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Howard
And I'm on the train back to town, after a brilliant trip, that didn't always go to plan but was sometimes the better for it.
On the train down to Arundel I met a lovely woman, Felicity, a local to the area who gave me some good route advice on following the Arun from Arundel to Amberley. Mainly that the river side path would be impassable. I decided to ignore her advice at South Stokes and try the path. Within the first 20yards I had got stuck in a deep rut and fallen off the bike! I gave a virtual nod to Felicity and took her suggested fall back route across the fields - this was a bit of a nightmare with five kissing gates to hoik over within half a mile. In retrospect I should have listened to her first route choice and taken the bridleway up through Burpham on to the downs. You live and learn...
Into and through Amberley with no mishaps and just the one bit of bike pushing up the steep slope to the tops. I am pretty sure it is the section that was photographed in this thread on the last page. Steeeeep.
Lovely ride in the sun over the tops, with a very pleasant hour or so spent lying in the sun listening to Test Match Special. A hugely bumpy roll down off the top to Washington for a recee for possible dinner spots.
Sadly the pub in Washington has closed down, so I turned back on myself to Sullington that had a promising array of hostelries. Further sun sitting and cricket listening was punctuated by meeting a lovely chap called Matt who was on the hunt for a bike pump for his BMX tyre. We sorted him out, shot the breeze and listened to England wrapping up the series against India.
On Matt's advice I dined at The Crown in the early evening sun before getting on the bike and heading back to Washington and a further hiking section back into the heavens.
With the sun lowering I had my first sight of the glorious Chanctonbury Ring. Stunning. I rode on and past it for a couple of miles before returning to pitch camp. A shirtless slack liner soon departed leaving me and a romantic looking couple watching the sunset. I think they wanted me to leave them in peace and looked a touch miffed when my tent got unpacked. They soon wandered away, with me hoping I hadn't scuppered a proposal.
Soon after getting the camp ship shape, a guy rode past on an MTB and stopped for the view. My third impromptu friend of the trip was Graham, a fount of knowledge of the local bridleways. He not only told me about the Downs Link disused railway line that would take me easily to Christ's Hospital for the train home in the morning, but gave me the somewhat unwelcome news that the riverside path Felicity warned me off from Arundel to Amberley is in fact a wonderful bridleway that should not have been missed. Next time Graham, next time.
An uneventful but wonderful night under the stars and I was up and away by 6.30am, aiming to drop into Steyning and pick up the Down's Link. Sadly it was not to be, as a wrong turn took me down a glorious road descent into the wrong valley and toward Lancing and the seafront. Oops!
With no chance of retracing my steps and still getting my last possible train home, I rolled sedately along the esplanade to Shoreham-upon-Sea, into a cafe for a brekkie and a brew and then onto the 8.44 service to London Victoria.
Certainly not an Epic, but an adventure nonetheless and no real issues with SSCX on this trip. Thanks for all the help guys.