Day 63 – Eastbourne to Rye

 

 Date: Saturday 5th February 2011   Distance: Miles 33.95

 

 

Set off about 9am and cycled along the promenade, freewheeling with the wind again until we reached the Water Treatment works. We took the cycle path around the marina, then it was a busy road (although marked as route for bikes,) past Pevensey Castle. This seems to have diminished in size since I was a child, though the visibility was poor. The roundabout was hairy as the wind blowing from the hills caught us sideways throwing us towards the traffic and we were back leaning into the wind and away from where we wanted to go! We missed our turning and went round again to the furthest exit for Norman’s Bay and a much quieter, flat, pleasant route. We marvelled at the work that had gone into making a field boundary wall of round flints set in mortar, each one the same size and directly above each other.

 

Along the side of the sea it was wild with plenty of shingle. Part of the beach was for sale. We rode down the wide promenade to the Deleware Pavilion, where we went back on the road past many old peoples flats. We stopped for scones and drinks in the busiest little café in Bexhill. Everyone seemed to know each other and newspapers were provided. This was Cavells Café where the prices were reasonable with a good choice and we liked the buzz of the place.

 

After elevenses it was back to the cycle route on the road, then alongside the prom again. When it came out at the main road we crossed over and took a bit of footpath , then through a housing estate to lessen the danger of being knocked off as it was busy. It was a little bit of main road till we found an alley to the seafront again- Lyne Gap.

We weren’t impressed with the detection device for crossing the road via the traffic lights and even the pedestrian crossing didn’t seem to work.

We took the quietest road to Hastings seafront where we rode by the sea past another burnt out pier. Three surfers were dicing with death at a solid wall sea- break making great surf.

 

It was a longish ride down to the Old Town and the famous net houses. The East cliff Railway was closed. We walked up a one way street the wrong way because it was full of buildings with character- All Saint’s Road and it led directly to the Sustrans Route 2 again, just past beautiful old church of All Saints at the top of the hill.

Then it was up, up and up through a country park with a very rough track to start with. We walked quite a bit and the wind blew gustily through the trees but luckily no bits fell on us. A radio transmitter marked the highest point then we came down winding roads for 2 and a half miles. It was through Fairlight and then we stopped at Pett Level at a very nice pub with a roaring fire called Smuggler’s Inn. They specially built up the fire to warm us up and we had a very decent Harvey’s pint ( Bob had been hankering after one since reaching Sussex) and the meal we had was reasonably priced and tasty. The bar tender told us there was a path we could cycle alongside the sea all the way to Rye.

 

This path took us past Winchelsea Beach and by a Nature Reserve in the shingle. It was bleak and lonely today but some people nearer to Rye were out for a wind swept walk. The path was flat and we found ourselves travelling at 17 miles an hour without pedalling! Mid point we came across a huge boat shed ,much the worse for wear.

Two fresh memorial wreaths were fixed to the door and inside, though it was locked today, sits a1926 lifeboat wreck. It had been called out to a ship in trouble in a night storm. Unbeknown to the lifeboat-men all hands had arrived on shore safely, but they, still looking for the floundering ship, capsized themselves and all perished.

 

At Rye Harbour there was a private Martello Tower and an information point about the Nature Reserve. Here the noise of jangling boat trappings joined the wind and we struggled passed surprisingly many industries on the way to the town centre.( Rye Spice company among others)

 

It would have been nice to visit Rye's cobbled street but the train left in 10 minutes for Eastbourne. The weather had got worse with heavier drizzle and blacker skies. There were 6 bikers and us on the platform but luckily only 3 got on the two- carriage train. We did have to split the bike, to the amusement of the other passengers, because a push -chair had been parked in the bike space. It was a £9 single fare each.

 

We discovered we had averaged a little short of !0 mile an hour with a cycling time of 3 hours 30 minutes. Sometimes we could hardly breathe against the wind, other times we had leaned far over to the left to prevent us from being blown over, but mostly the wind was our friend giving us a push in the right direction. A good weekend’s ride.