NCN 16 - The Flitch Way
NCN 16 - The Flitch Way is a 52.5 km road cycling route in East of England with 411 m of climbing, about 41% of it off road, and it splits into a single day at a moderate pace.
The route runs west from Wickham Bishops through the Blackwater valley to Witham before turning north-west across open Essex farmland toward Braintree and Bocking. The line then follows the trackbed of the old Flitch Way railway, a mostly level, largely off-road corridor through Rayne and a string of small greens toward Little Dunmow and Great Dunmow. Beyond Great Dunmow the route crosses to Takeley and Birchanger, where the road becomes busier.
Worth knowing before you go
Braintree is the main resupply point; the villages either side of it are small and have little provision. The middle section along the railway path is straightforward to navigate, but the approaches at each end require more attention to signing. The route is tagged as road throughout, so the off-road sections are not sealed.
NCN 16 - The Flitch Way in numbers
- Distance: 52.5 km
- Climbing: 411 m
- Off road: 21 km, about 41% of the route
- Riding time: about 4 hours, a long day
Water, food, campsites and stations along this route are shown on the interactive map.
Plan it and ride it
The map on this page carries the surface breakdown, the elevation profile and every point of interest. You can split the route into days against your own pace, see what it will cost to ride, and take it with you. Download the GPX.
Read the NCN 16 - The Flitch Way route guide.
Getting to the start without flying · Browse all routes
Route from Sustrans.
Compiled by Ed Hunton, Cicerone guidebook author, from TourTrax's own route data.