The railway from Chichester to Midhurst was a relative latecomer, only opening in 1881. It was the third line to reach Midhurst, others opening from Petersfield in the west in 1864 and from Pulborough in the east in 1866. It was an expensive line to build, needing three tunnels to pass through the South Downs, but it was never a success, despite a four-platform station having been built at Singleton to handle the traffic to Goodwood Racecourse. Passenger services were withdrawn as early as 1935.
 |
In 1957 the line was cut back even further, to Lavant, which had become the railhead for loading sugar beet from farms all over the area but when this traffic ceased in 1970 the line was mothballed. However, it was revived two years later when a new gravel pit was opened just south of Lavant station. Over half a million tons a year, in trainloads of up to 1,000 tons a time (30 lorry loads), were taken to Drayton, on the east side of Chichester.
When this traffic came to an end in 1991 the line finally closed for good, and the rails were removed two years later. West Sussex County Council bought the line, to which was added part already owned by Chichester District Council, and the construction of The Centurion Way cycle path began. It opened in 1995, with an extension to West Dean in 2001-2. The name was put forward by a local schoolboy based on the fact that the Roman road from Chichester to Silchester crosses the path near Lavant. Sculptures commemorating aspects of local history have been provided as points of interest along the way in association with the South East Arts Board.
The trackbed survives intact from Fishbourne Junction, half a mile west of Chichester station, as far as Lavant, where the old station building has now been converted into flats. Beyond the station the trackbed has been taken over by a children's playground and a housing development, and the cycle path has to divert via an estate road for a while, but the old line becomes clear again from the outskirts of the village, but not for long! Soon the path has to cling to the edge of railway property because the main part of the trackbed has been taken back into the field from which it was originally carved.
At Binderton, just four miles from Fishbourne, the path leaves the railway line and heads up towards the nearby road alongside which a cycle path continues to West Dean. The old railway line becomes a farm track beyond this point. Maybe one day it will be possible to extend the path further along the old line and through the tunnels at West Dean, Singleton, and Cocking.
The cycle path starts on Westgate near the entrance of the Bishop Luffa School, adjacent to the level crossing (now restricted to pedestrians and cyclists) where the old main road westwards out of the city once crossed the main south coast railway line. Cycle route 2 now follows the old road out of the city centre.
Immediately at the start of the cycle path is a sculpture called the "Roman Archway". Made by Richard Farrington with the help of pupils from the Bishop Luffa School, the arch is a section taken from the hull of a wooden mine sweeper and is surmounted by designs taken from Romano-British mosaics. It reflects the Roman influence on the area, not least in the nearby Fishbourne Roman palace.
The line curves round through 90 degrees until it is heading north-east round the edge of the built-up area of the city. The path is broad and tarred and makes for easy cycling. The line climbs steadily but gently towards the downs, although the gradient is not particularly noticeable. Along the first stretch two old railway telegraph poles serve as a reminder of the path's origins.
Before long the path diverts briefly from the line of the old track, dipping down to connect with a footpath which passes under a bridge and into the nearby housing estates. Shortly after this the old line enters a cutting and passes between the abutments of a long-demolished bridge. Built to reconnect the fields which were cut in two by the construction of the railway, its purpose vanished when the land to the east was developed for housing. A little further a surviving bridge takes the line under the B2178 road.
Beyond here the line continues in a cutting and heads towards Brandy Hole Lane bridge. Just before the bridge the line passes through Brandy Hole Copse, now a 15-acre local nature reserve. Bikes are not allowed into the reserve, so if you want to explore you'll have to lock your bike to anchor points provided on the wall of the bridge. Immediately by to the entrance to the nature reserve are part of the massive earthworks that once marked the boundary of the Iron Age tribal capital (or oppidum) of the Atrebates people. The old railway line cuts right through the embankment and ditch. The copse takes its name from the discovery, when the line was being built, of a barrel of brandy hidden in a cave.
The line now runs through a cutting towards a further bridge at Hunters Race Lane, beyond which the path dips down to the left. It follows the line of the siding which once ran down into the loading facility of the gravel quarry, the remains of which can be seen to the west. Around the edge of the quarry are members of the Chichester Road Gang, sculptures of Roman road-builders, marking the point where the alignment of the Roman road to Silchester crosses the cycle path.
Immediately before the old Lavant station, the building of which has been converted into flats, albeit with the platform removed, is a bridge from which are hung the "Primary Hangers", around fourteen steel plate shapes derived from drawings made by the local school children. The artist, Richard Farrington, explains: "Prior to resurfacing the path, the site under the Mid-Lavant road bridge had become a natural play area. This was celebrated by site visits with the primary school children (Mid-Lavant) who were asked to draw things they could see and knew about the location. The site drawings were followed up at the school and developed later at my workshop. All the 'Primary Hangers' are in steel, galvanised and hung from the bridge by strong chains."
North of the station the trackbed is now used as a formal play area and for housing, so the cycle path has to follow the road through a housing estate, but soon rejoins the trackbed. The first part is in excellent condition, being used as an access road for a waterworks, but beyond that the surface runs along the very edge of the former railway land and is surfaced with stone dust instead of tarmac. The site of the actual trackbed has been absorbed back into the neighbouring field, it's course being shown by an obvious chalk streak across the soil as seen in the picture.
All too soon the path comes to an end and the cycle route turns left onto a bridleway to reach the A286 at Binderton. The old railway line continues under an ivy-grown bridge but as a private farm track. A new cycle path has been built alongside the main road which can be used to reach West Dean. Most of the old railway still survives further north but is in private ownership. Hopefully one day it will prove possible to obtain access to further lengths. Most of the roads across the south Downs are very busy and the A286 is no exception. A good quality off-road cycle route linking Midhurst with the south coast would be an immense asset.
You can either follow through the pages in sequence or go back to pick another route from the list of the old railway routes I've used.
Updated: 21 September 2006