The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Fergus flatlander
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by Fergus flatlander »

Any news on the release / launch date of The Rebellion Way? It'll be my local - hoping it would be public on 1st Oct 2022.
Jdsk
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by Jdsk »

"... revealed at the beginning of October."

There's an associated competition:
https://www.cyclinguk.org/webform/rebel ... TBe9guun9M

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mjr
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by mjr »

awavey wrote: 9 Aug 2022, 9:13pm but wouldnt most of the work have been done on the route by now ? they arent going to pop up and sign the whole thing over a weekend, and [...]
They aren't going to sign any part of the thing at all, are they?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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andym63
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by andym63 »

is it just me or is this route been spun out forever... ive been hearing about it on here , in the mag and e mail updates, but still not seen a gps download... me thinks it would be better just to say no more till the route can be properly downloaded and folk can do it....
or have I missed something..there is a write up in the recent mag but no mention of a link for a download..
Andy
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by scragend »

MrsHJ wrote: 16 Jul 2022, 11:52am
simonhill wrote: 16 Jul 2022, 11:16am What these so called new touring routes need is decent affordable accommodation. This will encourage, or rather won't discourage, people to tour.

With more and more campsites going upmarket and many of the old tap and a field ones closing, even camping isn't always a cheap option - unless wild, which many don't like.
Yes agreed, some of the newer routes are potentially getting younger bike packers out on their bikes and they need youth hostels, camping (by which I mean traditional) and bunk houses and I think quite a lot of us older folks appreciate that sort of accommodation too. I haven’t explored these routes in more detail but I know that the Devon coast to coast has some of this type of accommodation option. That possible lack was quite interesting/concerning when looking at that recent request for teens to tour the cantii way.
I've just been reading the CUK press release about the Rebellion Way. Don't get carried away, I mean the one from July! I'm a bit slow...
This one:

https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release ... -announced

And I noticed this sentence:
A survey of riders of King Alfred’s Way, a route starting in Winchester that Cycling UK launched in 2020, showed that on average cyclists spent £83.60 per day on food and accommodation.
Given the number of people who choose to wild camp on the KAW and therefore spend nothing on accommodation, the rest of them must be living like kings! Either that or as the previous posters said it shows the definite lack of affordable accommodation along the route.
awavey
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by awavey »

awavey
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by awavey »

mjr wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 3:40pm
awavey wrote: 9 Aug 2022, 9:13pm but wouldnt most of the work have been done on the route by now ? they arent going to pop up and sign the whole thing over a weekend, and [...]
They aren't going to sign any part of the thing at all, are they?
well how will tourists unfamiliar with the area know the route to follow ?
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mjr
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by mjr »

awavey wrote: 7 Oct 2022, 8:03pm
mjr wrote: 1 Oct 2022, 3:40pm
awavey wrote: 9 Aug 2022, 9:13pm but wouldnt most of the work have been done on the route by now ? they arent going to pop up and sign the whole thing over a weekend, and [...]
They aren't going to sign any part of the thing at all, are they?
well how will tourists unfamiliar with the area know the route to follow ?
Pray their gpx zooms in enough, or that the guide book is detailed enough, to avoid ambiguity?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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fatboab
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by fatboab »

I see the route's been published. Can someone clarify a section of it for me please...? Having ridden into South Acre from Swaffham on bridleways and byways, I was under the impersonation that Fincham Drove wasn't a right of way, as it has large PRIVATE signage all over it. Which means that there's a gap between Swaffham BR1 and South Acre RB1 (https://maps.norfolk.gov.uk/highways/).

Given that Fincham Drove is some sort of old Roman Road / ancient drove way, does that mean we have the right to cycle along it regardless of all the PRIVATE signage...?

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mjr
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by mjr »

Yes, I was under the impression that you couldn't use the east/middle bit of Fincham Drove and had to head north along River Road to Three-Cocked-Hat Plantation to access Petticoat Drove. Hopefully, Cycling UK have negotiated opening Fincham Drove as far as Petticoat Drove (South Acre RB1) or found some evidence of a right of way. As you note, all the signs are rather deterring.

The route is published at https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release ... k-launched and https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/rebellion-way-faq confirms it as unsignposted.

I find it difficult to know what to mention. This route isn't a classic bikepacking route because it contains long long stretches of tarmac that bypass some of the best off-road countryside cycling in Norfolk (Ringstead Downs and Icknield Way North, for example). It even sticks to the NCN 1 road route instead of taking the fairly benign "Scenic Drive" and "Princess Drive" off-road route through Sandringham and completely bizarrely bypasses the "Cycle Friendly Place" of Duration Brewery featured in the press release, which could have been accessed easily by taking a more westerly non-tarmac route between Castle Acre and Gayton Thorpe on Common Lane, Mill Lane, Fullers Lane (ford) and Stowborough Lane.

But it's not a fully road route either, as it also contains a couple of off-road sections like Common Lane, Gayton Thorpe, which I consider more often impassable by any bike than not (deep flooding in that example's case, even in summer) and several more sections of deep sand in Holkham, Breckland and Bawsey which are very challenging on a road bike (or a nice walk carrying it, at some times of year...).

It could have been so much better with a bit more local knowledge. I'm sure most of West Norfolk CTC could have told them about the bits above. Such a missed opportunity!
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Coaster531
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by Coaster531 »

So many negative comments! How about: it is great that a new route has been devised. It will have some teething problems, of course, but in the end, it will be a great ride. More routes, of all sorts, please!
Be happy!

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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by Nearholmer »

I was thinking of putting it on the to do list for next year, so actually hints and tips about where it might not work could be quite useful!

How about the WN-CTC publish a map highlighting recommended off-road RoW? Doesn’t need to be “A Route”, because most of us can compose routes if we know where the usable RoW are.

I’d certainly pay (small amounts) of good money for that sort of info as a supplement to OS.

Local knowledge is invaluable - it’s taken me several years of exploring to get to know which RoW actually make for a pleasant bike ride, rather than a ludicrous ordeal, and in which seasons, in the area where I live.
Last edited by Nearholmer on 13 Oct 2022, 8:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
awavey
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by awavey »

one bit in the guide made me chuckle on the Norwich to Thetford section as you start at Norwich station "dont be put off by the busy town centre roads..." in Norwich...a fine city :D

anyway overall the guide felt like it needed another peer review as I found some of it was repeating itself and starts off naming nearly every church you go by and then quickly says yeah we aint going to be doing that the whole way round so stops. maybe they just assume people download the gpx and dont bother reading the blurb for it much.

Guy Kesteven who wrote the guide has already done a 49min pt1 review I guess you could call it of the route, I havent watched it all yet so dont know if he covers the area youve mentioned is actually private land yet, or some of the other route issues highlighted will be called out, though obviously its not going to be hyper critical of the route is it...worth a watch anyway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewNavTrVOcc
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mjr
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by mjr »

Coaster531 wrote: 13 Oct 2022, 7:50pm So many negative comments! How about: it is great that a new route has been devised. It will have some teething problems, of course, but in the end, it will be a great ride. More routes, of all sorts, please!
Be happy!
Why be happy about this? Cycling UK seems to be joining councils in consuming £millions of cycling budgets to produce not much (no signs, not even the map boards used to display the unsigned AONB "explorer" routes) and this one appears to contain worse than teething problems: brown paper bag mistakes like preferring a busy A road to riding a good stone road through England's largest area of uncultivated chalk downs.

These don't seem to be compromises or debatable choices. They just look like ignorance, a route by what people here call a "blow-in", missing some of the best bits. Does anywhere say who reviewed this route?

Tourists will miss out if they follow that route and have a worse time than need be. Ignoring the money, how can anyone who cares about other tourers be happy with that?
Last edited by mjr on 14 Oct 2022, 11:22am, edited 1 time in total.
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Paulatic
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Re: The Rebellion Way (Norfolk)

Post by Paulatic »

Does anywhere say who reviewed this route?
An Article on Bikeperfect.com https://www.bikeperfect.com/news/cyclin ... nd-norfolk suggests 'their own' Guy Kesteven is responsible. Blew in from Yorkshire :lol:
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