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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Sunday 19 July 2015

South Downs Ridge walk to the sea

T=SWC.26.b
Free walk 26b Amberley to Shoreham on Sea (via Washington  for pub lunch)

25.6km (16m); toughness 5/10

Trains: London Victoria 10:02  (Clapham Junction 10:07 and East Croydon 10:17) to Amberley 11:26.

Return trains direct from Shoreham to London Victoria are at  xx:48. You can however get a train from Shoreham to Brighton at 17:07 and thereafter at xx:03 to pick up a frequent fast train from Brighton to London Victoria.

Because Amberley and Shoreham are on different lines you will need to buy a day return to Ford where the two lines converge. This ticket is also valid for Lancing if you wish to cut the walk short.

This is a superb South Downs Way ridge walk on a very well marked route. There are panoramic views throughout.

I have suggested the Frankland Arms in Washington  for your pub lunch (01903 892220) but this makes the walk 25.6km (16m).

This is an excellent picnic walk  and if you do not want a pub lunch or a drink you can have your sandwiches/picnic at Chanctonbury Ring – the site of an ancient hill fort. This makes the walk 24.1km (15m).

Shortening the walk

1. Finish in Upper Beeding and take a bus to Brighton. About 19km (12m)

2. Finish in Lancing where there are two trains an hour to Brighton. Distance  is 21.8km (13.5m)

You can find walk instructions here but it is a good idea to either print off the maps on the walks page, or bring your own maps or a gps device.


There are swimming opportunities in Lancing and Shoreham

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bus from Upper Beeding (The Rising Sun) are 42 mins past the hour until 5.46 pm and the last bus is 6.46 pm to Brighton. Great walk. Picnic recommended. LM.

Anonymous said...

Watch out for sharks peeps! Smooth-hounds! Unlike basking sharks these eat crustaceans so where that leaves walkers' ankles I don't know.

PeteB said...

Six on this walk, setting out about 30 mins late because of signal problems near Gatwick, but enjoying warm sunny weather with a cooling breeze. At the start of the walk I prefer to walk through fields and along narrow tracks adjacent to the SDW so avoiding a fair bit of "traffic" near Amberley. We split up and reformed along the panoramic route with most having a late lunch at Chanctonbury Ring. Two then went to Upper Beeding for a bus to Shoreham whilst 4 of us walked on to Shoreham which now has a couple of nice cafes in the "gentrified quarter" near the church where at one we had a much needed cuppa and other refreshments before heading to the station and gettinga train to Brighton for a fast return to London. A terrific day's walking and quite tiring in the heat. In the future it may be best to have an early 9.00 am train start for this walk as this gives you a better chance of arriving at Shoreham's cafes in good time. A marvellous day out in great company.

Towards the end of the walk the gpx map route does not follow the written instructions in a couple of places and I took the opportunity to take a different estuary route into Shoreham on the opposite side to the one running close to the airfield. This mainly follows a cycle route but you can walk on a clear track right next to the estuary edge. You also pass a fine looking pub - the Red Lion - early on.

Anonymous said...

Avoid walking in to Upper Beeding on relentless Cement and Tarmac along the Monarch's Way. Completely poitless. Stay on the SDW until you hit the main road: is it the A286, Shoreham Road. The bus stops where the SDW crosses the road. Alternatively, circle round from Cissbury Ring leaving the SDW and decend past Chactonbury Ring to Findon and get a bus there.