Walk from Southwick to Brighton

The Walk: Walk along Basin Road South or the beach, then along the sea fronts of Hove and Brighton. Optional excursion to Brighton Marina with the opportunity to ride back to the Pier on the Volk's Electric Railway. Return to Southwick by bus, and walk back to the start over Shoreham Harbour Lock. Finally, optional walk out to the end of Shoreham Harbour Eastern Arm.

Map

NB The map shows my GPS track, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely. BLUE track main walk. PURPLE walk back over Harbour Lock. RED track out to the Harbour Arm.

Why do it: Southwick Beach contrasting with industrial hinterland, overlooked by strangely beautiful Shoreham Power Station. 'Millionaires' Row': art deco style houses sandwiched between the beach and and business premises on Western Esplanade, Hove. Vibrant, and often very crowded, sea fronts at Hove then Brighton. i360 lift observatory, providing spectacular views along the coast. Brighton Piers (one derelict, the other providing a traditional promenade with the usual amusements).Volk's Electric Railway, opened 1883, "the first electric railway in the United Kingdom and the world’s oldest operating electric railway". Brighton Marina (a short extra walk to the East), with impressive yachts and many eateries overlooking the water. Shoreham Harbour lock. Impressive mole (= masonry pier, not burrowing mammal) at the mouth of Shoreham Harbour. Numerous attractions if you wish to linger in Brighton (The Lanes quirky shopping area, Brighton Pavilion, George IV's chinoiserie fantasy etc).

Strangely beautiful Shoreham Power Station

Distance: Main walk 10 miles out to the end of the Volk's railway; 0.5 miles from Southwick bus stop back to car park; 1.5 miles out to Harbour Arm and back = 12 miles in Total (excluding any excursion onward to Brighton Marina)

Logistics: Park at Southwick Beach Car Park. Walk to Brighton, and (optional) on towards the Marina, and take the Volk's railway back to the Pier. Bus back from North Street, Brighton, to Southwick A259, bus stop near Shoreham Harbour lock, then walk back to the start across the lock gates (you may have to wait for them to close).

Challenges: The on-shore path from Southwick through Portslade to Hove is along Basin Road South, which is a rather dreary industrial road, enclosed in places by a high wall. At low tide, a wide sandy beach is exposed which makes for a much more interesting walk, although this beach may remain covered in an inch or so of water, with some deeper rivulets to be jumped over.

Hove and Brighton sea front promenades comprise several wide paved paths, very easy walking but always busy and close to traffic. To make it more interesting, my route stays on the beach where possible (see blue track on the map in satellite view). The beach is mainly shingle at high tide and therefore can be quite heavy going, so the walk will be best at low tide to make the most of the shallower shingle lying on firmer sand exposed in the intertidal zone.

The beach has wooden and rock breakwaters, and various groynes and jetties which must be scrambled over, which is easier at low tide since the seaward end of the breakwaters is generally lower.

For these reasons, doing the walk around low tide gives more options.

There are a couple of places where naturist bathing is permitted. Go when the weather is cold if this might upset you.

Between Brighton Palace Pier and the Marina, extensive improvement works are going on (2023), so be prepared for diversions.

Refreshments: Carat's Cafe hunkered behind the sea wall next to the car park. Numerous stalls and cafes etc along the sea fronts at Hove and Brighton, and on Brighton Pier and in Brighton Marina.

Nearby Walks

To the West: Shoreham to Worthing

To The East: Peacehaven to Newhaven

Photos

April. Sunny day. Low tide at first, rising as the day progressed.