Newhaven Old Kids

Meeting Simon en route, not planned, we get our group saver tickets and meet Pete at London Bridge. Easy onto train (never guaranteed with bikes) and we disembark at Wivelsfield where we head east through flat terrain and a wildlife part common before turning south through Barcombe. The roads are fairly quiet and when they get busy we turn off on detours, a few times with the help of locals. Southwest through Lewes which seems to have a lot of old buildings, more than I remember, and then press on through the fantastically named Piddinghoe although it ain't got a pub and then to Newhaven. We gaze out across the mouth of the Ouse to the car breakers yard. Then on to the highly recommended Hope Inn for a well deserved meal of sausages (fish for the boys), chips and mushy peas whilst gazing out to Seaford's sands and the white cliffs of Beachy Head rising up beyond. After lunch we tackle the steepest and highest hill of the day to get out of Newhaven and onto the cliffs where we cycle along the grassy top and through the outskirts of Peacehaven, home to the fabulous Peter and the Test Tube Babies (hence the blog title Peacehaven Wild Kids) but we don't see no punks or Oi merchants, then down from the cliff to the concreted Undercliff route which was made in the depression (1920s, not 2008's) to give jobs to locals. Simon and I go for a dip and it's bloody freezing. I literally went for a dip before my muscles stopped working whereas cold swimmer Simon swam about for ages as if he were in the Mediterranean in August. After drying in the sun we have to go up the cliff but then soon enough back down again and it's a fair wind all the way to Brighton where we ramble through the Lanes and then catch the train home. It was there waiting for us and had cycle space. At London Bridge Simon goes on his way whilst Pete and I go back to his shop for band practice (not quite as good as P&TTBs yet) but we're flagging after our 50 mile exertion.  Great day out.

A typical scene - GPS vs paper map

Going towards the South Downs

A scene towards the east

Piddinghoe

Seaford from Newhaven Hope Inn

Lunch stop

Off Roading along the cliff past Peacehaven

Sunny in France?

Undercliff route

Simon struggling out of the surf and up the pebbles

Fine young specimens

The Route