Day ride - Flitch Way
Type of route: 90% traffic-free
Length: 14 miles one way
Gradient: easy gradient disused railway line
Time needed: allow 2 hours
Access: Braintree train station
National Cycle Network route number: 16
The flat landscape of Essex makes for perfect, easy cycling along this traffic free route. The former Bishop’s Storford to Braintree railway line now forms a 14 mile country park full of railway cuttings rich in wildlife dotted with attractive Victorian Stations, one of which, Rayne Station, now boasts an exhibition on the history of this former steam railway.
There are refreshment stops close to or on the line as well as offering the chance to explore the natural sanctuary of the ancient Hatfield Forest owned and managed by the National Trust.
Free information for this route is available from Sustrans (www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1091194236297#cmsanchorleaflets).