So here we go - the first walk into Sussex.
I’ve decided to ignore the modern Local Authority areas of East and West Sussex, along with the Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority, as each section of coast would be fairly short. So I’m treating it all as the traditional county of Sussex!
Readers of my last post will know that I have already done the first mile or so of Sussex at the end of my last walk. This is due to the county boundary being inconveniently located inside an army firing range!
The start for today is the Broomhill Sands car park. If you want to visit this area, this is a great place to park as it has loads of space and is free!
I set off along the sea wall past a ‘surfer dude’ place…
It is a short walk to Camber where I pass some very nice beach front properties…
Ahead lies the busy beach of Camber Sands. As well as a large sandy beach backed by dunes, there are all the seaside amenities you would expect such as cafes and loos and stuff. Despite the slightly chilly stiff breeze, there are loads of people here and I spend the next twenty minutes avoiding sand castles until the crowds thin out!
Further along it is much quieter…
The dunes area is quite extensive…
At the far end of the beach I reach the river Rother. It may not look very wide, but it is quite deep as some sizeable boats have to navigate through here.
To cross, I have to turn inland and walk up the riverbank to Rye where there is a bridge.
The path is a pleasant stroll past a golf course on the right…
In about ten minutes I come to the fenced off harbour and the Harbour Master’s office…
The path continues to the right of this lot…
Behind the harbour buildings is a small green building. This used to be a station on an old Victorian tramway, there are still some rails embedded in the ground…
The route of the old tramway from here crosses the golf course to Camber. Although it is a public right of way, apparently the golfists aren’t keen on people actually using it!
The path to Rye continues along the old tramway route that has been turned into a narrow road…
There are some nice views of the harbour with Rye in the distance along here…
At this point I encounter a small glitch. The path follows the riverbank all the way into Rye, but is closed while work is being done…
According to the map, the golf club access from the road is only a hundred yards or so to the right. So I ignore all the stern golf club signs and escape to the road that way!
The road is quite narrow and quite busy - not ideal for walking! Luckily I spot a gap in the bushes over the road…
On the other side I find a footpath/cyclepath…
A few minutes later the path crosses the road…
…and continues across the fields to Rye.
The path emerges handily at the bridge over the river Rother!
Rye is built at the confluence of the river Brede and the Rother. So in order to go back down the other bank of the Rother to the sea, I have to walk through Rye to cross a bridge over the Brede. It seems an interesting little town…
Half an hour later I come to this turning which leads down to Rye Harbour…
Just round this corner is a Sluice gate for the Royal Military Canal, which we last saw all the way back in Hythe!
The road to Rye Harbour is over a mile long and is fairly dull, passing a bunch of industrial units.
Eventually I reach the village and my finish point for today’s walk at this Martello Tower.
So that wraps it up for today. A nicely varied introduction to Sussex, I thought!
