Outdoor activities - 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 Stortford 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/).

More cycling in the region

Follow the National Cycle Network, or explore our day rides along quiet country lanes, through gently rolling countryside and beside unspoilt coastline. Visit historic market towns and picturesque villages, stopping off for a well-earned pint at a local inn. Off-road family-friendly rides take you along former railway lines, around reservoirs, and through forests and woodland. There is also a network of cycle hire locations and companies who will happily organise a cycling holiday for you.

Find out more about cycling in the East of England