Why this ride
235 km one way from Cranbrook - plan on about 3 h 37 of riding. It goes by way of near Great Dunmow, Scenic stretch near Old Harlow and Brent.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
North Wessex Downs Flow · part 2
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 235 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 37
- 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. London motorcycle escapes
Cranbrook stands in the High Weald of Kent, a hilly, wooded country of sandstone ridges and winding lanes, and in the Middle Ages it was one of the richest towns in the county, thanks to the cloth trade. Edward III encouraged Flemish weavers to settle here in the fourteenth century, and the broadcloth they made brought wealth to the town, visible today in the big timber-framed houses and the huge church known as the Cathedral of the Weald. On the edge of the town stands Union Mill, an eighteenth-century smock mill that is the tallest working windmill of its kind in Britain.
Read the complete London motorcycle escapes write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
London motorcycle escapes is where the day begins. Next is Photo stop near Great Dunmow.
2. Photo stop near Great Dunmow
Planning note
Photo stop near Great Dunmow comes up about 126 km into the recorded legs. Next is Scenic stretch near Old Harlow.
3. Scenic stretch near Old Harlow
Planning note
about 147 km into the recorded legs you reach Scenic stretch near Old Harlow. Next is North Wessex Downs Flow checkpoint 8.
4. 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
North Wessex Downs Flow checkpoint 8 closes the day. Next is Back to North Wessex.
5. 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
Finish at Back to North Wessex. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
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
- Surrey Hills and Box Hill Bends · part 3 · 126 km
- Hastings Cliffs and High Weald · 704 km
- North Wessex Downs Flow · short arc · 296 km
- Chilterns Ridge and Thames Valley · 452 km