A bike ride along the ehiehester eanal to the Roman Palace in Fishbourne

FACTS

# Start: Basin OS map ref: 859 041

H Distance: 10 miles

& Refreshments: Available at start - The Waterside pub at Chichester Marina - as well as at Fishbourne Roman Palace and a wide range of cafes, restaurants and pubs in Chichester.

he distance of this week's ride is almost exactly the same as last week's route, but that is about the only similarity for we have no hills to c1lmb and we go off road. But most of the towpath is vrell surfaced and almost entirely free of mud, though it is a little soft in places.

E ?) The first section. head- { ing nearly one and half i miles south from the city I is, popular with walkers 'i i and naturalists, for there is bring back leisure craft to I t plenty of wildlife to be seen. this part of the canal. Thankfully plenty of head- This second road crossing room was provided when the is not an easy one for cyciists either. as we need to Chichester bypass was built Chichester Canal round the southern edge of turn right and left to make the city, but care needs to be further progress towards comforts of a country pub, and another cyclervay gives taken passing under this Chlchester Harbour. but taking this optional direct access to this junction dual carriageway Once safely across the detour means we have to from the northern end of The flrst section ends by A2BG we continue riding return almost all the mile Lane. Crosbie Brldge, where the alongside the banks of the back to the main road, More cycling facilities canal once formed a junction canal on its final mile to the before turning left into awa it us on our last mile with a rvaterway which sea, passing two locks on the Apuldram Lane, leadlng to inro Chichester, lor having jolned up with the River way The flrst is no longer Fishbourne. ridden under the A27 we fo1- Arun. operational but the second Fishbourne lies at the low the orlglnal main road Having crossed the canal is, and provides a brldge to a head of the irarbour and is into the city by way of a join the 82145 on the out- footpath leading to Birdham. now world renowned for its 1i ght-controlled railu'ay to just skirrs ol Hunston we rejoin Thls is opposite the Roman Palace north of crossing restricted to leg- the towpath on a softer sur- Chichester Yacht Basin, a the ii.ne of the o1d Roman propelled traveliers only face for the next two mlles. modern development offer- road from Chichester to Before reaching the busy A lifting bridge, Iong since ing retail ouflets and a Winchester. ring road- at Westgate lrre gone, carrled the old Selsey restaurant - a pleasant spot Much of it has been turn right onto another tramway across the canal for to pause on a fine day unearthed and is open daily shareci use cycleway some 30 years, and the sec- Retracing to the from 10am together with the This takes us across the ond of two swing bridges Witterings Road, we turn left cafe which offers a good front of Chichester College - littLe towards Chichester to share range of refreshments. take care crossing the veh ic- has been replaced by * more than a culvert which the road for just over a mile Emperor Way, a fairly new ular approach and under enables water, but iittle eise, before turning left again, hard surfaced leisure route the ring road from to pass beneath the into a much quieter road shared with pedestrians, Fishbourne, leading us Donnington Road. signposted for Dell Quay provides direct access from round the back of a multi. This and the next 'bridge' Like the marina we have just the A259, only yards arvay storey car park and over a on the .4286 road to the Ieft, this is at the end of a from the underpass provided stream to the maln entrance Witterings now provide the cul-de-sac and offers fine when the present A27 from of the railway station, just Chichester Canal Society views looking up and down Chichester bypass to Havant 200 yards from our starting wlth problems in plans to the harbour as well as the was built over a decade ago, point.

812,000 miles - believed to be the highest recorded cycling mileage in the world.