Length: 11.4 miles (18.4 km). Toughness: 3/10.
Catch the 09:15 from London Bridge (East Croydon 09:28) to Brighton (10:17).
[Updated!] Or, catch the 09:05 from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:12), and change at Three Bridges for the above train (arr 09:44, dep 09:49)
A later Victoria train is the direct 09:27 Gatwick Express to Brighton (10:27).
See below for meeting point as the station and trains will be very crowded If its a sunny day, go even earlier and sit on the beach in front of the Tower. If you go later, the parade will start passing by about 11:15. If you're a first timer, it might be hard to find the group among the crowds.
The Brighton Pride Parade starts from Hove Lawns on the sea front at 11am, and heads along the seafront towards the pier before heading inland. A good place to watch would be the sea side of the seafront road parade route, in front of the i360 Tower (Walk downhill to the sea from the station, you'll see it. BN1 2LN). The parade has a fun atmosphere, lots of rainbow clothing.
Watch the parade go by, about an hour, then start walking along the coast. Lunch in Wethies overlooking Brighton marina. Then through the Marina to the Undercliff path (passing a café or 2) to Rottingdean (later lunch option with seafront pub with outside tables overlooking the sea), more undercliff path, then cliff top path to Newhaven Fort, harbour, town and eventually train station.
Far more than you need to know about train fares:
- The railcard price for a return on (only) Thameslink trains from St Pancras / London Bridge to Brighton is only £9.00, but an any-train return from Victoria, is over double at £21.25!
- A return to Newhaven, which is also valid for the outbound trip to Brighton is cheaper at £21.15. If you do this, change at Lewes for a London train on the way home.
- But, if its worth it to save £9, get a Thameslink return to Brighton, then a £3.30 single from Newhaven to Brighton (direct), and change there on to a Thameslink London train.
- Train buffs might suggest changing at both Lewes and Wivelsfield instead to catch a Thameslink train from there, but the Newhaven-Wivelsfield single ticket is over £6 for the same distance - no competition from local buses.
- The 'cheap' Thameslink-only tickets are weekends and bank holidays only.
If driving, Newhaven has free parking (train as above, or regular bus to Brighton), and so does Brighton Marina (only for 4 hours, long enough to see the parade, but not to do the whole walk).
I attended the parade 3 years ago, and so posted this a year in advance for the next year's parade. Then it was cancelled, twice, by covid, but, eventually, every post has its day.
l=swc.213
3 comments:
Sadly, this event has now been cancelled. The organisers were unable to obtain insurance.
A rather disappointing #1 on a lovely #warm-and-sunny day. And you can't say you didn't have enough notice! No mountains or orchards, but fabulous outfits, disco music, sea views throughout, not too mention cattle truck crowded trains.
The parade took longer to pass than I expected, I left before it finished at 12.30. After detours to the pier and harbour arm, I had lunch at the marina around 2pm. The late lunch after just 3km of the walk made the afternoon seem quite long. Undercliff then clifftop paths led to Newhaven. The upriver path to the station was a bit blur.
I just missed a half hourly train, so while waiting for the 730, I had time to visit a convenient Lidl to make for a merry journey home.
I inferred from "this event has been cancelled" that there would be no walk, or at least that its principal point had evaporated. If others did the same, it may explain the absence of companions for the solo participant.
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