The Next Ride: Sunday 20 August 2017: Chichester circular

Sunday 20 August 2017: Chichester – Centurion Way – West Stoke – Fishbourne – Dell Quay (for lunch) – Salterns Marina – Chichester Ship Canal Basin (for tea).

This is a ‘circular’ route as cycled on five previous occasions.

We meet at the south side of Chichester railway station at 11.15 am and then go round over the railway level crossing to the north side to start riding on the cycle track from the car park. After a mile we begin a northward ride on the Centurion Way track and in about three miles we take the West Stoke Road which has a gentle rise until the middle of the village.  We turn south into Lye Lane and on down until we go round the north and east of Fishbourne and pass under the A27.  We take the Salterns Way bridlepath past Apuldram and, as a short diversion, soon reach the Crown and Anchor Public House at Dell Quay – probably before 1.30.

After lunch we continue on the Salterns Way track south and cross over the Chichester Salterns Marina lock gates to reach the Chichester Old Ship Canal. At the northern end of the Marina Entrance road at Cutfield Bridge we cross over the A286 to take the minor road east to the B2145 T-junction then north through Hunston to the Poyntz Bridge, a footbridge over to the west side of the canal and onto a wider well-surfaced track.  From this bridge there is a distant view of Chichester Cathedral apparently surrounded by green fields and trees and no sign of any urbanisation.  The ride ends at the Canal Basin where there is a fine Canal Trust tearoom.

Trains to Chichester:

Brighton 10.00 and Hove 10.04 arriving at 10.56.

London Victoria 9.17 arriving at 11.00

Meet on the south side of Chichester railway station at 11.15.

Terrain: a gentle gradient up to West Stoke, then downhill to the north of Fishbourne, and thereafter mainly flat.  17 miles – see O/S Explorer Map 120 “Chichester” (1:25000)

Roads: a mixture of cycle tracks and mostly quiet country roads.

There are three busy roads to cross: B2178 SE of East Ashling, A259 in Fishbourne, and A286 at Cutfield Bridge.  However, we do not have to cycle along them.

Lunch:  at the Crown and Anchor, Dell Quay, which we will have to book online before the day.  So please email Julian by Friday 18 August at latest, if you will have lunch there.

Tea: by the Chichester Ship Canal Basin, just south of the railway station.

Return trains times to:

Hove           16.15H              16.27SN    16.53SN    17.15H

Brighton     16.15C              16.27SN    16.53SN    17.15C

Victoria      16.15V (arr.17.56)                   17.15V (arr. 18.56)

H:  three stops before Hove. SN: stops at all stations before Brighton. C: change at Hove, with three stops before Hove. V: no changes: with five stops before London Victoria, incl. Clapham Junction

My mobile number is: 07896 353 563 

Julian

The Last Ride. Tessa’s Report

Sunday 6 August 2017: Streat, Plumpton Green, Wivelsfield and Oldland Mill

Oldland Mill

Angela D, Corinne, Jim, Joyce, Julian, Leon, Prudence. Sean, Sikka, Tessa and Wendy travelled by train to Hassocks. Two new recruits on electric bikes were prevented from joining the ride, one of the bikes had a dodgy pedal that could not be fixed without specialist tools, and the bike was brand new!

Helen and Angela C met us in the car park. There was a mishap here too, Helen, our leader getting temporarily stuck in the station lift.

Lodge Lane, looking north with Oldland Mill in the distance

In the centre of Hassocks we turned right to join Underhill Lane that runs along the shadow of the Downs up to West Meston. A short stretch of main road followed until the turning for Streat. Lovely downhill swoops followed by gentle uphill to Streat Place.

Cat herding in Streat Lane

We took the road to Plumpton Green stopping for a refreshment break at the Plough Inn alongside the memorial for the fallen WW2 Polish airmen.

Emblem on the Polish war memorial

Helen lengthened the ride to Wivelsfield by taking us into Plumpton Green village where we turned onto a broken concrete farm track by the old Rising Sun pub now a posh house with the same name.

We regained the road, passing the Plough Inn again as we headed for the Cock Inn in Wivelsfield. A buzzard and an open top Rolls Royce were spotted en route..

We divided into three groups, two out in the garden and one inside for lunch in this well liked pub that has excellent food, reasonably priced.

After lunch we headed out into sunshine, which during the morning had been hit and miss, quite cold when there was cloud cover.

We set off down 100 Acre Lane fringed by ripening wheat and cornfields, into a headwind. The headwind seemed to follow us which ever direction we took. Spatham Lane brought us to Ditchling turning into East End Lane where we wove through the backstreets to Boddington Lane.

Here we divided into those who were prepared to embrace a muddy offroad track and those who preferred a longer ride on tarmac. The offroaders arrived at Oldland Windmill first, with almost clean feet! We all sat in the sun drinking tea and eating homemade cake. Sikka used all her strength to move the windmill a fraction so the sails tilted to catch more wind.

At the mill

We made a dash for the station down a concrete road called Grand Avenue and were well in time for our train. But no sign of Helen? To say goodbye and thank you for a really lovely day out.

Tessa

News

7 August 2017

Dear All

So, a day earlier than usual this time. All thanks to Tessa who was quick off the mark to report on yesterday’s ride and to Julian who sent me his ride details about a fortnight in advance.

The less good news is that so far we have no offers for the the two September rides on 3^rd and 17^th .  Anyone want to take one of them on?

Our membership tends to fluctuate – sometimes we’ve been up to between 40 and 50. Julian tells me that currently we have 35 – nineteen women and sixteen men.  Excellent!

From time to time in these newsletters I include extracts from Cycling UK’s (the ‘brand name’ of the CTC) Cycleclips.  Sometimes they are celebratory, sometimes amusing and sometimes like the one I included last time about the huge proportion of bike thefts that are unsolved a bit worrying.  But for mind-blowing-ness I think this one has few competitors

Cyclist caught riding his bike 10 miles up the motorway

52 year old Balin Hobbs was found cycling down the hard shoulder of the M5 this week. According to the BBC article, Balin then cycled from London to attend the court hearing because it was against his spiritual beliefs to be driven in petrol or diesel vehicles. The journey took him three days and he slept on the courtroom steps the night before the hearing. If you’re ever in need of finding a cycle route, don’t forget our free journey planner … it won’t take you on the M5!

Well worth a visit will be Tessa’s latest show Art in Clay at Hatfield House, 18th 19th & 20th August. The details she has sent me are a bit too long to be included in this newsletter so I will be forwarding them separately.

Finally, we really do need an offer for 3^rd September sometime in the next two weeks.

Ian

The Origins of the Clarion Cycling Club and Cycling in the 1890s

One of the more exotic headings for the ‘Cycle Trifle’ feature from The Clarion 17 September 1898.

 

The next ride: Sunday 6 August: Oldland Mill

Hassocks to Wivelsfield Green and return. riding on quiet country lanes and viewing a working windmill. Meet at Hassocks railway station for a 10.30 start.

Easy riding ,fairly flat terrain ride via Westmeston, Streat, Plumpton then on to the Cock Inn at Wivelsfield Green for lunch. Booked for 1pm.

Return via Hundred Acre Lane and stopping at Oldland Mill for tea .This is approached by an off road track which you may need to walk a short distance or ride a 2 mile detour. Then an easy downhill back to Hassocks station.

Train times

from Brighton:     9.59 arr 10.09;     10.14 arr 10.23
to Brighton:          16.06 arr 16.16        16.32 arr 16.43

Apologies for the delay

Helen

The Last Ride. Angela’s Report

Sunday 23 July 2017 Lewes to Berwick

The Glynde wind turbine seen across fields from the Ringmer cycle route

Jim Grozier chose the best of the sunshine for this wonderful ride through undulating Sussex lanes. Tessa, Angela C, Chris, Dave, Prudence and Angela D accompanied him. We started at Lewes and cycled through back streets via Cliffe to Ringmer. We saw the sad graves of two supposed duellers of unknown origin – more information here.

An impromptu sculpture by the side of the lane

We went past the imposing gates of Bentley Wildfowl Trust and carried on through the delightful little lanes. Some cars were very courteous to cyclists but others passed far too near – cycling UK is running a  campaign on this issue. Our rural lanes could be places of tranquillity and offer safe routes for cyclists, walkers and horse riders if cars and motorised transport were banned to all except residents and deliveries.

En route there was a discussion of Worthing bypass, high traffic levels and pollution.

We lunched in East Hoathly at the King’s Head, ducking out of the arriving rain. We saw the decree authorising the execution of Charles I on the wall and asked ourselves if we would have signed it? Tessa told us a little about her fascinating family history which has been told in a book The Last Mazurka by her brother, Andrew Tarnowski. This kept us suitably occupied as some of us had a long wait for our lunch.

A semi-posed group photo outside the pub. Note that Chris is hiding behind Tessa …

… but moments later, Chris has moved in closer, so that Tessa appears to have stolen, not just his wallet, but also his right arm …

Rain could not spoil our enjoyment of the return journey to Berwick station, via Vert Wood; Jim timed our arrival at Berwick station perfectly as we only has to wait a few minutes for the train.

Angela Devas

News

26 July 2017

Dear All

The most important part of this newsletter is always the ‘Next Ride.’ Helen has definitely taken on the Oldland Mill ride (the mill will be open for tea) – similar to the one she led last year – on 6 August – but hasn’t yet finalised the details. I will forward these as soon as possible

The ride will start at Hassocks station and with lots of people arriving for Brighton Pride it is a good idea to allow for a bit of extra time at Brighton station.

I picked the following up from UK Cycling’s Cycle Clips. Good argument for buying the best lock and keeping a close  eye on your bike!

The BBC recently analysed some 18 million crimes over a five-year period across 43 police forces in England and Wales. The analysis showed the proportion of crimes going unsolved was highest for bicycle theft, with an investigation complete but no suspect identified. Cycling UK’s Campaigns Officer Sam Jones is quoted in the article, which also reports on Jenni Morton-Humphreys’ experience of “stealing” back her own bike from a thief.

As   I mentioned in the last newsletter, I had been hoping to lead the ride I had to cancel earlier in the year next month but I’ve had to at least postpone this ambition.  My back and legs are still playing up and though I have at least managed to get back on the bike and do a couple of very short rides it’s going to take me quite a while to something like ‘normal.’  I still hope I’ll be at least out with the Clarion if not leading a ride later in the year.

Any offers for the two September rides on 3^rd and 17^th ?

Ian