B1354

Towards Thursford

The B1354 is a road of two halves in north Norfolk. The road was originally unclassified. It gained its route in the mid-1920s, as shown on the 1925 Michelin map, but there have been a few changes since then.

The road starts on the A148 to the south of Thursford and heads east as a well engineered straight road. This is a fairly modern alignment, however; the original B1354 is just to the north and the deterioration in quality is noticed when old and modern routes join. There appears to be another detour shortly afterwards as a straight road continues ahead through a wood whilst we pass to the south; this is actually a dismantled railway line and the western end of the B1354 is built on its alignment.

A mile or so further on, at Pigg's Grave, we are crossed by the B1110, after which we follow a straight road into Melton Constable. We then pass almost seamlessly into Briston then wind across the fields into Saxthorpe, where we reach the B1149 at a T-junction.

Waterloo

Originally the road continued ahead through Bickling to reach the A140 in Aylsham. It left town via Buxton and soon reached Horstead. However, this road was declassified in the 2000s. The road now reappears on the A140 at Waterloo, a few miles south of Aylsham. It heads east along a formerly unclassified road (which became the B1354 when the other bit was downgraded). To begin with it's dead-straight but narrower than you would expect a Class II road to be.

The road becomes more winding - and remains narrow - until a T-junction is reached where the road rejoins its old route. The road TOTSOs right and its quality increases. We soon reach Horstead and a mini-roundabout on the B1150, which we multiplex along over the River Bure (the water meadows to the right here are in the Norfolk Broads National Park) into Coltishall, where the B1354 turns right to regain its number.

We continue east through the village centre, which is within the National Park, and then cross a ridge as the River Bure meanders to the south. It's not long before we enter Hoveton. After passing Hoveton & Wroxham station on the preserved Bure Valley Railway we go under the Bittern Line, passing the mainline station with the same name. The road passes through town along Horning Road West, ending on the A1151 at double mini-roundabouts. Ahead is the A1062, which was previously a continuation of the B1354 to Potter Heigham before being upgraded in the 1970s.