between the towns of Bury St Edmunds, Thetford, Mildenhall, Downha ...

. Route 13 carries on mainly minor roads towards East Wretham and

Stonebridge, Norfolk Stonebridge is a village in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A1075 road, some north east of the town of Thetford and south west of the city of Norwich. The village forms part of the civil parish of Wretham , which in tu ...

, where it briefly meets and follows (for 3.5miles) the (long distance footpath)

Peddars Way The Peddars Way is a long distance footpath that passes through Suffolk and Norfolk, England. Route The Peddars Way is 46 miles (74 km) long and follows the route of a Roman road. It has been suggested by more than one writer that it was n ...

. It then heads towards Thompson, Norfolk,

Watton, Norfolk Watton is a market town in the district of Breckland in the English county of Norfolk, about west-southwest of Norwich and northeast of Thetford. The annual Wayland Agricultural Show in its west is one of the oldest one-day such shows in ...

Bradenham, Norfolk Bradenham is a village and civil parish, a conglomeration of East and West Bradenham, in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some south-west of the town of East Dereham and west of the city of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (1999). ''OS Expl ...

East Dereham Dereham (), also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the Breckland District of the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, about 15 miles (25 km) west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles (40&n ...

Gressenhall Gressenhall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The villages name origin is uncertain possibly 'Grassy nook of land' or 'gravelly nook of land'. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,008 in 443 households ...

and

Brisley Brisley is a village in the English county of Norfolk located about halfway between Fakenham and East Dereham. It covers an area of and had a population of 276 in 117 households at the 2001 census The Village is located along the B1145 a rou ...

. After the small village of Gately, it meets

National Cycle Route 1 The cycle-path is located in the United Kingdom. Route Dover to Canterbury Dover , Deal , Sandwich , Canterbury Links with National Cycle Route 2, Regional route 16, and Regional route 17 in Dover. Leaves Dover passing Dover Castle. S ...

heading to Fakenham. A feature of this 30-mile signed route is that it passes through the distinctive

Breckland Breckland in Norfolk and Suffolk is a 39,433 hectare Special Protection Area (SPA) under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. The SPA partly overlaps the 7,544 hectare Breckland Special Area of Conservation. As a la ...

landscape of Mid-Norfolk.http://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/activities-norfolk/Fakenham-National-Cycle-Network-Route-13/details/?dms=13&GroupId=5&venue=0017446

References

{{NCN National Cycle Routes