Essex
Free maps are listed at bottom of page.
Open routes
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National Route 1 |
National Route 1 of the National Cycle Network in Essex is open and largely traffic-free between the Greenwich Foot Tunnel and Rye House Station (where the Lee and Stort Navigations meet) mainly along the Lee Valley. The route passes through the Lee Valley Regional Park, the Broxbourne Olympic White Water rafting site and the towns of Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt and Broxbourne. The route is also open between Harlow and Colchester via the county town of Chelmsford on quiet lanes with some traffic-free routes through the major towns. Northwards the route leaves Essex at Stratford St. Mary entering Suffolk and forms a part of the Fakenham to Harwich cycle route.
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National Route 13 |
Forming part of the Chelmsford cycle network Route 13 follows quite lanes out of the town south to Billericay. Plans are in place to complete an off road link from Billericay to Basildon where Route 13 forms an integral part of the towns cycle routes.
Further south Route 13 forms part of the proposed Thames Estuary path and while it is not a flowing route it does provide off road routes on the waterfront with particularly memorable and surprising sections.
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National Route 16 |
National Route 16 is open between Birchanger and Witham where it joins NCN1 via Great Dunmow on the Flitch Way and Braintee. In the south Route 16 also forms part of the Basildon cycle network and links Chalkwell Station to Shoeburyness on a mainly off road route along Southend's recently developed sea front providing access to the towns new cycle network.
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National Route 51 |
National Route 51 is open in Essex between Harwich and Colchester. A traffic free spur of National Route 51 is also open between Jaywick and Frinton-On-Sea through Clacton-On-Sea on the seafront. Ultimately we would like to re-route route 51 via Frinton, Clacton and Brightlingsea.
Route developments
New bridge on route 13
A new bridge over the Mardyke to link Purfleet with the RSPB Rainham Marshes Visitor Centre, has now been complete. This allows National Route 13 to be rerouted to become a much more attractive and direct route than it has been in the past, the route now helps to link the impressive visitor centre more effectively with public transport and the local population.
Bishop's Stortford, Harlow
One consequence of the proposed growth in the East of England is that the importance of green infrastructure has been recognised and funding has been made available. This has resulted in more than £2million being awarded for works along the Stort Valley between the Lee Valley, Bishop's Stortford and Stansted Airport, which should complete missing parts of National Routes 1 and 11. There are a lot of challenges along the way, including a new crossing of the railway line in Bishop's Stortford and a new bridge over the A120.
Route 137
A short but vital off road route between Stifford Bridge and Purfleet. This route provides not only access to NCN13 and local services but also invaluable access to Davy Down and the Mardyke Way, both extremely important wildlife corridors.
Route 13
An ongoing programme of route development by Essex County Council is helping establish an off road link for Route 13 between Basildon and Billericay.
On the ground
Bike It - Essex, Southend and Thurrock
Sustrans works directly with schools who want to increase levels of cycling. We do this by helping schools to make the case for cycling in their school travel plans, supporting cycling champions in schools and demonstrating that cycling is a popular choice amongst children and their parents. Our aim is to create a cycling culture in the school which continues long after the BikeIt officer has left.
BikeIt Officers in Colchester, Harlow, Broxbourne, Basildon, Thurrock and Southend are currently doing a phenomenal job increasing the levels of young people travelling sustainably to a whole host of activities including school.
Connect2
Sustrans' Connect2 is funded by a £50 million Big Lottery Fund grant after the UK public voted the scheme the winner of the People's Millions Lottery contest on ITV1 in December 2007.
There are two reserve schemes in Essex one to improve routes between Brightlingsea and Alresford which has come from a local community initiative and the West Horndon to Brentwood, the A127 barrier.
Travelsmart
Sustrans' Travelsmart holds the key to one of the greatest environmental and social challenges of the 21st Century, reversing the trend towards increased car use and tackling its impacts on climate, public health and quality of life.
TravelSmart achieves this by giving people the tailor-made information and support they need to walk, cycle and use public transport more often. This process is known as Individualised Travel Marketing (ITM). TravelSmart demonstrates that people are very willing to change their travel behaviour when they are given the information and motivation they need so that they can choose to travel differently.
Sustrans are keen to develop similar schemes to the Travelsmart projects that were a huge success in both Ipswich and Broxbourne.
Free cycle maps for Essex
London Docklands and Lee Valley Greenwich to Banbury Reservoir
(National Route1) - Sustrans, tel: 0845 113 0065 or Download (pdf)
Thurrock and Kent Thameside
(National Route 1 & 13) - Sustrans, Tel: 0845 113 0065 or Download (pdf)
Essex County Council Cycle maps -
Basildon Cycling Map
Braintree Cycling Map
Chelmsford Cycling Map
Colchester Cycling Maps
Maldon Cycling Map
Witham Cycling Map
Writtle to Chemlsford Map
all available from Essex CC, tel: 0845 603 7631 or
download from Essex CC website.
Active Harlow Map - available from Harlow Council, tel: 01279 446417
or download from Harlow Council's website.
The Flitch Way - Braintree DC, download from Essex CC
Black Water Rail Trail - available to download from Visit Parks website
Thurrock Cycle Map - download from Thurrock DC or tel: 01375 652014
Transport for London Cycling guides - 14 detailed cycling maps available from TfL, tel: 0207 2221234 or request from the TfL website.