Royal estate at Sandringham gears-up for Tour of Britain

The Royal estate at Sandringham is gearing-up to welcome cyclists completing the peunultimate stage of the Tour of Britain later this month.

Competitors in stage seven of the event set off from Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds on Saturday, September 17 and will race through 60 miles of Suffolk countryside before crossing the county boundary and racing a further 60 miles through Norfolk before finishing in Sandringham.

A Tour of Britain Family Fun Day has been organised to mark the occasion, with activities and events taking place outside the Sandringham Visitor Centre starting from 11am and continuing throughout the day.

The Tour of Britain cyclists are expected to cross the finish line at around 2.50pm.

West Norfolk Council cabinet member Elizabeth Nockolds said: 'We pride ourselves on giving people a warm West-Norfolk welcome and Sandringham offers the perfect location for a fun-filled, village fete style event that all the family can get involved in and enjoy. The Tour of Britain is Britain's largest free-to-spectate live sporting event and we want to encourage people to come along and cheer on the riders.'

Cycling will form a major part of the activities on the day starting with a led bike ride from Lynnsport to Sandringham, leaving Lynnsport at 10am.

There will also be two guided bike rides along the scenic drive in the Sandringham Estate. These start at noon and 1pm and last around 30 minutes. Places must be booked on the day at the Bicycle User Group (BUG) stand in the the marquee.

Teams of young cyclists will be taking part in Go Ride races throughout the day and the March Vintage and Veteran Cycle Club will be returning to showcase their collection of historic cycles ranging from an 1820s Hobby Horse through to a more modern Dursley Pederson. Club members will be dressed in period costume and will be on hand to talk to people about the history of the bicycle.

The main activities begin at 11am and include archery, golf, speed bounce, foam javelin and watt bikes - kindly provided by Active Norfolk. King's Lynn Arts Centre Trust is leading a family trail of discovery through Sandringham Woods as well as organising badge and flag making activities.

Competitive speed stacking will be on offer alongside football activities provided by Lynn Community Football and Norwich City Community Sports Foundation.

Entertainment will be provided courtesy of Springwood High School Orchestra, the Norfolk County Symphonic Wind Orchestra, the King's Morris Dancers, and a local shanty band.

A host of stalls ranging from local producers to local cycling retailers will also be taking part.