Eastbourne – Pevensey Bay – Bexhill – St Leonards – Hastings
Along the East Sussex Coastal Culture Trail
It was the stillness that was so striking. Clear air. Just the sound of waves tumbling on shingle; the cries of swooping herring gulls and wheeling jackdaws. And the burble of conversations – families promenading, and a colourful group riding our bicycles along Eastbourne’s normally busy and intimidating seafront road.
It had been closed for the annual Pride march, which had set off from the Pier by the time we rolled past. Fanning out across the road, we marvelled at the peace, realising how much the hard surfaces – hotels to the left of us, seawall to the right – normally amplify the roar of engines and the rumble of tyres.
We had gathered outside Towner Art Gallery that Saturday morning – a group of about 25 people who were ready to ride their bicycles along the East Sussex coast to Hastings via Pevensey Bay and Bexhill. Bespoke Cycle Group and Eastbourne Eco Action Network had been the persuaders and conveners, with superb support from Sussex Greenways and Bexhill Wheelers. The reason: to demonstrate, once again, the importance of creating a safe traffic-free cycle route along the seafront – as seen in almost every British seaside town.
It was also to show how such a route could be extended for 18 miles along the coast, creating a wonderful facility like the hugely popular Camel Trail in Cornwall. During the spring we had written a document outlining the “vision”, which seemed to go down well. Now was the time to show it off – pointing out the “good, the bad and the could-do-better” of existing infrastructure, while enjoying a leisurely summer bike ride.
The group rolled past Sovereign Harbour – the largest marina in northern Europe – to Pevensey Bay. Then across the marshes to Normans Bay and Cooden Beach, before joining the busy promenade at Bexhill. The terraces outside the De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP) were thronged with people enjoying a 1970s festival. “Exodus: Movement of the People” sang the Bob Marley tribute band.
Having tethered our bikes to the railings on the promenade, we were glad to escape the midday sun and crowds and duck into the foyer of Britain’s first Modernist building. Cooling drinks were laid on beneath the iconic spiral staircase – thank you Sally Ann Lycett and the team. Thanks also to ESCC Councillor Ian Hollidge, who was there to welcome us, along with Councillor Paul Wilson, Mayor of Bexhill. A keen cyclist, Ian is a tireless advocate for developing the Coastal Culture Trail and ecotourism in the area.
Adrian Manktelow was one of our riders. His grandfather worked on the construction of the DLWP in 1934/5, and he cycled there from Eastbourne every day. As a tribute, Adrian rode a classic 1930s Humber bicycle, which admittedly needed a certain amount of fettling by our excellent mechanic, Dorian Drake. After a bite to eat, it was time to saddle up and pedal on to St Leonards and Hastings – a mostly off-road 45-minute ride alongside a sparkling sea. This section of the route was built in 2006 – after years of brilliant, dogged campaigning by locals including Nick Hanna (Sussex Greenways) and Ian Sier (Hastings Urban Bikes), who joined us at Bexhill.
Pulling up at Hastings Contemporary art gallery on the Stade, we were welcomed with more refreshments and a guided tour of the excellent Elias Sime exhibition – thanks to Sophia McNab and the team.
Councillor Julia Hilton, Leader of Hastings Borough Council, kindly came to meet us and she promised to support and help develop the Coastal Culture Trail through the Hastings Town Board – alongside those of Bexhill and Eastbourne. Apparently “connectivity” is one of the criteria for funding bids. More energetic members of the group cycled back to Bexhill and Eastbourne – others headed for a pub, then Hastings station. Trains along the coast are quite frequent and cycles don’t require reservations. All in all, a grand day out!
Reflections on the route
The Good
- Cycling is permitted on the promenades of Bexhill, St Leonards and Hastings. All were busy on a summer Saturday, meaning that progress was quite slow, but there was no conflict. And it is vastly preferable to using busy seafront roads.
- The route between Bexhill, Hastings and St Leonards is nearly all off-road, scenic and, not surprisingly, it is very popular.
- The route between Fishermans Green and Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne is wonderful: a generously wide shared path, with stunning sea views and swathes of wildflowers on the surrounding shingle.
- The quaysides around Sovereign Harbour are superb: broad, smooth and scenic. But there is some ambiguity about where cycling is permitted and where it is not.
The Bad
- Eastbourne seafront. Cyclists must use the busy and dangerous road – or face a £500 fine for riding along any of the promenades.
- The steps at one end of the locks at Sovereign Harbour are problematic, particularly for anyone with a heavy bicycle, e-bike, wheelchair – or parents with buggies, for that matter. A step-free bridge is needed.
- The shared-use pavement alongside the main road from Sovereign Harbour to Pevensey Bay felt too narrow and insufficiently insulated from fast-moving traffic. The vegetation urgently needs to be cut back.
- The A259 through Pevensey Bay is busy and for cyclists there is no alternative to the one-way system. Could a new route be made closer to the sea? The traffic lights require the weight of a car to be triggered.
- Sluice Lane between Normans Bay and Cooden Beach is narrow, twisty and sometimes busy with traffic moving at up to 60mph. An off-road route across the fields would be needed to make this section safe and family-friendly.
The Could-Do-Better
- Some riders felt the gravel surface of sections of the path between Galley Hill and St Leonards was tricky to negotiate, particularly on bikes with narrow tyres or small wheels.
- Parked cars in the painted cycle lane on the road between Cooden Beach and Bexhill promenade.
- Signage could be improved along the whole trail, including links to other routes such as the National Cycle Network (2 and 21).
- Options for cycle hire along the route – eg at local railway stations?
Notes
A wide range of institutions, organisations and companies was represented on the
ride: the House of Lords, Councils from Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings, East Sussex County Council, the NHS, two Sussex universities, Towner Art Gallery, De La Warr Pavilion, Hastings Contemporary, Sustrans, and Buro Happold.
The South East coast has an incredible network of cultural assets, which catalysed the idea of the Coastal Culture Trail nine years ago. Reinvigorating the Trail by developing the cycle paths would be a wonderful way of opening up access to these cultural jewels, whilst promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable tourism.”
Hastings Contemporary Director Liz Gilmore
Our beautiful patch has so much to offer cyclists – we just need an upgrade in local cycle infrastructure in order to unlock those opportunities. Bespoke’s cycle ride this weekend is a fantastic way to showcase that potential to local residents and policymakers. Bravo to Bespoke for organising this, and for their very pro-active campaigning.”
Eastbourne’s newly elected MP, Josh Babarinde,
