Brighton and Hove Section of the Clarion Cycling Club

A record turn-out at Hassocks station, Sunday 4 November 2007

The Clarion Cycling Club was founded in 1894/5 as an offshoot of The Clarion weekly socialist newspaper edited by charismatic journalist Robert Blatchford. Unlike other Clarion organisations, the Cycling Club survived through the 20th and into the 21st centuries. For more information see the national website www.clarioncc.org.

The Brighton and Hove Section was formed at the end of February 2004. An earlier Brighton section disappeared in the 1950s(?). It included one of our current members. At the moment we are concentrating on organising fortnightly rides for those of us who don't feel up to longer and more strenuous ones. Usually these involve meeting at a railway station. For this our basic principles are:

• Start at a relatively civilised time
• Avoid busy roads, long or steep hills as far as possible
• Distances of 20-25 miles (or less particularly in winter months)
• Return to Brighton station before dark in the winter.

Anyone who wishes to is welcome to join us; it is not necessary to join the Clarion in order to participate. Safety is, of course, a paramount concern but we all participate at our own risk. Browse our archive to get a better idea of what we do.

The Next Ride

Sunday 2 November 2008
Mysteries of Shoreham Beach

Now the restored Toll Bridge is open again I thought it would be nice to do a ride using it. We missed out our usual Upper Beeding ride this spring because of the bridge being closed and I thought about rescheduling – but last time I was in the area there were notices saying part of the Downs Link that we would want to use is closed for the moment. Then I remembered the TakePart ride we were offering (no takers) in July. As originally conceived this was a variation on my 'Mysteries of Shoreham Beach' from early last year incorporating the Toll Bridge. So let's do it now. The last ride took us into Hampshire – very enjoyably. This one, though equally flat is a nice contrast – urban rather than rural (but there is the nature reserve) and no train journey required for a change.

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From Palace Pier we set out past (?) Carat's Café, having a look at the harbour entrance, and over the locks, take the little roads from Southwick Green re-emerging on the seafront by the Adur Footbridge. Fine sights of the river and harbour – and of the famous collection of houseboats will be our lot there, and then we'll double back eastwards to visit the Old Fort and the former Coastguard station and see the harbour entrance from the other side. Then its westward (ho!) to Widewater (or is it Wydewater?) Lagoon – Shoreham Beach's nature reserve. We'll follow the path along past the end of the lagoon into Lancing and then after an unavoidable a strip of main road that features some interesting 'seaside architecture' of various 20th century eras, we'll take the New Saltings road down to Shoreham Airport and lunch, returning afterwards via the Old Tollbridge and the useful backstreets route that brings us out on the Hove seafront again. And so back to Palace Pier. We could shorten the route by a mile or two by crossing the lagoon onto the coast road before we get to Lancing proper.

Points of Interest
I'm taking as read all the points of interest of various kinds – of which there are many - on the Brighton/Hove seafront. According to the OS map the very end of the Monarch's Way is where the path ends by the Shoreham Harbour entrance just past Carat's Café. Curious, I resorted to Google last year and discovered that it's Britain's second-longest signed walking trail, a lengthy, 615 mile, meandering route following the flight of Charles II after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, and including many sites of historic interest. The Way was devised by Trevor Antill who first published a guide in 1994. There are plans to extend it into France to cover the rest of the Charles' journey. [My 2007 suggestion that we might invent a Roundheads' Way linking all the battlefields where the Royalists were defeated has not been taken up.]

Crossing the locks is always interesting. Before rejoining the main road – momentarily – we'll pass St Mary de Haura in New Shoreham, which is of great interest to architectural historians, being 'Transitional' between Romanesque and Gothic. Then it's off the bike and over the Adur footbridge.

Shoreham Fort dates from 1857. It was experimental in design, according to Gary Baines's excellent website – see www.shorehamfort.co.uk – for a wealth of further details. Although quite a few people are unaware of its existence, Widewater Lagoon seems to date from the 1840s when the embankment was built. Now a local nature reserve (since 1997), it has special (SNCI) status as a unique Saline Lagoon. Lots of flora and fauna. Several websites – Google for details.

Shoreham Airport we have often visited. Founded in 1910 when flying was in its infancy, it is the oldest civil airport in the world. (The Argus says so, so it must be true!) Terminal Two is closed so it will be the main airport facility for lunch.

Great views from there of Lancing College chapel – and the by-pass flyover. And when we start for home its over our valued friend the Old Toll Bridge. St Nicholas, the Old Shoreham church is, appropriately, rather older than St Mary's. Ian Nairn says – rather uncharacteristically spitefully for him, I think, that it's ' a good deal more Norman than it was in 1800'.

I like Roger's format
Distance: about 22 miles. (Palace Pier to Palace Pier)
Hills: none.
Off road: none except for a well surfaced cycle paths
Traffic: Shouldn't be a problem – predominantly cycle paths or quiet roads, The bits where we'll need to take particular care are the stretch along the main road from Lancing and crossing the road after the Toll Bridge
Catering: We could stop for a coffee at Carats.
Lunch: at Shoreham Airport.

Meet at Palace Pier at 10.30am (or join us en route if you live to the West e g at Marocco's Café)

Ian's mobile number is 07770743287

Future rides

Here are all the remaining dates for 2008: 16, 30 Nov, 14 Dec. These dates are up for grabs if you fancy planning a ride.

Incidentally, some information on next April's Isle of Wight ride has now been posted on the website, under ' Suggestions for Future Rides'.

It is not necessary to join the Clarion to participate in our rides. Equally it is not necessary to participate in the rides to join the Club! If you're interested in racing, Audax rides or strenuous touring, contact Bob Harber at bobharber@tiscali.co.uk.

To join the Clarion CC please print out and fill in the PDF membership form making sure to sign the declaration at the bottom. The national membership fee if you're 18 or over is now £6 (£4 for under-18s). We have no section subscription at the moment. If you send a cheque for £6 made out to National Clarion Cycling Club I will send it on with your form to the national membership secretary, Donald Lever. Email me on i.bullock@ntlworld.com if you have any queries or if you would prefer a paper form.

Send completed form to Ian Bullock, 104 Bonchurch Road, Brighton BN2 3PH.

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