Essex Days Out

I took advantage of the bright blue skies this morning to get out on the bike and do one of my regular routes. If it wasn’t for stopping and taking some pictures and videos, I’d have got back before the downpour at 12:30!

I’ve set up a map on the excellent Gmaps Pedomoter map site – click here to have it open in a new window.  And below is a quick overview of the 25mile route.

As with the previous route, the starting point is Colchester Town station. There are a couple of car parks nearby if you’re heading in by car with the bike on a rack. As you leave the station you can head onto the busy roundabout and go most of the way around, but much easier to push the bike past the Irish pub, barbers, and Chinese takeway and head over at the pedestrian crossing onto St John’s Street. Head up there, the bingo hall on the left and an Indian restaurant on the right (which serves very good food, albeit in a less than ideal location).

Straight ahead at the lights and you’ll pass an excellent bookshop on the left, pub on the right, and climb up a little incline with The Playhouse pub on the left. The Playhouse is a JD Wetherspoons pub, so the beer is fine, and the location is excellent – it’s a converted cinema. Worthwhile poking your head into the pub to take a look at how they’ve handled the transformation, and check the upper circle!

At the top of the incline there are lights at which you’re going to turn right onto Head Street (if you look straight ahead you might see the old Odeon on the left). Turn right and keep to the left and you’ll see the new multi-screen Odeon on the left. Through the pedestrian crossing and you’ll come to some more lights. Keep to the left as instead of turning right onto the High Street you’re going down North Hill.

It’s a steep drop, and if you’re lucky with the lights you can whizz straight across through the bus/bike lane, over the mini-roundabout and over the bridge. Straight on to the big Prince Albert roundabout, and straight over. Pass The Norfolk pub on your left (great for Sky football and pool) and you’ll come to a big roundabout as you approach Colchester North Station. Ahead and bear right, keeping to the left as you go under the bridge and take the left turn as you get out from under the bridge, but bear right and follow the roundabout around to take the turn immediately to the left of the Big Yellow Storage.

If you’re feeling thirsty already, park up in the back car park of The Bricklayers. Even if you’re not thirsty but like your beer, park up and sample some top quality beer. It’s an Adnams pub, so you’ll get a full range of their beers, as well as other beers from other breweries.

Heading up Mile End Road is a bit of a climb, and once you get to the top of the hill you will pass a church to your right, through traffic lights and onto the mini-roundabout. Take the second main turning, with Severalls Hospital to your right. You’re approaching a bridge over the A12, but just before you get to it, take the time to admire the architectural beauty of Colchester United’s new stadium.

You’re then going to have a nice straight run through Straight Road to Boxted. It’s called Straight Road because it is very straight! Once in Boxted you keep going on Dedham Road, a narrowish road with the odd olde worlde building. After a few miles you reach a t-junction, and you bear left and down. After a hundred or so yards you’ll be needing to move to the right in anticipation of a right turn as you cross over the A12.

You will climb a little, and at the top of the climb take a moment to pull up beside the bench and take in your first view of Dedham vale. It could look something like this:

At the t-junction turn left, and head into Dedham. If you’re after refreshments, the cafe in the art centre at the far end of the high street would be our choice, although there is a t-shoppe on the corner opposite The Marlborough Arms. As you pass this you will bear right, and watch out for Manningtree Road on the left. Take this and follow it through the open country and up an awkward incline to another t-junction. Turn left and the road drops under the railway viaduct and then climbs up again for another awkward bit of climbing. In Essex terms it’s an Hors Categorie climb.

At the t-junction turn left and drop down, and up again. At this point if you’re wanting to cut out the Manningtree-Mistley loop you can turn right onto Bromley Road (pick up the route a couple of paras down!)

Ahead at the roundabout and take the second left, Colchester Road, which drops you down into Manningtree. Quite quickly!

At the bottom of the hill at the t-junction turn right and cycle through Manningtree High Street. We’ll be doing a full profile of Manningtree in due course. As you come out the far end of the High Street you bear left and suddenly you’ve got a great view of the River Stour. Which should look something like :

Follow the road until you come to a right turn at Mistley Towers, and take that turn to climb up another hill.

Straight along Long Road, and straight ahead over the roundabout you took earlier. First left onto Bromley Road. You will follow this road for a couple of miles. Keep you eyes open for a right turn as you leave Little Bromley, and take the right at the t-junction to follow the road to the left of the church. You’ve got a couple of miles through some very quite lanes, the first stretch being very open – and, if the weather is like it was today, you will get some strong winds blasting your from the side.

It’s time now for a bit of a heads down to head home and pick up some speed, as you carry straight on Bromley Road until you get into the outskirts of Colchester. You will hit the Harwich Road at which you turn left and drop down into town – a couple of small supermarkets on the left if you need supplies.  At the bottom of Harwich Road there’s a couple of mini-roundabouts to negotiate as you hit Cowdray Avenue, going straight ahead to crop down to the East Gates railway crossing.

Over the crossing and straight ahead, keeping an eye open for The Siege House on the right hand side, which is peppered with holes from musket shots from the Civil War.

Ahead at the mini-roundabout and traffic lights to climb up East Hill. Towards the top take a left and take a peek at The Minories, whose cafe is recommended, and at the infamous Visual Arts Centre, running over budget and over timetable.

Back onto East Hill and at the lights by the Visitor Information Centre, you will see Colchester Castle to your right. Turn left and drop down Queen Street, at the bottom of which you will find Colchester North Station, from where we started.

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