Touring the south coast of England, Dover to Salisbury

Hello group, greetings from Californa,

My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and then ride west to Salisbury for the first two
weeks of our trip. Our daily progress will be somewhere between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife
hates hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.

We may head north or farther west after that. I ask more questions later regarding that portion
of the tour.

Jerry in Lodi, CA http://www.angelfire.com/folk/touringonbikes

 

>Hello group, greetings from Californa,

Greetings from the UK

>One thing, my wife hates hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.

I can relate to that. Hills are to be cycled *down* not up ;-) But yes, there are hills - not
mountains, but definite hills. Whether they are difficult or not depends upon level of fitness ...
or lack of!

For a start to get an idea of routing, have a look at

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/webcode/home.asp

It's about our National Cycle Network. Quality of the network is variable.

In case you don't know - over here cycles aren't allowed on motorways (signified by "M" designation
e.g. M3, M35, M4) but are allowed on other roads
- unless specifically signposted to the contrary.

For our Highway Code, see

www.highwaycode.gov.uk/index.shtml

It gives rules and guidance about driving, cycling & being a pedestrian over here.

For general help, try contacting the Cyclists Touring Club - details to be found at

www.ctc.org.uk

Also, it might be worthwhile contacting local cycling groups in the areas you intend travelling
through, in case they can offer specific local advice on good routes and importantly - if they
happens to be something to avoid. The CTC has regional groups, and contact details of many cycling
groups can also be found via the British Cycling web site

http://www.bcf.uk.com/

Clubs can be found at

http://www.bcf.uk.com/clubs/2003/clubs_contents.shtml

British Cycling itself isn't interested in cycle touring - just competitive stuff, but the clubs are
inhabited by humans, many of whom can be friendly

Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers, helen s

p.s. If you want flatter cycling - try Norfolk - it's gently undulating for the most part with
lots of quiet country lanes - nice coast, forest, farmland areas ... plus there are many
links with the States over here. Lincoln's ancestor's came from the Hingham area of Norfolk,
plus vast numbers of WW2 connections.

p.p.s. In the North - Northumberland is *wonderful* got more hills, but it is *wonderful* out of the
industrial part of Tyneside

~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!

Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~

 

Welcome to the UK.

When you get to Salisbury (which I'm sure you will), then the north of the county (Wiltshire) is
full of lovely villages, lots of B&Bs and fantastic pubs. The beer may be a bit warm for you, but I
have convinced several American friends that it has its merits.

If you like off-road tracks, there's lots of ancient byways and bridleways around- not recommended
if you're loaded with baggage, but good for day trips.

If you need maps, there are excellent internet maps of the UK at http://www.multimap.com/ and
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/ .

You'll enjoy yourselves most if you stick to the country lanes, although you get more short sharp
hills. But they just make the beer taste better.

Good luck.

Peter.

"Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]...
> Hello group, greetings from Californa,
>
> My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
> B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and
then
> ride west to Salisbury for the first two weeks of our trip. Our daily progress will be somewhere
> between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife
hates
> hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.
>
> We may head north or farther west after that. I ask more questions later regarding that portion of
> the tour.
>
> Jerry in Lodi, CA http://www.angelfire.com/folk/touringonbikes

 

In message <QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]>, Jerry Neuburger
<[email protected]> writes
>Hello group, greetings from Californa,
>
>My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
>B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and then ride west to Salisbury for the first two
>weeks of our trip. Our daily progress will be somewhere between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife
>hates hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.
>
>We may head north or farther west after that. I ask more questions later regarding that portion of
>the tour.
>
>Jerry in Lodi, CA http://www.angelfire.com/folk/touringonbikes
>
>

I suppose the main thing you should appreciate is there is a ridge called the South Downs extending
along the South Coast between (about) Eastbourne and Portsmouth and another south of London called
the North Downs between (about) Maidstone and Guildford. Neither of these is very high but there
are some particularly steep climbs that you might encounter if you go form across them North/South
or South/North. You could always push up these. Mind you, I've looked at your website and your
bikes will cope with anything southern England can throw at you. You'll easily spin up in your
lowest gear.

Places to go: Canterbury (cathedral), Dover (castle and fortifications, cliffs, town not very
pleasant), Hastings (town rather untidy but you might want to visit battlefield), Eastbourne
(sunniest town in England, well maintained genteel seaside resort populated by pensioners), coast
between Eastbourne and Brighton very scenic although a bit hilly, you shouldn't miss though,
Brighton (lively small city, traditional resort but has seen better days), Chichester (quite pretty,
nearby Roman palace at Fishbourne), Portsmouth (naval dockyards, HMS Victory), Isle of Wight
(preferable to Southampton), Lymington (pretty town, port from Isle of Wight, access to New Forest,
flat off-road bike routes).

--
Michael MacClancy

 

"Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]...
> Hello group, greetings from Californa,
>
> My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
> B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and
then
> ride west to Salisbury for the first two weeks of our trip. Our daily progress will be somewhere
> between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife
hates
> hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.
>
> We may head north or farther west after that. I ask more questions later regarding that portion of
> the tour.
>
> Jerry in Lodi, CA http://www.angelfire.com/folk/touringonbikes
>
> Go to Northern France instead. Much better cycling

Cliff

 

"Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]...
> Hello group, greetings from Californa,
>
> My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
> B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and
then
> ride west to Salisbury for the first two weeks of our trip.

See www.canterburycc.fslife.co.uk

--

Scatterbunny ~..~ ( ' )

 

In article <QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys
at the keyboard of "Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote:

> My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
> B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and then ride west to Salisbury for the first two
> weeks of our trip. Our daily

Erm, many Brits take this for granted, but coming from elsewhere it might catch you by surprise. The
entire area you're discussing has a lot more history than your country, but in terms of its
character in our times it's basically just one big urban sprawl centered on London.

> progress will be somewhere between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife hates hills, any hill! What
> should we expect for that portion of the route.

It includes some hills. Only tiny hills in terms of height, but they can be quite steep.

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

 

Nick, Didn't quite understand part of your previous message due to editing, what do the Brits take
for granted, the dislike of hills?

I think we'll be able to handle the "suburbs" idea, and expect it since we're close to London. We do
expect though that, as we wander west that we'll eventually escape the urban sprawl, especially when
we turn north at Salisbury and head up through Bath to the Cotswold area. What do you think?

For your stats on the bottom, you proved what I've known all along, the French make a crappy
fighter, almost all of the sales you are talking about are airplanes, fighter jets. It looks to me
like the Harrier jump jets are still a hot item as well as the stuff built by Boeing, Douglas, and
Northrop-Grumman. For light arms, look to eastern Europe and Asia, the ever present AK-47. It's not
that they don't try to sell other stuff, the stuff they make is junk.

"Nick Kew" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> In article <QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]>, one of
infinite monkeys
> at the keyboard of "Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a
month
> > touring (hostels and B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and
then
> > ride west to Salisbury for the first two weeks of our trip. Our daily
>
> Erm, many Brits take this for granted, but coming from elsewhere it might catch you by surprise.
> The entire area you're discussing has a lot more history than your country, but in terms of its
> character in our times it's basically just one big urban sprawl centered on London.
>
> > progress will be somewhere between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife
hates
> > hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.
>
> It includes some hills. Only tiny hills in terms of height, but they can be quite steep.
>
> --
> Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France
> 1.5, Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

 

In message <[email protected]>, Nick Kew <[email protected]> writes
>Erm, many Brits take this for granted, but coming from elsewhere it might catch you by surprise.
>The entire area you're discussing has a lot more history than your country, but in terms of its
>character in our times it's basically just one big urban sprawl centered on London.

Urban sprawl?

I've no idea what the definition of 'urban sprawl' is but it's not a

Wiltshire. Los Angeles has urban sprawl, Southern England generally has large expanses of open
countryside punctuated by traditional villages and the occasional small town. London's sprawl to the
South stops pretty much at the M25 motorway.

Jerry, it is true that if you keep too close to the coast between Brighton and Portsmouth you
pass through a series of rather similar mostly urban traditional seaside resorts that have seen
their best days. If you like the seaside, okay. Away from the coast, though, you have typical
Southern English countryside and villages with farms and pubs etc. The Rother Valley between
Pulborough and Petersfield via Petworth, Graffham, Cocking and East Harting would be an excellent
element of your route.

Do you have access to good maps? I would recommend the Ordnance Survey Landranger series because of
the detail. The scale is 1.25 inches to 1
mile. Numbers 179, 189, 199, 198, 197, 196 and 184 cover your route.
--
Michael MacClancy

 

"Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Nick, Didn't quite understand part of your previous message due to editing, what do the Brits take
> for granted, the dislike of hills?
>
> I think we'll be able to handle the "suburbs" idea, and expect it since we're close to London. We
> do expect though that, as we wander west that we'll eventually escape the urban sprawl, especially
> when we turn north at Salisbury and head up through Bath to the Cotswold area. What do you think?
>
> For your stats on the bottom, you proved what I've known all along, the French make a crappy
> fighter, almost all of the sales you are talking about are airplanes, fighter jets. It looks to me
> like the Harrier jump jets are still a hot item as well as the stuff built by Boeing, Douglas, and
> Northrop-Grumman. For light arms, look to eastern Europe and Asia, the ever present AK-47. It's
> not that they don't try to sell other stuff, the stuff they make is junk.
>
> "Nick Kew" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > In article <QWRga.2235$6%[email protected]>, one of
> infinite monkeys
> > at the keyboard of "Jerry Neuburger" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a
> month
> > > touring (hostels and B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover and
> then
> > > ride west to Salisbury for the first two weeks of our trip. Our daily
> >
> > Erm, many Brits take this for granted, but coming from elsewhere it might catch you by surprise.
> > The entire area you're discussing has a lot more history than your country, but in terms of its
> > character in our times it's basically just one big urban sprawl centered on London.
> >
> > > progress will be somewhere between 15 and 40 miles. One thing, my wife
> hates
> > > hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.
> >
> > It includes some hills. Only tiny hills in terms of height, but they can be quite steep.
> >
> > --
> > Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France
> > 1.5, Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

Hi Jerry, Nobody seems to have said much about the 1st part of your journey from Dover to Salisbury.
Well I can suggest a routes from Worthing to Fareham:- If you want to stay on the flat, stay on the
A259. Its fairly cycle friendly and goes through the coastal towns. Some of these are ok & some a
bit run down. All fairly urban and busy though. Now if you are up for a few hills, things get a lot
better. I suggest from Storrington (12 miles Nort of Worthing - someone else can suggest a good
route to get there), take B2139 to Houghton (steep climb here but not too long - you may want to
walk this) then take A284 down to Arundel. Again a bit of a climb but worth it. Arundel is a 'must
see' there's a fantastic castle all though not too much to see inside a cathederal, river, a lovely
lake and parkland. From Arundel if you want to skip going back up the hill and also miss the busy
A27 dual carriageway, I suggest going through the following villages:- Ford, turn right to
Yapton,Barnham, Eastergate, From here take the B2133 back upto the A27 where there's a nice cycle
path to the next roundabout. Continue past Boxgrove roundabout until you get to the flyover, go up
the slip road & cross the A27 (don't worry not much traffic here). Pickup the cycle lane on the
other side heading towards Chichester. Follow your nose to Chichester - head for the centre, eat
your lunch sitting on the grass in the cathederal grounds!

Now From Chichester, head along West Street all the way until you get to the train crossing. From
here you can either cross the railway line & head for Fishbourne (Roman Palace) which is worth a
look then pick up the flat A259 all the way to Havant or take the Centurian Way cycle path which
will take you up to Lavant then onto West Dean. The cycle path is flat & easy. Well my lunchtime's
just about over so From West Dean I suggest (see Singleton Open Air museum) then onto A286 to
Cocking then left to Bepton,Didling,Treyford,South Harting,Petersfield, Eat Meon, Soberton,Bishops
Waltham,dammit my boss is coming!

have a great trip, Russell

 

Russell wrote:
> up for a few hills, things get a lot better. I suggest from Storrington (12 miles Nort of Worthing
> - someone else can suggest a good route to get there),
>
From my limited local knowledge, I'd recommend the A283 from the A259 to Storrington. And I'll
second Arundel being worth a look. Getting on to the A283 is a bit tricky, but you've got plenty of
space and a good road surface. If you can be persuaded to do a bit of climbing, go north from
Sompting Abbotts, and up over the South Downs - worth the view. This hill is better attacked
travelling north rather than coming south from Steyning - not so steep.

I'm about to graduate, and move to this area. I'm working near Worthing, and planning to live in the
Hove direction. Can anyone advise me about (road) cycling clubs in the area?

Tim

 

On Mon, 07 Apr 2003 14:48:32 +0100, Tim Underwood <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
>I'm about to graduate, and move to this area. I'm working near Worthing, and planning to live in
>the Hove direction. Can anyone advise me about (road) cycling clubs in the area?

Worthing Excelsior. I think they have web prescence.

Tim
--

fast and gripping, non pompous, glossy and credible.

 

On 7 Apr 2003 05:34:31 -0700, [email protected] (Russell) wrote:

>Storrington (12 miles Nort of Worthing - someone else can suggest a good route to get there)

Russell

If you (or whoever) wants to stay on the flat bits then I'd say take the A24 from the Storrington
roundabout to Worthing then head west along the A259 (or A27 - I wouldn't) from there.

From memory, the road from Strorrington itself to the roundabourt is the A283.

James

--
A credit limit is NOT a target.

 

On Fri, 28 Mar 2003 06:26:56 GMT, contributor Jerry Neuburger had scribed:
> My wife and I will be coming to GB this summer with plans to spend a month touring (hostels and
> B&Bs). We plan to start at Canterbury to Dover
>

Get your maps out. Head east from Canterbury along A257 for nearly 2 miles. Right onto lanes through
Bekesbourne, Adisham, Aylesham, Barfrestone, Shepherdswell, Temple Ewell, Kearsney to enter Dover
via A256. Distance about 18-19 miles compared to 16 miles along the A2.

> and then ride west to Salisbury for the first two weeks of our trip. Our daily progress will be
> somewhere between 15 and 40 miles.
>

You are looking about 180 miles, split into seven fairly even parts would mean Ashford, Hawkhurst,
Uckfield, Billingshurst, Petersfield and Winchester with most of the route along secondary or minor
roads. Dover to Salisbury direct is 155 miles.

> One thing, my wife hates hills, any hill! What should we expect for that portion of the route.
>

Don't expect most of the way to be flat as much of the way is across the Downs.

Come back to the group if you want more information.

Gary

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