Ancient bridleways of Central England — Icknield Way Trail

Part of the larger Greater Ridgeway Trail that links the north coast of Norfolk to the South Coast on the English Channel, the Icknield Way Trail is the cycling-friendly version of the hiker’s Icknield Way Path. It connects Peddars Way in Knettishall, Suffolk, which leads to Hunstanton, to the Ridgeway Trail, from Ivinghoe Beacon to historic Avebury. You can then link with the Wessex Ridgeway to ride all the way down to the Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis in Dorset.

Passing through six counties of Central and Eastern England; Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, this trail takes in idyllic rural villages, rolling agricultural landscapes and hidden woodlands. Plus there are sandy trails over grassy commons, plantations and heathland, all yielding magnificent views. What this area might lack in mountains it certainly makes up for in charm, and a few steep ascents!

The route is slightly different to the official Icknield Way Path, which is a walking-friendly route for hikers established in 1992. Avoiding footpaths in favour of bridleways and byways so that it can be followed by horse-riders and cyclists alike, the Icknield Way Trail was formed in 2004. Look out for the signs where the official path and trail split.

The Icknield Way Trail is best enjoyed in the drier summer months. In the winter, many of these field and woodland trails become very muddy and slow-going, so you’ll make the best progress when they’ve dried out. You’ll be fine on either a gravel, mountain bike or sturdy tourer, ideally with tyres 40mm wide or more.

Here we’ve proposed the route in three stages, although of course you can choose to split them further or combine as you wish. Being close to many villages and towns in this part of England, you’re never far from places to stay.

Access to either end of the trail is best by train, although you’ll need to add a little ride to your journey to find the nearest stations. Travel to Princes Risborough, a 4.5 mile (7.2 km) ride from the start in Chinnor, on Chiltern Railways for the southern end,, and ride 7 miles (11 km) to Thetford at the other end for the nearest train station to the finish. Do check when you buy your ticket whether you need to reserve a space for your bike too.

Check out the related routes here.
The Peddars Way: komoot.com/collection/900448
The Ridgeway: komoot.com/collection/899679
The Wessex Ridgeway: komoot.com/collection/960938
The Icknield Way Path (walking-friendly): komoot.com/collection/954916