Over the next year or so it is our ambition to explore the coast of Britain by driving around all the coastal roads where possible, trying all those dead end lanes down to remote beaches and headlands. The tour is going to be undertaken in stages, this first part hopefully starting at Southampton and finishing at Tilbury on the Thames estuary.
On the way we will be keeping a lookout for pubs with nautical names and keeping a photographic diary of our travels.
Day 20 Humber Bridge to Hornsea 70 miles
This was the start of the 3rd leg of the tour after returning to the area in mid August.
The A63 runs from the Humber Bridge along the north side of the estuary skimming past industrial estates on the outskirts of Hull and docks before joining the A1033.
At Salt End a minor road heads past refineries to Paul where at the end of the village is a lighthouse built in 1836. The water front gives good views across the Humber to Hull and Grimsby,
Continuing on along the estuary is Keyingham Outfall Drain/ Stone Creek a muddy picturesque backwater where a few boats are moored. Here the road appears to run out of tarmac and a dirt track continues over a small bridge to join up again with a narrow road. Turning north from here we headed for the spire of Patrington church. Once a busy market town this villages church dates back to the 14th century and can be seen from 40 miles away on a clear day.
Continuing on the B1445 is Kilnsea, a small settlement looking out on mudflats. this is on the end of Spurn Head, a spit of sand which juts out across the mouth of the Humber. The spit is now a nature reserve,
Heading back north up the coast is the village of Easington and then the town of Withernsea. the latter being a small holiday resort with sandy and shingle beaches. there are numerous holiday chalets on the coast in the area.
The B1242 continues north through farming areas offering glimpses of the sea and military areas with restricted access. Other areas have holiday parks. Hornsea with its sandy beaches is a popular seaside resort. There is also a fresh water lake- the Mere for sailing and boating and rich in water fowl.
Day 19 Theedlethorpe to Barton upon Humber 60 miles
Day 19 was to start bright and sunny. We took the A1031 north out of Mablethorpe for about 5 miles before turning off down a narrow lane to the sea. A free carpark next to the dunes at Theedlethorpe gives access to the dunes and beach. Here there are clean sandy beaches with dunes as far as the eye can see and not another person in sight. My idea of a beach holiday. The Saltfleet-Theedlethorpe Dunes are a National Nature Reserve, which give a real feeling of being remote.
A few miles up the coast is Saltfleet, a small village being swallowed up by holiday homes at the mouth of the Humber Estuary. The beach is seperated from the road by a wide marshy area, a nature reserve. The RAF use the area for a bombing range and caution needs to be exercised when red warning flags fly.
Continuing on the A1031 the road swings inland around the salt marshes passing through Tetney where we turned off into Tetney Lock for refreshments at the Crown & Anchor, a Good Beer Guide listed pub.
A short drive on is Cleethorpes, with its clean soft beaches a popular holiday resort, but feeling a little more sedate than some of the resorts we'd passed through in earlier days.
Next door is Grimsby, one of the oldest towns in Britain, having been granted its charter by King John in 1201. A fishing port with probably the largest Fish Dock in the world with nearly a mile of quays is a very busy port. Continuing along the coast is Immingham, a town which grew with the oil industry. Very industialised with refineries etc its a place to pass through quickly.
Our next stop was inland slightly from here at Thornton Abbey managed by English Herritage. Here are the fine remains of Thornton Gatehouse and the abbey.
Continuing on we arrived at Barton upon Humber with a refreshment stop at the Sloop Inn.It was at this point when the heavens opened with a terrific thunderstorm but bt the time we left the rain had stopped. About a 100 yards or so along the road from this pub is a viewing area fo the Humber Bridge. Here a footpath along the Humber passes under the Bridge giving fine views of it and the river.
This was the termination point for this leg of the tour from Tilbury Fort on the Thames Estuary. We returned to our base at Anderby in heavy rain.
Distance along coast from Tilbury Fort to The Humber Bridge covered 660 miles.
Total distance along coast from Hythe to The Humber Bridge covered 1173 miles.
Day 18 Boston to Mablethorpe 50 miles
On a lovely sunny morning in June we pulled into Boston to begin our exploration of the Lincolnshire coast.
Boston, a busy town and though 5 miles inland from the sea, grew as a port, with ships coming up the Haven. It was from here that the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1620 to New England.
The 272ft tower on the church, known as the "Stump", is a landmark for mile around.
Continuing along the Wash is Wrangle, a village on the A 52 where lanes lead to deserted sea embankments, some built by the Romans.
Wainfleet was a Roman port but the town is now 5 miles inland due to the build up of silt over the centuries. It is also the home of Batemans Brewery where we stopped for some refreshment.
Continuing along the A52, with reclaimed land to the right of the road, to Skegness, then heading out, back south, along a narrow no through road is Gibraltar Point. This is an area of sand dunes and marsh, forming a 1200 acre nature reserve.
Returning back along the coastal road is Skegness, a holiday resort which grew with the growth of the railways. A lively holiday reort with all the attractions for a family seaside holiday. Continuing north there is a sprawl of holiday camps and parks along the coast., The coast is flat and sandy but moving north of Skegness the beaches are quieter.
The A52 continues north towards Mablethorpe, passing through places such as Chapel Point, Anderby Creek, and Sutton on Sea. Mablethorpe is the larger of the locations along this part of the coast. With flat sandy beaches, broken up by groynes, it is a safe haven for children. Again there are many holiday camps in the area.
Wednesday 13th June 2012
Moved to a THS run by the Folk Dance & Song Group Section of the Camping & Caravanning Club on a rally field at Ronam Cottage C.C., Andesby, Lincolnshire. Fees £9.50 p.u.n. with electric. Free Wifi is available on site, signal not too good on rally field, probably ok on the actual C.L.
Distance from last site to this 92 miles. Travelling time 2hrs 30mins.
Weather conditions Cloud/suny intervals, mild.
Day 17 Snettisham to Holbeach St. Matthew 57 miles
The morning started a little overcast, but as the day progressed the sun broke through and by the afternoon it was a warm pleasant day. We made an ealy start at around 9.30am to pick up on the A149 where we'd left off the previous day and headed towards Kings Lynn. A short way along the road we turned off into Snettisham, following a long lane to the coast.
The views at Snettisham were a continuation of the previous day, holiday homes and shingle. Returning back to the A149 driving through Sandringham Warren near the Royal Estate, we arrived at Castle Rising, a Norman keep in the care of English Heritage. It was here that Queen Isabella was held prisoner by her son after her husband Edward II was murdered.
Not too far on is King's Lynn, an old town which was once an important port on the Wash. The town is built on reclaimed land from the sea and is served by the River Great Ouse. From here the A17 cuts across the southern end of The Wash, with small roads branching off into the salt marshes. Some of this area is RSPB land.
Sutton Bridge is a bridging point over the River Nene and is the supposed spot where King John lost all his clothes when his waggons containing his personal treasure were caught in quick sand when the tide came in.
Gedney Drove End is a small village, typical of many such places, such as Holbeach St. Matthew on the salt marshes. This is a farming area on reclaimed land. A very flat landscape, where narrow lanes lead to the sea walls which give access to the marshes. The RAF use some of the area for a bombing range.
This was the limit of the days excursion around the Wash, We returned to the A17 and drove on into the town of Holbeach for refreshmet at the Horse & Groom.
The plan is to move sites, the following day. With the caravan on tow we will pick up from the end of this days tour on the A17 to Boston then on to a THS (Temporary Holiday Site), being run by the Camping & Caravanning Club at Anderby in Lincolnshire.
Day 16 Salthouse to Heacham 47 miles
We awoke to a day with a big change in the weather. After the sunshine of the previous day, there had been a lot of overnight rain, the temperature had dropped and the wind picked up. We set out in drizzle which was to continue for most of the day and the low cloud was to detract from views along the scenic route planned. The A149 was the route which we'd follow for most of the day, with turn offs to coastal sites at intervals down long narrow, often no through roads. Many of these finish in remote bird sanctuaries, with small car parks, often expensive if not stopping long.
Salthouse village is now cut off from the sea, the port gradually silting up, forming marshes, seperated from the sea by a high shingle ridge.
Moving along the coast is Cley-Next-The-Sea, very similar to Salthouse, with flat marshy land, being used for cattle grazing, beyond the shingle. A windmill in the village is now a cafe and B&B. The area is popular with bird watchers. More than 275 species of birds have been spotted here.
Blakeney, a village of flint and red-brick cottages, overlooks a creek with sandy banks.It's church has a second tower which was built as a lighthouse.
It was in this village that we stopped for lunch at a Good Beer Guide listed pub, the Kings Arms. A very dog friendly pub doing good food and good ales.
Morston is another village connected to Blakeney Harbour by a tidal creek.
Continuing along the A149 through Stiffkey is Wells-Next-The-Sea, a port which became known for its whelks. In port here is a sailing ship, the Albatros, now a bar and restaurant, listed in the Good Beer Guide. Unfortunately it was not open, though advertised opening times indicated otherwise.
The Ostler's Cottage, built about 1750 still stands, a one room up and one down house, used until 1935.
Brancaster Staithe is a tiny port getting hemmed in by the saltings and marshes. Brancaster was a Roman naval base, and the shellfish industry in the area dates back to the Roman occupation of Britain.
Holme-Next-The-Sea is just a short hop along the coast. With sandy beaches and sand dunes the area's been taken over by a golf course. Beware of low flying golf balls.
Humstanton is the only resort on the East Coast which faces west. With mainly sandy beaches, some pebbles, it's grown into a holiday resort.
The day of touring the north coast of Norfolk ended at Hencham, a gravel beach backed by holiday home sites. A disappointment after the wild, remote areas of earlier in the day.
Day 15 Happisburgh to Weybourne 31 miles
This leg of the tour was to be the easiest drive todate with the roads following very closely to the coast with no peninsulars to drive round or river and inlets to circumnavigate. In addition the drive was done in glorious sunshine on a warm, wind free day, quite a contrast to the last leg of the tour.
The section of the coast is very sandy with large clean beaches backed by steep cliffs.
Our starting point of Happisburgh was a village set back from the beaches. It's a village whose history is woven in stories of shipwrecks when vessels have floundered on the Happisburgh Sands which run parallel to the coast for some 9 miles.
The church tower, some 110 ft tall, built in the 15th century, was probably built as a beacon. Then in 1791 a lighthouse painted with red and white stripes to aid identification was built.
Moving in a north west direction following the coast is Walcott with sandy beaches and not too far inland the Lighthouse Inn, a very popular venue for drinkers and diners.
Following the sandy beaches and wooden groynes a short way along the coast is Bacton, Mundersley, Trimingham and Overstrand. Here visitors can look down from the cliff tops onto sandy beaches divided up by groynes.
The beaches of Cromer extend a number of miles, mainly sandy with some shingle and backed by cliffs. An important lifeboat station is situated here due to the nature of the sea in this area. What was once a fishing village is now a busy resort with a pier, promenade, paddling and swimming pools plus numerous other attractions.
From here we continued on to Sheringham driving on the way through East and West Runton. Sheringham was a fishing village but because it does not have a natural harbour, the boats had to be pulled up on to the beach. It is known for it's lobster catch.
To conclude our day we visited the Ship Inn in Weybourne before looking at the beach. Here at a break in the cliffs the beach is made up of a high shingle ridge, sloping steeply down to the water's edge. A tractor drags boats up from the water to the top of the beach.
Saturday 9th June 2012
We awoke to a calmer day, with the sun trying to break through the grey skies, but winds still gusted at times. After breaking camp, we left towing the caravan about 10.30am for what should have been a relatively short journey of 90 minutes thereabouts to Corton Hall, South Creake in Norfolk. It was a journey of 58 miles but a fatal accident on the A47 involving a lorry and car resulted in a road closure and traffic being diverted through Norwich. This put another 60 minutes or so on travelling times.
Corton Hall is a CL, having electricity, on a secluded but sloping site, offering good views. We felt it was reasonably well located to reach the norther coast of Norfolk between Cromer and the Wash, so booked in for 4 nights.
Day 14 Goreleston on Sea to Sea Palling 37 miles
This was to be the poorest day weather wise to date, with gale force winds and squally showers all day. Goreleston on Sea saw horizontal rain hammering in from the North Sea with huge waves crashing over the breakwater to the harbour and the sea front. With fine sandy beaches this resort os next door neighbour to Great Yarmouth.
Great Yarmouth is another of the big holiday resorts which to me are an eye sore on our coasts. Obviously very popular with families with all types of attractions associated with such places, but not for me. I was more attracted by the sand dunes at the northern end of the resort overlooking a wind farm out at sea.
Caister on Sea was to be a short stop with rain lashing down and wind difficult to stand up in. Again sandy beaches the order of the day. The bad weather continued to do its worse and so we settled for a coastal drive through Scratby, Winterton, Horsey and Waxham catching glimpses of the sandy beaches backed by cliffs before calling it a day at Sea Palling.
A high concrete ramp crosses the sand dunes at Sea Palling from thevillage side to the beach. The beaches are sandy and in part patrolled by lifeguards. Blinded by sand being whipped up by the gale force winds and heavy showers, wet and bedraggled it was decided to knock it on the head at this point and return to site near Beccles.
Day 13 Southwold to Hopton on Sea 41 miles
Southwold was the first stopping off point on this day. A picturesque town standing on a knoll in a marshy area. A lighthouse stands in the town, towering over the red brick and flint buildings, while a battery of cannon, sent by Charles I for protection against the Dutch, stand on the cliff top. A pier and bathing huts compliment the sandy beach.
A short journey north along the coast is Coverhithe, a remote settlement with a crumbling church. Opposite the church a path cuts across country through the Benacre nature reserve to the sandy beach.
Continuing along the coastal roads is Kessingland, with extensive holiday camps, then Lowestoft, a fishing port and holiday resort. Boasting fine sandy beaches the resorts developed numerous holiday attractions. To the north of the town is the Ness, Englands most Easterly point, and home to numerous kittiwakes and gulls.
Further along the coast is Corton, another huge complex of holiday homes and holiday camps, as is Hopton on Sea, both having sandy beaches with numerous breakwaters and cliffs.
Day 12 Aldeburgh to Walberswick 41 miles
On a bright sunny morning we pulled up on the sea front of Aldeburgh next to a childrens play area remarking to each other about the number of young children around. Looking across the street we noticed a familiar looking house from Children's TV programmes which we'd seen regularly with the granddaughter.- "Grandpa in my Pocket" It was a popular spot for photographs with the youngsters.
Adleburgh is a fishing town with a shingle beach and a number of attractions for young families. The river Alde runs parallel to the sea for about 8 miles, the two being kept apart by a shingle spit on which is a martello tower.
To the northern end of the bay is Thorpness, with a wide shingle beach. The "House in the Clouds" is a water tower disguised as a house.
Continuing north is the Sizewell nuclear power station but a more attractive location is Leiston Abbey in the care of English Heritage, slightly in land from the coast.
Dunwich is the location for a thriving town which was lost to the sea. The shingle beaches continue here, backed by unstable cliffs before giving way to heath covered common land owned by the National Trust.
Walberswick was the final stop on this leg of the tour with a visit to the Anchor Inn. Following refreshments it was a walk to the sandy seashore, passing on the way reed filled marshes.
Day 8 Tilbury Fort to Shoeburyness 6o miles
Tilbury Fort provided a starting point for this part of the tour. The fort in the care of English Heritage, built in the 17th century, stands where Elizabeth I reviewed the army before the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Travelling further east to East Tilbury is the derelict 19th century Coalhouse Fort, the surroundings of which are very popular with bird watchers.
Continuing along the coast we crossed the road bridge to Canvey Island, a residential and holiday resort. There are views out over the Thames Estuary, very busy with shipping.
Charles Dickens wrote about the Lobster Smack in Great Expectations.
Leigh on Sea is a very attractive fishing village, with partial cobbled streets and old buildings. There are a number of old inns, one even having an ice cream shop and fish and chip shop in the same building.
Next door to this village is Southend on Sea, described as the "Blackpool of the South East". This appeared to have all the attractions of a seaside holiday resort and probably more. however I was content to drive along the sea front on what was a Bank Holiday weekend with just a quick stop for a photo opportunity, before making my way on to Shoeburyness.
Shoeburyness was the end of the days trek, finishing with a shingle beach adjacent to a military area, where an artillery base was established in 1858 to test Armstrong guns against ironclad warships.
Day 9 South Woodham Ferrers to West Mersea 74 miles
Pulling onto the carpark on the Crouch Estuary at South Woodham Ferrers there are rewarding views of the mudflats and bird life on the estuary, as well as sailing boats. There are pleasant walks along the estuary popular with dog walkers and bird spotters alike.
Continuing along the estuary is Burnham on Crouch, popular with sailors. Having a Georgian feel with its buildings, while along the waterfront there are an assortment of house boats. In the 14th Century at the time of the Black death, sailors from here were the only ones prepared to ship grain to London.
Bradwell Waterside was the next port of call, a flat landscape at the mouth of the River Blackwater, before continuing round Blackwater to Maldon. Maldon is an old town, standing on a hill overlooking tidal mudflats.
From here we continued on to Goldhanger, a charming little village with a delightful pub. The Chequers was our refreshment source on this particular trip, with a very friendly staff and locals providing a warm welcome to us even with being accompanied by a dog. Our meal and real ale was excellent.
Moving on we came to West Mersea, a small resort area and boating centre with a shore of sand and shingle. A road bridge connects Mersea island to the mainland.
Day 10 Brightlingsea to Mistley 77 miles
Brightlingsea, a cinque port is a picturesque town with some typical weatherboard houses of Essex. Having a harbour with small boats, the beach area tends to be muddy sand and shingle
Following the coast around to the east is Jaywick, apparently with sandy beaches, but the tide was in this day right up to the sea wall. A Martello Tower dominates, built to defy any threat of invasion from Napoleon.
Clacton on Sea became a popular Holiday resort in the 19th century, and continues to be to this day. Driving along the sea front it appears to have all the attractions required by modern families for a holiday. However other than for a photo opportunity we carried on, going through Holland on Sea to Frinton on Sea. Here there are sandy beaches, numerous groynes and a promenade with a double row of beach huts, with a stepp hill behind.
The town of Frinton itself claimed at one time to be the only resort of any size without a pub. Driving through the town I saw no indication of a change to that status.
Walton on the Naze is where the coast starts to get attractive again. The Naze is a grassy area on top of low cliffs, with a tower built in the 19th century acting as a navigation aid. The beaches are sandy but the cliffs backing on to them are unstable but provide a wealth of geological information. Fossils can be found in this area.
From here we headed to Kirby le Soken where we stopped at the Red Lion for refreshment before continuing on to Mistley.
Mistley stands by the muddy waters of the Stour, a home for numerous mute swans Two towers stand in memory of a church built by Robert Adam.
Day 11 Shotley Gate to Orford 71 miles
Shotley Gate is a promontory affording views entering the docks on the other side of the Orwell and Stour estuary at Harwich.
A short drive along the River Orwell is Pin Mill, a beauty spot on the river. There are numerous sailing vessels here and the Butt and Oyster Inn.
Continuing up river to the new bridging point, the road crosses the Orwell, then a short drive back along the river is Felixstowe, a busy port. Landguard Point offers good views of the port and coastal area. Landguard Fort dating back to the 17th Century tells a story of it' s defended these waters up to recent times.
Woodbridge has a quay along with a disused tide mill, which ceased to work in 1957. There's been a tide mill here since the 12th century..
Continuing our drive around the coast our last stop for this day was Orford. At the time of Henry II this was a busy port when the castle was built. A shingle spit which seperated the river from the sea at that time, has grown over the last 800 years to stretch 5 miles to the south-west. All that survives of the castle now is the keep which is under the care of English Heritage.
We terminated our tour here with a visit to The Jolly Sailor for a welcome drink of a locally brewed ale.
Day 7 Isle of Sheppey to Tilbury 116 miles.
It was rather a long and generally uninteresting route to complete the final leg of the South East Coast. Picking up the A2 where the route previously ended on Day 6, it meant taking the A249 after Sittingbourne which crossed The Swale to the Isle of Sheppey. From there the B2231 leads to Leysdown-on-Sea, a flat area of caravan parks and chalets looking out on to mudflats. The beach is a mixture of shingle and sand broken up by groynes . Cockle gatherers could be observed out on the mudflats.
Minster is a short hop away. It's a small hillside settlement, with shingle beaches, noted for fossils which can be found on the beach.
Sheerness is a busy dockyard, but was up until 1959 a naval dockyard which was in part designed by Samuel Pepys the diarist and Secretary to the Admiralty in the reign of Charles II.
Returning back by the A249 and crossing the bridge again, before taking a right turn along the A2 through Gillingham, and picking up the A228, the road leads to Grain on the Isle of Grain. Here the road cuts through a large flat area of oil refineries serviced by supertankers on the Medway.
Returning along the same road and back to the A2 is Gravesend overlooking the Thames. The Ship & Lobster, a Good Beer Guide Pub is situated on the side of the River nestled in among boat yards and other industrial activities must be one of the most difficult pubs to find. It was mentioned in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Its name in the novel was then The Ship.
On the opposite side of the river is Tilbury, accessed by the Dartford Crossing, a road one way and bridge back the other way. Tilbury is another busy dock yard. Here is Tilbury Fort, a 17th century fortification built to protect the Thames. It is also the location where queen Elizabeth 1 reviewed the army assembled to face the Spanish Armada in 1588. Unfortunately being mid February the castle which is in the hands of English Heritage was not open to viewing and will form the start of the next stage in the coast line tour in a couple of months time.
The total mileage of coastline explored around the South & South East of England is 513.3 miles
Day 6 Dover to Seasalter 80.5 miles
Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club Site is well placed for this phase of the tour. Consider a clock face with Canterbury being in the centre, well just a little north of centre. More or less at the 6 o’clock position is Folkestone, at 5 is Dover, 4 is Deal, 3 is Sandwich, 2 is Ramsgate, 1 is Margate, !2 is Herne Bay and 11 Whitstable.
Unfortunately the weather for this section was to prove disappointing with very poor visibility with fog rolling in off the sea. The views promised from the White Cliffs in particular were not to be had.
Just to the north of Dover is St. Margaret’s at Cliffe the starting point for cross Channel swimmers, a shingle cove backed by white cliffs. Continuing through Kingsdown is Walmer, the castle there being the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, which in the Middle Ages were England’s first line of defence against France.
Deal is a busy holiday resort with a 1000 ft pier and a castle very much intact with a military use extending up to World War II.
From Sandwich Bay the shingle beaches give way to sandy ones. Pegwell Bay is where the world’s first international hover port was established in 1968.
Ramsgate, just around the headland , is a busy freight port, and it featured prominently in the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. Some 80,000 soldiers were landed at the port. Neighbouring this port is Broadstairs, a sheltered sandy cove, another holiday resort.
The sandy beaches continue to Joss Bay before giving way to the cliffs on North Foreland. A natural arch through the cliffs, White Ness, can be observed, formed by the seas power eroding the rocks away. Continuing round the head at Cliftonville is Palm Bay, where a promenade runs along the foreshore of a sheltered, safe beach, flanked by cliffs. A short walk from here is Margate, a traditional seaside town
Leaving Margate is Westgate on Sea, with sandy beaches and a concrete flood defence along the high tide mark. Continuing east along this coastline is Minnis Bay, a low lying area of coast but with sandy beaches.
To the eastern end of Minnis Bay stand the twin towers of a now ruined church, Reculver, founded in 669 by king Egbert within what were once the walls of a 3rd century Roman fort. Over the years the cliffs have been eroded away and the church ruins now stand much closer to the edge. From here the sandy beaches again gives way to shingle in Herne Bay. The town of that name is another of the seaside resorts on this coast popular with Londoners. Continuing along the coast is Hampton and Tankerton then Whitstable.
Whitstable has been known for its oysters since the Roman times and today the trade is still in evidence. Very much a holiday resort, it’s seafront is lined with quaint, rickety buildings, heralding back to a former age where survival depended on the sea for a living.
The tour around the coast of south east England terminated at Seasalter, where it’s very name suggests its former industry, but is now a small resort with caravan and chalet parks.
Picking the A299 then the A2 up it is a journey of around 17 miles back to Cambridge
Day 5 Norman’s Bay to Dover 75 miles
This trip was perhaps a bit of a marathon, considering there was a drive of approximately 25 miles to the start of the tour where the previous days had finished. The route followed the A259 where it was close to the coast plus a number of minor roads.
The day began with driving around Norman’s Bay believed to be where William the Conqueror landed in 1066, continuing through Cooden Beach to Bexhill.
Bexhill is a quiet seaside town with promenade but no pier. The De La Warr Pavilion built in 1935 is the focal point on the sea front. The road along the sea front terminates at Galley Hill where the coast guard station is located. The car parking area gives good views to Bexhill and St. Leonards and Hastings to the east.
St Leonards has now merged with Hastings a busy seaside town. The actual battle of Hastings was fought 6 miles away inland at Battle.
Driving on out of town on the A259, then taking a left turn signed Cliff End, the road plunges steeply down to the coast with its shingle beaches and groynes aimed at preventing erosion, before continuing on through Camber Rye Bay.
Dungeness a windswept promontory which juts out into the Channel, is very flat with shingle banks, two lighthouses and a nuclear power station, it is the home for a bird sanctuary and a number of wooden homes which would look more at home on a Caribbean Island.
Continuing along the coast is Dymchurch, a small resort with two Martello towers which guard the sluices controlling the water level on Romney Marsh. Next up is Hythe, a former Cinque port, but now the town centre is half a mile inland.
The next door neighbour is Folkestone with its harbour, and town etched into the chalk cliffs. It is a busy town with hotels and boarding houses.
Taking the old Dover Road towards Dover is Capel Le Ferne, where the Battle of Britain Memorial is found. Here along with spitfires, memorials and information centre can be had views of the chalk cliffs leading to Dover and Folkestone.
Dover with its famous white cliffs, topped by a castle, a busy ferry port, was the end of this section of the coast. A 3hr run back to Brighton was now on the cards having gone into the rush hour time of day.
The next section of the coast will be done from Canterbury, the caravan now being moved to the Camping Caravanning Club Site there.
The total miles covered along the coast since beginning the tour from Hythe near Southampton is 312 miles.
Day 4 Worthing to Pevensey Bay 50.5 miles
Having driven in from Brighton, the coastal route was picked up from Worthing Pier. The section of coast to be covered proved to be more varied with views of spectacular chalk cliffs dropping down to the sea. The route followed, on the whole, the A259 which runs more or less parallel to the coast for the whole of this section.
As far as Brighton the shingle and groyne beaches, which have been much of the scenery to date, continue, then after Brighton cliffs begin to feature in the landscape, leading to the breathtaking views over Beachy Head. Then from Eastbourne it is a return to the flatter, shingle coastline.
The route led us by way of Shoreham-by-Sea where there’s been a considerable amount of development around Sovereign Harbour, very much in the style of so many marinas that we’d already experienced on this coast.
Neighbouring Shoreham is Portslade-by-Sea, with industrial land use and ship and boat yards being very much in evidence. Continuing along the coast is Hove now very much part of Brighton.
Brighton, often known as “Little London” is very much the jewel on this coast. Very much in the style of Bath, with its Georgian and Regency period architecture, magnificent hotels and houses fronting the sea. Passing the derelict remains of the Regency Pier, destroyed by fire recently, then passing Brighton Pier, the A259 climbs up over the cliffs before continuing to Rottingdean, Peacehaven then Newhaven. The latter being a ferry port to Dieppe.
The A259 climbs over the South Downs before dropping down to Eastbourne. Midway between Seaford and Eastbourne a right turn heads to East Dean and the Tiger Inn, Home of Beachy Head Brewery. It was here that we caught up with the snow that up to now we had been so lucky to avoid. The snow had been lying now for about 4 days, so the roads were clear.
After a sample of the local ale we headed down to Birling Gap for fine views of the cliffs along here. The Seven Sisters, seven chalk cliffs, some 250 ft tall, looked quite stunning with a chalk face and snow crown. Moving on east along the road is Beachy Head, best seen in my opinion from a distance. On a clear day Eastbourne is visible.
Eastbourne, an elegant resort of Georgian and Victorian period buildings stands alongside a shingle seafront. Having some of the elegance of Brighton it was much quieter with less traffic and easier parking.
The road continues along the coast to Pevensey, with a seafront in the style of so much of this south coast, shingle beaches sloping down to the sea. Looking eastwards the coast can be seen to curve around Norman’s Bay. At Pevensey, the A259 meets the A27, our route back to the caravan at Brighton.
Day 3 Selsey to Worthing 58.5miles
The day began well with a visit to the Lifeboat station at Selsey where a volunteer talked to us about the lifeboat and station which was established there about 150 yrs ago. The gantry to the lifeboat house offers good views of the beech and bird life.
From there it is a very short hop to Selsey Bill itself where a few bird watchers could be seen observing the cormorants. The beaches here are shingle, quite steeply sloping to the sea. This seemed to be the feature of the coastline for the rest of the day and though we stopped frequently on our journey along the coast for photographs, one picture more or less tells the story all the way with shingle beaches and groynes.
Frustratingly though it’s not possible to follow the coast in this and for a number of parts of the coastline in this area. There are numerous property developments springing up backing on to the coastline and “private road”, “no unauthorized admission” and “no access” signs prohibiting access to the coastline by car.
Using the B2145 and minor roads we made our way to East Beach then on to Church Norton to look at St. Winifred’s Church. The church overlooks the salt flats of Pagham Harbour, where there is a nature reserve. The chapel is all that remains of the local church which was taken to Selsey in 1865 along with many of the locals.
From there we made our way to Pagham, a small holiday resort , with a shingle beach. A plaque mounted on a rock on the beach near the yacht club recalls that the Mulberry Harbours used in Operation Overlord in the D. Day Landings were assembled here, then sunk offshore. The sinking of them was to keep them safe from enemy aircraft. They were then raised for use in the landings in June 1944.
Continuing along the coast is Bognor Regis, a popular holiday resort since Queen Victoria’s time. The name Bognor comes from the Saxon word for a rocky shore. Regis was added in 1928 after George V spent some time here recuperating after an illness. We did not stop here other than for a few minutes to take a photograph of the shingle beach with a few scattered rocks.
The road took us on through Felpham, Middleton on Sea, a quick trip down a no through road to Climping Beach, popular with dog walkers it seemed. Then back on the main road before taking another no through lane to West Beach which gave good views across the River Arun of Littlehampton. Then it was back on to the A259 and into Littlehampton for lunch. Here the River Arun becomes a harbour, with boat yards and moorings.
We opted to visit The Crown public house in the High Street. Before anyone shouts out this does not have a nautical connection, it is the tap house for the Anchor Brewery and a CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed pub. I rest my case. Well worth a visit and prices in there the best value to date on this tour. Next door is a pasty shop selling a variety of pasties which went down a treat.
Our tour continued along the coast to Rustington then on to Worthing with its mixture of Georgian, Victorian and modern houses. We ended the tour for the day on the seafront by the 960-ft pier. The following day’s plan being to move the caravan to Brighton, then continue the coastal tour from Worthing.
Mileage covered over the last 3 days of touring following the coast wherever possible 186.8 miles.
Day 2 Portsmouth to The Witterings 77.5 miles
The snow, other than a few flakes and sleet never materialised. Instead it was an evening and night of torrential rain. Sunday morning the rain had stopped, but it was a dull, grey day, feeling mild after the previous day, with a temperature of about 2C. Looking east, visible on the higher land, snow could be clearly seen.
A start was made after breakfast and we headed back to where the trip had ended the day before. Picking up the M275, a coastal road, we were soon in Portsmouth, parking by the harbour, next to the Spinnaker Tower, a landmark for the city.
There’s certainly no shortage of pubs with maritime names. Stepping out the car we were greeted with an array of nautical names e.g. The Victory, Lady Hamilton and The Ship Anson fortunately not open, it being early.
The Warrior battleship is moored in the harbour next to the historic dockyards where HMS Victory and the Mary Rose can be seen. Having been in the historic dockyards on a previous visit this was not on the day’s agenda.
Continuing on around the southern tip of the peninsular is Southsea, part of the city of Portsmouth but less naval, having a more seaside town feel. However the Royal Marines Museum is on the sea front.
Our day continued with picking up the A2030, then the A27 for one junction before leaving it for Hayling Island. Here the road crosses a bridge from Langstone to Northney with Langstone Harbour on the right and Chichester Harbour on the left. A circuitous route was followed taking in West Town then South Hayling before returning across the bridge to Langstone
Arriving back on the mainland side a pit stop was required and with The Ship at Langstone looking photogenic, it was a suitable place to sample some Fuller Ales and take a few photographs.
Suitably refreshed, the A27 quick coastal road to Emsworth, a small town, where behind the shops are muddy flats and channels plus a boating marina. While here we were sidetracked for a quick visit to the Coal Exchange Pub, though not having a nautical name, the pub sign clearly portrayed a seafaring person. In addition it is a CAMRA listed pub in the Good Beer Guide.
Bosham is where King Canute made his legendary attempt to turn back the tide. It is a picturesque village where the road on the south side, is flooded every high tide. Numerous drivers have been caught out here with leaving cars parked up on the waterfront only to return to find the car submerged. Some 30 years ago I was almost the victim when we visited with a young family and went to look at the church. Returning half an hour later I was horrified to find the sea lapping just below the sills of my old Lada. The tide comes in at an alarming rate.
A286 leads south. No through roads lead off to little settlements like Dell Quay, once England’s ninth largest port. West Itchenor, the seafront of which has numerous boat moorings, has the Ship Inn, situated on the High Street. A 1930’s built pub, listed in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, serves an interesting range of regular beers and a guest.
To finish our day we continued to the Witterings, both West and East Wittering have sandy beaches backed by shingle. However by now the light was fading so decided to leave Selsey Bill for another Day and return back to base.
Day 1 Hythe to Portsmouth 57 miles
Saturday 4th February saw an early breakfast on a cold frosty morning. Overnight temperatures had dropped to -11C, though in the bright morning sunshine they had risen, but were not expected to lift much above freezing point. We drove to Hythe, a Hampshire village looking out onto Southampton Water.
Hythe apparently was the design centre for the flying boats which operated on BOAC’s long-distance air routes. Today there was no evidence of this, but it has a busy shopping area and boating marina with substantial apartment developments overlooking moored boats. A pier complete with railway, stretches out from shore.
Following minor roads keeping close to the waterfront where possible brought us via Totton to Southampton. Unfortunately glimpses of the coast were fleeting on this part of the drive. Views were obscured by industrial estates, military camps, dock facilities and a host of other land uses. Continuing on around Southampton Water over the toll bridge brought us to Weston Shore, opposite the starting point for the trip, some 17 miles away by road. From this position it is possible to realise how much industrial development there’s been on the water’s edge around Southampton.
Continuing on another 17.5 miles using a number of small roads running close to the coast plus the A27 is Lee-on-the-Solent.
Lee-on-the-Solent is a small town on the edge of Gosport, overlooking The Solent, giving fine views of the boating on the waters. Passing the military hover-craft base and continuing on the B3333 through Stokes Bay is Gosport.
Gosport provides good views of the shipping, particularly Royal Navy vessels. Britain’s submarine base has been here since 1906. Following the A27 in a northerly direction to Fareham then east is Portchester.
Portchester Castle under the care of English Heritage, gives views over Portsmouth harbour. Originally begun by the Romans when they established a fort here, it’s been a castle, royal palace and prison.
Another 2 miles into the outskirts of Portsmouth where traffic became very heavy, a storm was looming up and with failing light we decided to head back to site and leave the city for day.
The threatened snow was on its way.
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