This ride is straight from the pages of Cycling Plus.

The ride leaves Lewes and heads straight to the coast at Newhaven. There’s a little seashore riding to Seaford and then it’s back inland to Wilmington, Arlington, Selmeston and Laughton. Finally we skirt Glyndebourne Opera House before heading back to Lewes.

Only 40 miles and the ride utilises 2 valleys cut through the South Downs by the rivers Ouse and Cuckmere so it should be scenic but not too hard on the legs.

We’ll take a look at Newhaven Fort and Lewes Castle if we’ve got time.

Pub lunch.

Suitable for all bikes

Report

There were 5 of us at Waterloo although we didn’t meet up with John until we changed at Clapham Junction, and 2 boarded at East Croydon.

Ian, William, Kay-e, Sue, John, Jane and Paul made up the 7 riders today.

With satellites eventually located we made our way to Newhaven down the unclassified road that runs through Rodmell, Southease and Piddinghoe. I usually expect these roads to be quiet but this one was an exception. I counted 3 near head on misses as impatient drivers took desperate measures to pass us. An enquiry was made to Paul by the driver of white van that pulled alongside him while we were riding about whether he knew the Highway Code and Paul asked him with regard to what, but the white van man wasn’t expansive and sped away. We speculated that it might have been about riding 2 abreast as many drivers seem to be unaware that it’s perfectly legal to do so. Just give us time to move out of the way and we will. In Rodmell there was a basket full of apples by someone’s front gate so we stopped for 5 minutes to indulge in the free offering. Just before Piddinghoe, on one shady, short, but obviously deadly section or road I counted a dozen or so run down rabbits and birds. There’s no easy way down this road and no easy way across it. Was everyone rushing for the 12:30 ferry to Le Havre? I doubt it there was still a good 90 minutes before that was due to sail. I guess it was just one of those local roads where the locals expect to be able to drive at the maximum permitted speed, and a bit more and don’t take account of other road users, or maybe, hopefully, it was just one of those days.

Into Newhaven and we followed the River Ouse down its western bank to the sea. Up on Castle Hill is Newhaven Fort built in the 1860s. We didn’t visit the fort but went on up the hill to the top of the cliffs to take in the view out to sea, over the harbour breakwater and the view behind us over Newhaven to the South Downs. Well worth the climb. It’s a possible good picnic spot and if you haven’t brought your own food there are plenty of free blackberries.

We retraced our tracks back into Newhaven except this time we took the NCN 2 riverbank path, crossed the river at the first opportunity and then went down the opposite path to link up with the Vanguard Way which runs by the side of the beach along a disused railway into Seaford. Part of the path here was too stoney to ride but it was a short stretch of about 100 meters. We ambled along the seafront to Martello Tower no.74 which houses the Seaford Museum and Heritage Society. If you don’t want the museum it’s a handy toilet stop - the conveniences are on the eastern side.

On the recommendation of Kay-E  we retraced our steps to the Beachcomber PH and had a good lunch looking out over the channel. It was remiss of me not to take in the variety of food that was on offer and the cost – sorry Pollards Hill – but my Chilli con Carne was £6.50 and some of the others had some nice looking plaice.

From Seaford we went inland, had a short climb to where the South Downs Way crossed the road and we were able to stop and take in the view. In my preamble for the ride I may have suggested this was a flat ride by saying it was easy on the legs as the ride utilised two valleys that went through the South Downs. However, after the climb up Castle Hill and this 200ft climb, I should say this is a rolling sort of ride and when you consider the South Downs are 600 to 800 feet high I think its fait to say we utilised the valleys.

We went on past the Long Man of Wilmington, through Wilmington and then had a nice tea stop at the Arlington Tea Gardens. On through Arlington, Selmeston and Laughton and just before Glyndebourne Opera House we were greeted by a very friendly camel in a field at the Glyndebourne Farm Alpaca Stud. Past the opera house it’s another 200ft climb and then it’s a short downhill ride back into Lewes.

I had one or two problems navigating to the station in Lewes as the roads I’d programmed into the GPS were one way streets going in the wrong direction. A short stretch of walking didn’t do anyone any harm though, but some how I managed to lose half the group only half a mile away from the station. Still no harm done as the lost group turned up on the station platform and all boarded the train back to London 5 minutes later.

Note: the track posted on the website has been modified to give a route back to the station with no one way street difficulties.

Stats
40.5 miles
6.5 hours
10mph moving average
6mph overall average
1700 feet of climbing
250 feet max height

Another great day out. Thanks everyone.

Ian Pendleton
Lewisham Cyclists