CTC Cambridge

More info: bitaboutbritain.com/eleanors-cross-hardingstone/

You can do this in either direction, or start somewhere on the route. You can adjust eBrevet to start at a different point, or just upload your track – either is fine although I prefer seeing the track as it’s interesting to see what changes riders have made.

Controls:

• 0km Audley End railway station
• 21km Steeple Bumpstead
• 55km Great Waltham
• 105km Chingford
• 114km Waltham Cross
• 164km Audley End railway station

Useful train stations:

• Audley End
• Chelmsford
• Tottenham Hale
• Harlow
• Bishops Stortford

Things to watch out for:

• 45km Felsted: floods occasionally just before school, where road goes under old railway.
• 80km between Hook End and Marden Ash: can flood in spring, avoid if so as it can be very deep and unpleasant. Re-route via Kelvedon Hatch and past the secret nuclear bunker. Extra time given for diversions – no need for a photo, just upload your track and let me know.
• 107km Lea Valley Road/bridge between Chingford and Ponders End: busy and unpleasant, take care.
• 109km Hertford Road to Waltham Cross: busy, use cycle lane with care as it is shared use in places. I pretend I am a cool hipster cycling round London. Use NCN1 if you prefer, and control at Waltham Abbey.
• 114km At the Eleanor Cross, turn right and immediately join shared use cyclepath on left. Follow cyclepath to left just after taxi place and before KFC.

Cafes/toilets/water etc:

• 4km Saffron Walden: shops, public toilets, bike shop.
• 7.5km Sewards End: tap on village hall, on L of main door.
• 21km Steeple Bumpstead: Petrol station just off route. Small Town (cafes in Sawston and Clare) coffee truck often in village hall car park (excellent sausage rolls).
• 30km Finchingfield: cafes, petrol station. Public toilets just off route in Steven Marshall Avenue.
• 33km Great Bardfield: Co-op, pubs. Blue Egg / Knead Food cafe just outside village (customer toilets at front, tap at back in hedge).
• 55km Great Waltham: village shop, cafe
• 65km Writtle: cafes just off route, public toilets in car park on The Green
• 69km Highwood: tap on side of village hall
• 73km Blackmore: cafes just off route, Co-op
• 81km Chipping Ongar: cafes and toilets just off route. Nerissa and Claire’s cafe recommended.
• 100km Epping Forest: public toilets (tap inside loos), King’s Oak cafe
• 105km Chingford: excellent Holly Trail cafe opposite golf course. Tap by bus station.
• 114km Waltham Cross: lots of cafes near the cross. I’m here for the baklava.
• 119km Fishers Green car park: toilets, no tap (unless there’s one in the gents?).
• 155km Clavering: excellent village shop just south of the village (sadly no toilet). Pizza truck Thursday evenings, fish and chips on Friday evenings. The Cricketers pub, formerly run by Jamie Oliver’s parents, serves food and is further along the route.

In-ride trivia guide:

• 2km Audley End House: the view provided by the Capability Brown landscaping is described by legendary LEL St Ives/Northstowe controller as “the finest view in England”. During WWII, the house was requisitioned and used as a base for training Polish special forces soldiers.
• 15km Hempstead: birthplace of highwayman Dick Turpin.
• 55km Great Waltham. The name probably comes from Saxon – “walt” meaning wood, “ham” meaning home. So probably the same derivation as Waltham Cross and Abbey, but no relation.
• 82km Greensted church: the oldest wooden church in the world. Sells fridge magnets.
• 100km Epping Forest: A lovely jaunt through ancient woodland. The Forest has been common land, royal hunting ground and home to Dick Turpin’s dastardly deeds. If the trees could talk... This section ends with a short bit of off-road which is a tiny bit muddy in spring, but doesn’t seem to be too bad – certainly better than the horrible Epping New Road.
• 104km The 16th century Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge is just off-route – stay on the off-road path behind the Holly Trail cafe. Well worth a look.
• 115km On the other side of the river is the Royal Gunpowder Mills, which made explosives for 300 years.