Day 62 – Brighton to Eastbourne

 

 Date: Friday 4th February 2011   Distance: Miles 31.18

 

 

 

Thursday night we arrived at a multi-storey car park near to Premier Inn at about 10pm. It would cost us £16 to leave the car here till the next evening. The Inn was comfortable but without sea views or any views except the backs of close together buildings.

 

In the morning we had a cafeteria style breakfast before half seven and it was fresh with good service-We could have eaten at 6.30.

 

We went through the famous Lanes and soon reached the sea front and the cycle path.

The sea was tempestuous and grey. The wind pushed us in gusts, even up hill sometimes. People cycling the other way looked worn out. The Esplanade is long and grand at the Eastern end and trunks of trees grow up the walls forming a backdrop for the architecture. Opposite is Volk’s Electric Railway, sadly closed today, but presumably in the better weather, later in the year it runs 2 miles along side the beach. Waves crashed against the sea walls.

 

Cycling along here a man made the nicest remark to me over our journey so far.

 “ 4 legs are better than 2 aren’t they?”- such a change from the usual “ she’s not pedalling!”

 

We passed Roedean, a posh girls school majestically looking out to sea, then left the main road cycleway for a quieter track through a housing estate, which afforded us protection from the wind. This led us through parts of Peacehaven, out at the main road at Seahaven, East Sussex and then down and up a dirt track full of potholes. We surprisingly passed several houses and a telephone mast on the top and the track ended in a woody walk but we had to turn off for Newhaven Marina. It didn’t seem wild here at all and was very sheltered from the winds. Along the quay there were lobster pots and a huge ferry was manoeuvring in the narrow harbour.

 

As soon as we left the harbour area we found the wind and the path led us to an out of town Sainsbury’s where we had a hot drink and Bob attended a loosening cycle mirror from a mishap with a staggered  bar on the path.

 

The path from Newhaven passed alongside marshland and on a good day this would have had plenty of wildlife. We passed Van’s Bacon Crematorium, a mobile roadside café. Cycling along the seafront the huge waves couldn’t reach us because of the artificially high shingle walls. From the seafront there was a left turn through cricket fields and an impressive building (surely not a cricket club?) flanked our left, up hill to the road again.

 

Now along quiet residential roads of bungalows and compact houses with some charm and with gardens until we reached the Down’s side, complete with golf course dotted with notices warning that monitors were checking to see if one had permission to use the facilities. This was odd as footpaths certainly ran across it. This officially marked route (Cycle route 2) came out on the main road and past an open air swimming pool- Lido. There was some traffic but not much all the way to Cuckmere Haven where the road down gives an excellent view of the elegant river twisting out to sea (for the one on the back of the tandem!) Fighting the wind made taking photos difficult and poor visibility was a disappointment for most of the trip.

 

At Friston Forest we turned left leaving the main road. We didn’t have time to go to the visitors centre at Exceat. I was sure this road had a white horse cut into the downs to the left of the road but there was only a vague white splodge, where I remembered it. The forest was planted in the early 20^th century over an underground reservoir, which is why on this journey we noticed a water tower. At the East Dean sign we entered the Forest on a narrow road which then became a bridleway and footpath only. We followed various routes marked by colours on posts but the map didn’t quite tally with what was on the ground so we were glad of Bob’s skills with a compass. We climbed quite a bit and the wind roared through the trees but the route was wide  so not too close to tree debris falling. At crucial crossroads there were no signposts so well done Bob for navigation. West Dean and then Friston, we trekked up a few steep hills. It was down the hill to East Dean, holding up cars back on the road, till a right turn to the village green for the Tiger Inn. Disappointed that the food wasn’t suitable t ( Bob and his allergies!) though I am sure it would have been nice, we went to the Hiker’s Café. Mistake as this was expensive for poor quality, though the cakes looked  very edible and there were plenty of elderly diners. Good job we had a couple of bananas in the bike bag.

 

Against the wind we rode all the way to Birling Gap and then changed direction for the climb up to Beachy Head 2,000 feet up. Every time we flagged, a gust of wind shoved us in the back and sent us a bit further up the hill. We passed BelleTout lighthouse, now a bed and breakfast and reputedly rather grand.

 

The wind certainly was a boon climbing this hill and at the top we greeted the Beachy Head curate, waiting in her car to deter would be suicides from jumping over the cliff.

She gave us a cheery thumbs- up and we didn’t envy her lonely vigil on such a day as this. It was so exposed up there we had to lean into the wind to save us from riding into the traffic, though luckily there wasn’t much. It was then hairpin bends all the way down to the sea front at St Bedes school. This has to be the best approach to Eastbourne and on a fair day the views would have been superb. We rode past the Grand, Wish tower and the pier arriving at my sister’s just after 2pm.