Guildford to Chichester via Littlehampton

I did another training run today, map of my track here. I decided to head for the South Coast, but choosing roads and tracks different to those I usually use. I adjusted the route to make it approximately 60 miles. Avoiding the temptation to use the Downs Link, I headed by lanes over the Surrey Hills to Cranleigh, then down to Wisborough Green. Here, a bridleway going South to link with Black Gate Lane avoided a long on-road alternative. I then headed to Storrington through a rather built-up area, then ascended the South Downs via steep Chantry Lane, which leads to Chantry Post, a great view point. Then I descended on rough bridleways through crops and over grass downland, past Long Furlong Farm, then climbed (walked) up a bridleway to the hamlet of Patching. I stopped for a drink at the Fox pub on the outskirts of Angmering, before plunging into the South Coast sprawl, to reach the sea at Littlehampton.

I pressed on westwards. I was disappointed that the good burghers of Littlehampton have prohibited cycling beside the River Arun, so I used backroads to reach the cyclists bridge upstream. The prospect of using the busy A259 did not appeal, so I went down the lane to the beach at Climping. From here I pushed along the shingle (it's not as bad as my Dungeness beach epic), to emerge on estate roads at Elmer. I traversed the urban sprawl of Bognor Regis to reach the cycle path along the prom in front of the Butlins holiday camp, and then made my way to Chichester, using a short stretch of bridleway to reach South Mundham, then the NCN2 including the towpath of the Chichester canal.

From Chichester I returned to Guildford on the train via Havant, all in all a good ride on a sunny day, though battling a strong head wind towards the end. Although a limited part of the promenades in Littlehampton and Bognor have been made shared use, it is a shame more has not been done to open the rest of the sea frontage to cycling where practicable.