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National Cycle Route 51

217.5 miles (350 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This is the complete Sustrans National Cycle Route 51 running from Oxford to Colchester. It runs for over 200 miles passing several significant towns and cities in the south of England.
You can download the full gpx for the route at the bottom of the page. Scroll down for maps, videos, photos and cycle routes that run along trail.
Starting in the famous university town of Oxford the route heads to Kidlington, Bicester, Milton Keynes and Bedford. Near here you'll pass the pretty Furzton Lake and Willen Lake where there are good wildlife spotting opportunities. There's also the traffic free Bedford to Sandy Way, a pleasant section suitable for walkers and cyclists.
You continue to St Neots and the splendid Grafham Water where there's an excellent circular cycle ride around the water.
The next stage passes through Huntingdon to another university city at Cambridge. Here part of the route runs along the popular Cambridge to St Ives along the Busway, a traffic free section along the splendid busway between the two settlements.
The route continues east to the racecourse town of Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and Ipswich where there's views of the Gipping Valley River.
You then head to the Suffolk coast at Felixstowe before continuing through Harwich and finishing at the Roman town of Colchester.

Cycle Routes on National Cycle Route 51

National Cycle Route 51 OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

National Cycle Route 51 Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Photos

National Cycle Route 51 - geograph.org.uk - 1011773

This is a traffic free section of route 51 of the National Cycle network, seen here crossing the entrance to the Flying Fortress pub near Bury St Edmunds.

Abovemead Farm across wheat field, near Winslow - geograph.org.uk - 438686

Abovemead Farm across wheat field, near Winslow. View from the bridleway.

Cambridge Jubilee Cycleway - geograph.org.uk - 1039276

Cambridge Jubilee Cycleway which forms part of route 51.

Bridge over River Linnet - geograph.org.uk - 1220056

Bridge over River Linnet. This bridge carries a narrow roadway linking Ickworth House and the village of Chevington. The road, which soon becomes a rough track, is part of National Cycle Route 51.

Bridleway and cycle route - geograph.org.uk - 437500

The bridleway is a traffic-free part of the route east of Winslow. The field has a wheat crop, not well advanced so probably sown in the spring.

Cycle route along river Gipping - geograph.org.uk - 812710

Cycle route along river Gipping through Ipswich.

Stourbridge Common - geograph.org.uk - 730140

Stourbridge Common Cycle routes converging on the Green Dragon footbridge. Route 51 follows the river at this point.

National Cycle Route 51 at Battlies Green - geograph.org.uk - 1360180

Battlies Green. This off-road section of NCR51 follows the northern boundary of the former Rougham Airfield.

GPS Files

GPX File

National Cycle Route 51.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)