Meeting East Sussex CTC - Ride Report

The ride to East Sussex is a long standing tradition of the Wayfarers, and a very pleasant one it is.  Starting at Hookwood, where we have always started in my time, positions us well to the South of our normal area, so there is always the chance for a bit of novelty in the route.

A dozen of us set off, getting out of the busy Airport area as quickly as we could, and picking up the Worth way, a Sustrans route that we have used before.  We've got a lot quicker on these gravel tracks over the last few years, and our pace here was pretty much the same as on the road - just that there are no cars, and very few people.

One of the few pedestrians was a blind lady, taking her guide dog for a walk in the country.  We said 'hello' and passed carefully, and she (and the dog) seemed very pleased to meet us.

Photo:  Janice

On to East Grinstead, where many were amazed at the unusual (though not unique) Sustrans feature to welcome cyclists to town, a flight of steps ...  On through the attractive town, then off the road again on the Forest Way, taking us to Forest Row and the Ashdown Forest.

A big change here, a long and big hill, taking us steadily up a quiet road to the top of the Forest.  We stopped for a moment at the crest, and several people gave warnings based on their unhappy experiences with deer in the past - they run out without looking.  It's a very real risk, but we saw none this time.

We got to the pub just after one, and spent a very convivial time chatting to our East Sussex friends, some of whom we also meet at Dieppe.  Service was better this year, but, despite this, with all the conversation, it was fully two thirty before we set off home.

Photos:  Janice

Some lovely country,  Patrick saw large bird of prey, but none of us knew what it was, then a couple of tricky hills, a barley field and we were back on the Worth Way.  This led us pleasantly to Three Bridges, on the Southern outskirts of Crawley, and the next few miles were on cycleways to circumnavigate the busy town.  Crawley is one of the 'New Towns' of the 1960s, and they were all designed with quite decent cycle infrastructure, in the expectation that many people would choose to cycle to work and to the shops.  In many places these cycle routes have declined, but in Crawley they are in quite good shape, mainly because I think that many airport workers continue to find it convenient and economical to cycle to work, rather than drive.

For a couple of miles we went from traffic light to traffic light, just like cars, and then we popped out at Ifield, where Dave took us to lunch last week.  Back on familiar roads.

As is normal for this ride, we skittled in to Tanhouse Farm not long before they closed, but were well looked after and enjoyed a carefully balanced recovery meal of ice-cream and cake.

A lovely day out.  My thanks to all of my companions for their company and ride discipline, and special thanks to Dave for back marking.  No-one lost, no delays.

Summer!

Mark