Brighton and Hove Section of the Clarion Cycling Club

A record turn-out at Hassocks station, Sunday 8 March 2009

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. 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 Rides

Please be clear that while all are welcome to join us we each take part in rides at our own risk.

Toll Bridge Ride – Sunday 5 July (this coming Sunday)

I've now heard from Jenny, Amanda, and Leon (plus Fred saying he can't make it) and everyone seems happy with my suggestion for a 10.30 start. Since receiving the 'starter pack' which contrary to what the organiser told me does have definite start times I've been in touch again and I can confirm that we are still OK for 10.30.

And I've checked that there is car parking which will be signed on the day. Anyone coming by car the thing to do is to take the A27 (Brighton By-Pass) heading west pass the 'spaghetti junction' style exit that takes one down to Shoreham and at the big traffic lights turn left toward Shoreham Airport but carry straight on towards the Toll Bridge itself. Ricardos is a little way down on the left.

Best train is
 
9.48 from Brighton arriving Shoreham at 10.03
 
[There is a 10.12 arriving at 10.25 but – apart from being a bit late for a 10.30 start – it involves a change at Hove. If you end up on this one phone me on 077 7074 3287 and we'll wait for you to arrive before setting off
 
The best way from the station to the start is to follow the route we usually use for
(e g) the Upper Beeding run. [Go across the level crossing and turn immediately left and then proceed in a more or less straight line via Hebe Road, Swiss Gardens, and Connaught Avenue which brings you out onto the Old Shoreham Road just a few yards from the traffic island on your left. Go down and round that to the right, get on the pavement and take the left over the Toll Bridge and a few yards on to the start. Quicker than going via the High Street and less traffic.]

Sunday 12 July 2009
Christ's Hospital – Shipley – Ashington – Wiston – Henfield – Bramber – Shoreham

On a Clarion ride a few weeks ago, Jeff picked up a leaflet at Shoreham Airport about Shipley Windmill in West Sussex. The leaflet announced that the mill is scheduled to close at the end of July, so we thought we ought to do a ride there before then. This is it.

Superficially similar to the Downs Link ride that we did in July 2007, and sharing common starting and ending sections, this ride deviates from the path in order to take in the windmill (and the Wiston Tea Rooms!). The mill is open to the public, but will not be working as the sails (or sweeps as we call 'em around these parts) are being repaired.

We will have lunch before we get to the mill, at the George and Dragon. This will be an early lunch as it is not far from our starting point, but it is a pub not to be missed!

After lunch, and a further mile of riding, we come to the mill. It was restored as a memorial to Hilaire Belloc, who lived nearby from 1906-53. More recently, it served as the fictional home of the hero of the BBC Television series Jonathan Creek. 

The mill has very kindly agreed to open early for us, as we will get there about 1.15 and they do not normally open to the public until 2. They are not charging an entrance fee at present because they want people to see the mill before it closes; however they do accept donations, and it would be nice for us to give something. (Entrance used to be £3 per head.)

Leaving the mill, we continue southwards to Ashington*. The practice ride featured a picturesque bridleway where Leon and I heard the cuckoo, but we decided it was just too … err … 'rustic' for a Clarion ride so we'll take the lane. The first section of bridleway is probably OK, and is of interest because it crosses the River Adur. Interesting, because this is a different branch of the Adur to the one we crossed over at Wineham on 3 May. Apparently rivers do not have to have unique names … but which one is the real Adur???

After refreshing ourselves (and making up for that early lunch) at Wiston, we take Spithandle Lane and then a farm track to a bridge over the River Adur (the main river this time) and after this is a short rather cycle-unfriendly path where we may have to walk, then on into Henfield and re-joining the Downs Link.

The rest is familiar territory for most of us, and I won't go into detail here.

*If anyone feels 26 miles is too long, there will be an option of re-tracing your route back to Christ's Hospital Station, making it only about a 12 mile ride. But make sure you remember the way!

Length: 26 miles (12 miles if taking the short option)
Hills: Not many.
Traffic: Mostly very quiet lanes or bridleways. No A or B roads!
Duration: 6 hours.

Catch the 10.00 train from Brighton (Hassocks 10.10) and change at Three Bridges (arriving 10:36). Work on the new station lifts at Three Bridges, which seems to have been going on forever, has recommenced recently after a lull, so there is an outside chance they will have them working for us on the 12th!

Depart Three Bridges at 10:50, arriving Christ's Hospital at 11:06. (This train comes from London Victoria, leaving there at 10.02 and Clapham Junction at 10.08, so any Londoners joining us will not need to change.) Or meet us at Christ's Hospital station at 11.10.

Return trains leave Shoreham for Brighton at 7 and 33 minutes past the hour, and for London at 47 minutes past. For any '12-milers' among us, return trains from Christ's Hospital leave at 32 minutes past.

Jim.

Future rides

Rides for the rest of the year will be on Sundays 26 July (Leon,) 9 August (Joyce), 23 August (Roger), 6, 20 September*, 4 October (Roger), 18 October, 1, 15, 29 November, 13 December.

As always I'd welcome offers to organise/lead on any of the dates above that have so far not been 'claimed'. But the one marked * I definitely can't do. Make sure to let me know at least 3 weeks before – and to let me have full details at least 2 weeks before the date of the ride.

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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