This is a short ‘circular’ route as cycled on 10 July.
Chichester – Centurion Way – West Stoke – Fishbourne – Dell Quay – Salterns Marina – Chichester Ship Canal Basin
Plan for trains, given the current uncertainty about delays and cancellations
If the 10.00 from Brighton station is delayed up to 30 minutes, the ride will go ahead, but will start later than 11.15 by the amount of delayed arrival in Chichester.
If the 10.00 from Brighton station is cancelled, but the 10.30 is not cancelled, the ride will go ahead, but will start at 11.45.
If the 10.30 is delayed, the ride will go ahead, but will start later than 11.15 by the amount of delayed arrival in Chichester.
If both the 10.00 and 10.30 trains are cancelled the ride will not go ahead.
So, in the morning on Sunday check the live departure board for your station at: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ldb.aspx
The forecast for the weather in Chichester is reasonable, as at Wednesday evening.
The ride
We meet at the south side of Chichester railway station at 11.15 am and then go 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 west on Dell Quay Road, soon reach the Crown and Anchor, Dell Quay, probably before 1.30, for lunch.
Afterwards 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 the wider well-surfaced NCN2 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, just south of the railway station, where there is a fine Canal Trust tearoom, which closes at 4.15.
Trains to Chichester: Brighton 10.00 and Hove 10.04 arriving at 10.55.
London Victoria 9.17 arriving at 10.59
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.
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