I expected the Peddars Way to be easy. A tame, pancake-flat route of benign cinder paths and quiet lanes. I mean, this is Norfolk afterall: Pretty villages, endless fields of arable crops, rock-and-slot-machine coastal resorts. Folk seeking those kind of gritted-teeth thrills should look north.
However, the gun-barrel straight Peddars β a former Roman road β does have one or two tricks up its sleeve. These include a sense of remoteness along with unexpectedly challenging terrain and trail conditions that somehow creep up and tap you on the shoulder when the thighs start to burn. The Way is part of the National Trail network.
It is primarily a walking path and the official bike route diverts off the trail in places where the designated bridleway runs out. We started at Thetford Station. Marketing semantics to one side, it was good to see it on a multi-day adventure at last albeit for what we both felt would be a very straightforward two-day bimble.
We followed the signs for the Peddars Way through Thetford and promptly lost them. They are there, just keep your wits about you as their tucked away locations appear more geared for more sedate pedestrians rather than cyclists. We eventually joined the trail near Thorpe Woodlands and hit the dirt. Roundham and Hockham Heath soon passed under our wheels and we got into the groove of the journey, stopping frequently for pictures and exploratory Blackberry foraging β still a wee bit too early perhaps.
The trail is well way marked and easy to follow with little need for additional navigation. A word of caution should extend to supplies though.
