Rebellion Way
Discover Norfolk’s hidden stories on a 370km bikepacking tour
Guy Kesteven
Format of the guide
We have split the route into five sections. They are mostly of roughly similar length (70km/43 miles) and have a town or village as a start or break point. Each section has a chapter of its own describing the character and landscape, with historical, natural or useful highlights detailed separately.
To help you plan your trip, we’ve included a cumulative distance chart as well as a table of the facilities in each town and village. We’ve also suggested itineraries for a two-, three-, four- or five-night schedule.
We know plans don’t always go smoothly, so we’ve flagged where the route has obvious shortcuts to make up time.
If you don’t have time to do the full Rebellion Way route in one go, there is also an option to cut across the middle between Stoke Holy Cross and Swaffham to create two shorter loops (see map on p.8).
• Rebellion Way north loop: 304km
• Rebellion Way south loop: 171km
Terrain
Contrary to popular perception, Norfolk isn’t totally flat, but it’s not far off. The route doesn’t climb above 100m at any point and when it does it’s almost always very gentle. While it can be affected by headwinds, a lot of the route is sheltered by trees and thick hedges so the pedalling is never painful.
In terms of what’s under your wheels, this is a mixed-surface route, but not a technical one. Most of the off-road surfaces are on hard-packed gravel that rides well in all weathers but some sections can be sticky or slippery if it’s been wet. There’s also a section of sand near King’s Lynn and a steeper off-road climb near Sheringham where you might need to push. We’ve highlighted those in the route notes and provided alternative road routes in case it’s been raining particularly hard.
The off-road sections are fast, non-technical and largely weather-resistant, so those miles come very easily.
Norwich to Thetford
PART ONE
The Rebellion Way starts from the county capital of Norwich with its dramatic castle keep, beautiful cathedral and lively atmosphere, but you’re soon out into beautiful wide-open countryside.
Part 1
Norwich to Thetford
Distance: 79km (49 miles)
Highlights
• Idyllic, easy rural riding
• Norwich riverside
• Venta Icenorum Roman town
• Beautiful back lanes and timeless trackways
• Prehistoric mounds and earthworks
• Ancient churches – alive and ruined
• Secret manor houses and tithe barns
• Delightful medieval villages and Georgian market towns
Be aware
• Norwich city centre is busy with several main roads, so use the excellent cycle path network where you can
• Be careful of the crossings of the A140 and the A1066 main roads
• Wacton Common and nearby trails are grassy pasture which can be slow going after a lot of rain
Norwich skyline
Starting the Rebellion
The Rebellion Way route starts at Norwich railway station, but we’d definitely recommend spending some time exploring and enjoying this lively city either before you set off or as a reward when you finish. Don’t be put off by the busy town centre roads, as you’ll see there are plenty of cycle paths and you’ll soon be using them to connect quiet, characterful streets south out of the city.
Cross the river and you’re immediately into the old picture-perfect village and wide open, fertile landscape mix that typifies this whole route. It’s not long before you’re into serious history either. Arminghall isn’t directly on the route, but it’s well worth mentioning as a very important place to both the Iron Age Iceni tribe and the people who occupied this area for the 8,000 years beforehand. The remains of the Romano-British period are unmissable at Caistor St Edmund, where the parish church sits inside the huge ramparts that still mark the site of Venta Icenorum.
The ruined church of Tivetshall St Mary
Visit Norwich market for last-minute supplies!