Walk 41. Southwick to Worthing

 Last time I finished at the far end of a two mile long spit of land, surrounded by the industrial wasteland of Shoreham Harbour. Happily, you don’t have to go all the way back to get off! 

I head down here…

…where there is a public footpath across the lock gates!

The path comes out onto a main road that is lined with more industrial units.

After ten minutes I come across a small beach with a view of the harbour entrance. To get from one side of this small gap to the other entails a walk of more than three miles…

Also here is an old lighthouse that seems to be still in use guiding ships into the harbour.

I continue up this road, past scrap metal yards, aggregate yards, diy shops, tyre fitters, and then blocks of flats for another twenty five minutes until finally I reach the footbridge across the river Adur.

On the other side of the river I turn left, back eastwards, to get back to the river mouth. The path follows a residential street for nearly a mile, all the way to Shoreham Fort.

Shoreham Fort is a Victorian defensive structure built to defend the mouth of the river. It seems to be barriered off at the moment, although there is an organisation called the Friends Of Shoreham Fort who are hoping to restore it.

Turning westwards once more, there is an expanse of pebble beach disappearing into the distance. Fortunately for my legs, a boardwalk has been built down the beach!

I stroll along admiring the rather nice beachfront properties I’m passing…

The boardwalk stretches for over a mile. I walk for a short distance over the pebbles, then there is a prom to walk on. 

To the landward is a long thin lake - the Widewater Lagoon Nature Reserve…

Continuing along the prom, I head into Lancing. The town has a nice expanse of green behind the beach…

Lancing is not a big place and I’m soon heading out again! The road to Worthing pier (it’s the book that Orwell should have written…) runs alongside the beach. I could walk on the pebbles, but wimp out and take the footpath…

The last mile and a half is a pleasant stroll along this road, through Worthing to the pier. Worthing seems a nice place, even out of season. The seafront is well kept with plenty of people about, but without the slightly over-the-top trendiness of Brighton! 

So I reach Worthing Pier, my finish point today.