Why this ride
A 296 km one-way ride from near Wivelsfield Green, about 4 h 45 of riding. On the way it passes Cranbrook, near Great Dunmow, Scenic stretch near Old Harlow and Brent.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
North Wessex Downs Flow · short arc
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 296 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 45
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Food stop in Wivelsfield Green
Planning note
Food stop in Wivelsfield Green is where the day begins. Next is London motorcycle escapes return.
2. Near Cranbrook, on the way back
The High Weald of Kent is a landscape of small fields, sunken lanes, oak woods and oast houses with their white cowls turning in the wind, and Cranbrook sits right in the middle of it. The town is small, about four and a half thousand people, with white weatherboarded houses and the tall Union Windmill rising over the rooftops, one of the finest working smock mills in England.
Read the complete Near Cranbrook, on the way back write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
London motorcycle escapes return comes up about 60 km into the recorded legs. Next is Photo stop near Great Dunmow.
3. Photo stop near Great Dunmow
Planning note
about 187 km into the recorded legs you reach Photo stop near Great Dunmow. Next is Scenic stretch near Old Harlow.
4. Scenic stretch near Old Harlow
Planning note
Scenic stretch near Old Harlow, about halfway. Next is North Wessex Downs Flow checkpoint 8.
5. Near Brent
The Hanger Lane gyratory has a fearsome reputation among London drivers, and this finish lies right next to it, between Ealing, Alperton and Park Royal. It is a sprawling roundabout system where the A40 Western Avenue meets the North Circular, with traffic lights, lanes and junctions that confuse even regulars. Keep your wits about you and know your exit before you arrive.
Read the complete Near Brent write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Finish at North Wessex Downs Flow checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is Back to North Wessex.
6. Back to North Wessex
Runnymede is a few minutes away, and it carries more weight than any other meadow in England. King John sealed Magna Carta there in June 1215, and a memorial stands on the riverbank, with another to John F. Kennedy on a hillside above.
Read the complete North Wessex write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 296 km.
Leg by leg
Food stop in Wivelsfield Green to Near Cranbrook, on the way back
Food stop in Wivelsfield Green → Near Cranbrook, on the way back is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Photo stop near Great Dunmow to Scenic stretch near Old Harlow
Photo stop near Great Dunmow → Scenic stretch near Old Harlow is 21 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Scenic stretch near Old Harlow to Near Brent
Scenic stretch near Old Harlow → Near Brent is 62 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- North Wessex Downs Flow · part 2 · 235 km
- Surrey Hills and Box Hill Bends · part 3 · 126 km
- North Wessex Downs Flow · 418 km
- New Forest and Solent Easy Ride · 298 km