Day 60 – Chichester to Angmering

 

 Date: Friday 31st December 2010   Distance: Miles 38

 

We were too early for breakfast which was at 8 not 7. We were told we could have toast and coffee while we waited for the chef which was nicer than waiting in the room. We chatted to a Chinese couple- well, she didn’t speak any English and was supposed to be his mother, but they looked much the same age. He wanted to know the way to Chichester College and because of this we took a local map for ourselves as well. This proved very useful later on as it marked a cycle-way when we would otherwise have been on busy roads.

 

Breakfast over we left before 9 and visited the Cathedral. Lovely simple decorations and wonderful red gold flower displays with trailing ivy and amaryllis and hundreds of fabric poinsettias. The lovely painted ceiling looked Victorian Arts and Crafts and we both liked the humorous gargoyles that must have replaced original damaged ones.

We were never far from the city all day, which felt a bit demoralising but then we were following the coast.

 

The Cycle Path was called the Saltern Way and was very well signposted. It must have been an upgraded footpath because it was a firm track around the perimeter of fields for the most part. A massive buzzard flew at us and we have never seen so many curlews in one field- at least 60.

 

We went through The Witterings, East and West. Bracklesham Bay was a disappointment as Bob had worked there at Pontins when he was eighteen. There was nothing to show it had been there but we suspect it is now a housing estate. We passed several miles of greenhouses and all along the route were signs of a campaign to stop even more being put up.

 

We had elevenses at the Spotted Cow at Runcton and we could see the Cathedral again. The pub was getting ready for a New Year Party but they were really friendly and it was welcome warmth!

 

We rode along the promenade to Bognor Regis and found out later that we had been only half a mile from the rioting prisoners at Ford where they had a massive fire.

There was another cycle route to Littlehampton and we had lunch at Arun View. It was quite late not having found anything sooner so were pleased it came promptly but for sandwiches it was quite expensive The beer was nice.

 

We decided to try for the next station, at Angmering, as it gave us more choices of trains from Brighton the next day. It looked like we were going to miss the train as the barriers came down and we still had to buy a ticket and dismantle the bike. The ticket machine was being restocked but when we pressed the bell we were let through the automatic gates. When the doors of the train opened we knew that if the bike wouldn't  fit as it was, we would be catching the next train. It easily had turning space and the largest area for bikes we’ve seen yet. Well done south-eastern rail!

 

We drove to Eastbourne where we stayed 2 nights at my sister’s and where we had a family gathering for New Year. It had been nearly 40 miles though it seemed like we were never far from Chichester!