National Cycle Route 12

National Cycle Route 12 - from Enfield (London) to Grimsby (Lincolnshire)

Route

Enfield to Huntingdon

Enfield^[1] | Potter's Bar | Hatfield | Stevenage | Letchworth | Biggleswade | Huntingdon

The route starts at Enfield Lock at the junction with National Cycle Route 1. The route is open and signed through Enfield to Chase Farm where it ends at the A1005. The extension on to Hadley Wood is due for construction in 2016, according to Enfield Council.^[2] For now, there is an unsigned route via Oak Ave, Hadley Road and Ferny Hill.

At Hadley Wood, route 12 starts again as The Great North Way and is continuous from Hadley Wood station on the railway line from London to north of Letchworth at the Hertfordshire county boundary. There is a short cut cycle route direct from the station to Waggon Road.

At South Mimms the route has an entrance to South Mimms Services, the service station on the M25 Motorway. In Hatfield there is a spiral bridge and a scenic section through Steamwoods. However this has two gates which block use by tricycles and tandems, so it can be avoided by following the cycle path along Travellers Lane. The route also passes through Old Hatfield and near to Mill Green Museum (watermill). The cycle route then winds through Welwyn Garden City to reach Sherrardspark Wood.

North west of Welwyn Garden City NCR12 follows quiet country lanes but with some very steep hills near Codicote. It passes Knebworth House and then through the centre of Stevenage. At Letchworth there is a choice of either a route to the east between Baldock and Letchworth or through the centre of Letchworth Garden City. This takes in the world's first roundabout.

North of the county boundary the route can be followed to Arlesey station. Thereafter the route is incomplete until Sandy apart from an isolated section at Biggleswade. There is then continuous signed route to Huntingdon.

Huntingdon to Grimsby

Huntingdon | Peterborough | Spalding | Boston | Grimsby

North of Huntingdon route 12 takes a slightly roundabout route to Peterborough before continuing north east to Spalding via Crowland, with its remarkable three way medieval Trinity bridge.

Trinity Bridge Crowland

In due course the route will extend north from Spalding to meet National Cycle Network route 1 at Fossdyke.

References

1. Sustrans
2. "Enfield Enfield Island Village to Hadley Wood Greenway - Cycle Enfield". Retrieved 11 April 2016.