As part of our Sussex Coast series, we’ve been exploring the nooks and crannies of different sections of our Sussex shores. Each section seems to have its own unique vibe and throws up unexpected surprises.
From colourful murals, wild waves pounding the beach, tales of smugglers and poets, creative arts and wonderful architecture, we’ve found them all, and over the next two posts, we head off by bike from Kemptown to Peacehaven to explore villages and towns that range from Art Deco cool to ancient and historic, with quite a lot in between.
Getting there
The best way to travel here is by train to Brighton. If you haven’t brought your own bike with you, you can hire a Beryl Bike. They have stations around the city including several in Kemptown and you can hire an E-bike or a pedal bike. They have a range of pay-as-you-go rates and you access it all via their App. The good news is if you only want to go as far as Saltdean, they have parking docks in Rottingdean and Saltdean and you can just hop on the bus back to Brighton.
Alternatively, if you drive, there is paid parking in Manor Road, Kemptown and at Brighton Marina, there’s free parking in a small car park in front of Roedean School.
First stop Kemptown
This part of the coast varies vastly from one town and village to the next. Kemptown is colourful. And creative, buzzing with boho brightness but also with a laid back vibe.
Kemptown was mainly developed in the 19th century, and you’ll find grand Regency architecture with leafy enclosures and magnificent crescents, some Victorian buildings and strangely, the exotic looking Sassoon Mausoleum.
It’s a Grade II listed, single story building and was the former grave of Sir Albert Sassoon and other members of his family.
Look out for the Secret Garden, grab a coffee in one of the many cafés and then when you’re ready, head to the marina, where you’ll see the slope down to the Undercliff Walk.
The Undercliff Walk
The Undercliff walk does what it says on the tin and goes from the marina to just past Saltdean where it comes to a dead end. It’s about 5 km long, wide and flat and you share it with pedestrians. There is something undoubtedly impressive about being caught between the base of the cliffs and the sea, especially at high tide when you are very conscious you’re on a narrow path between two great beasts.
Ovingdean
The Undercliff Walk is, or should be, a leisurely cycle as it’s flat. Unless that is, you choose to cycle it on a very windy day and are cycling into the wind, in which case, you may wish you had opted for the E-bike!
But fear not, because not far along, you come to the Undercliff Café, a family run affair and a great pitstop.
On a sunny day, nothing quite beats a coffee in the sunshine here overlooking the sea. And look out for the Living Coast art before you head on to Rottingdean.
Rottingdean
Rottingdean has a completely different atmosphere to Kemptown so prepare for a gear change. The first settlors here were Neolithic, since when everyone from Bronze Age man, Romans, Anglo Saxons, Normans and the French have stopped here for a while. It’s name, Rottingdean, is associated with Rota, probably a Saxon invader and leader, and in terms of architecture, you can find buildings that date from the 16th century (the Black Horse and parts of Challoners), and the 18th century (The Elms), with plenty of flint stone walls. The Grange was restored by the famous Lutyens and Gertrude Jeckyll influenced the garden design.
If you’re stopping here, spend a moment in the storytelling area on the seafront, before heading into the village. Suddenly, you feel like you have left the sea well behind you as you get wrapped up in stories of smugglers, the artists of The Grange (do stop and see if they have an exhibition on), winding garden paths, Rudyard Kipling and windmills. The smock windmill has stood on Beacon Hill since 1802 and does open to the public (check times). And the views from here are amazing.
Rottingdean has a very traditional Sussex village feel with a central pond, and gardens and after you have explored, there are quite a few places to eat from colourful cafés, to historic pub courtyards, and even a cash only restaurant.
Saltdean
If you’re carrying on, it’s not far to Saltdean, where there’s another gear change. Completely different to Kemptown or Rottingdean, Saltdean has an Art Deco / Modernist feel and it developed into the village it is now from 1924 onwards. Look out for its magnificent Lido (hard to miss), the White Cliffs Café, Marine View, Curzon House, Teynham House and Unique – all built in the 1930s.
There is a helpful information board just before the fabulous seafront tunnel (built in 1935). The 1938 Lido is the only Grade II* listed coastal lido in the country and has recently been restored. It’s a bit of a showstopper! There is also a great beach, albeit pebbly as well as inter-war years influences, such as Bauhaus and Cubism, in some of the architecture.
If you’re stopping here, you can cycle a short distance further to the end of the Undercliff Walk before turning around. It feels quite special looking back.
If you’re heading home, it is time to turn around. Of course, you don’t have to follow the Undercliff Walk back and you can go home by way of the cliff tops and cycle lane – it just depends on how hilly you like things. But by the time you’re back in Kemptown, you’ll have cycled a good 10 km or more.
If you want to keep cycling, get ready for yet another gear change, as the going gets a bit harder from Saltdean onwards to Peacehaven:
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