South Coast Cycling

A Trip from Southampton to Brighton

Following last week's cycle ride from Southampton to London, I resolved this week to reach another of my favourite cities by bike: Brighton. From Southampton, this promised to be a beautiful cycle ride along the south coast. The entire route was approximately 72 miles, mostly along national and regional cycle routes.

The route out of Southampton, via the Itchen toll bridge (free for cyclists), delivers one straight onto National cycle route 2, which hugs the coast. This route ambitiously aims to connect St Austell in Cornwall with Dover in Kent and is largely complete; unfortunately, many of the incomplete sections are between Chichester and Worthing, which is significant part of this journey. 

I recently cycled route 2 from Southampton to Portsmouth. As the route follows the coastline, there are many occasions where it has to cross inlets and estuaries. In most places, bridges afford a quick and convenient traversal, but at Warsash and at Gosport a short ferry crossing is in order. Both ferries take bicycles. The Warsash ferry across the Hamble costs £1.75 one way for cyclists, while the Gosport ferry only offers a daily return ticket priced at £3.10 plus £1.20 for a bike. 

Southampton to Cosham

On this occasion, I decided to avoid the ferry route, so as to take a more direct line and avoid the additional time and cost of crossing the water. Instead, I took Portsmouth Road from Woolston, crossing the Hamble at Bursledon. From there, I crossed over the M27 to Swanwick and Whiteley, tracking through residential and commercial areas, before crossing back over the M27 at Funtley. 

The route wound into the northern parts of Fareham and joined cycle route 236, which is a decent link into Cosham. After cycling parallel to the A27, this offered some of the first good scenery. Below is the view into Portsmouth harbour from Portchester.

Cosham to Chichester

At Cosham, I picked up route 22, which can also be taken around Portsea island. This route joins the A27, via an off-road cycleway, until Havant, whereupon I joined up again with route 2 to cut across to Emsworth. It was on leaving Emsworth that I failed to follow a straight line and ended up doubling back on myself and enjoying a second pass of Emsworth town centre.

Having navigated my way along route 2 out through Bosham and Nutbourne, I came to Chichester, which marked about half way along the trip. It would be well worth taking a break in the beautiful town of Chichester. I took a brief stop at Chichester canal basin.

Chichester to Brighton

It is shortly after leaving Chichester to the south that cycle route 2 breaks up around Mundham. Fortunately, there is the regional South Coast Cycle Route (S.C.C.R), which bounces along the coast, cutting inland when no direct path along seas-side promenades exists. 

Taking the S.C.C.R to Bognor Regis, I got the first glimpse of the sea-side proper.

Cycling alongside the beach in the sunshine was the most pleasurable part of the trip. Unfortunately, it was short-lived, as cycle access does not yet extend for long. I hope the completion of route 2 provides access along this beautiful section of the coast.

After a brief digression inland, the journey continued to Littlehampton, where it crosses the River Arun.

After Littlehampton, the S.C.C.R follows the coast for a time, curving round Angmering on Sea, and eventually joins route 2 again at Worthing. From here, it was easy cycling along the coast, diverting only briefly around the lock at Shoreham-by-Sea, to get to Brighton.