WALK
SHOREHAM-BY-SEA H
aving suffered a stroke a few years ago, Keith Mason can walk unaided, though his range his greatly reduced. The scooter he purchased in 2014 has given him the freedom to remain independent. “It’s restricted to 4mph on the pavement and 8mph on the road,” he told me. “There’s no road tax, but scooters need to be registered.”
SCOOTER LOOP From the car park, exit right, towards the main road, before turning left to cross the Norfolk Bridge. The original incarnation of the Norfolk Bridge was a chain link bridge in 1833, replaced in 1922 by a bowstring girder bridge, replaced in 1987 by the current box girder structure. At the roundabout, cross over to the south side of Shoreham High Street and continue for about 300m before turning right, and crossing the Adur Ferry Bridge, which offers lovely views of the estuary. This bridge was installed in 2013 to replace the old Adur footbridge, which provided a pedestrian crossing from
WALK When one of our readers, Keith Mason, suggested we create a walk for people riding mobility scooters we thought it a great idea. So we asked him to team up with Robert Veitch to plot an interesting route around the River Adur and Shoreham Beach
1921-2013. On the far side, the ramp and steps both lead to the junction with Riverside Road. Turn left and continue for half a mile past the coastal bungalows, sweeping through the S-bend, as
far as Hancock Close. Turn left into Hancock Close and walk to the far end where a ramp and steps lead up to the riverfront at Sussex Wharf. Turn right and walk east, then follow the path as it turns south, along Osprey Walk, to the junction with
Harbour Way. Turn left and follow the road as it curves left, then right and south, before turning left into Forthaven and walking as far as the barrier. On the right the boardwalk leads into the 26acre Shoreham Beach Local Nature Reserve. The boardwalk, made of recycled plastic was first installed in 2011 and has been extended three times. It would seem that people using the boardwalk, allows nature to prosper on the shingle. Flora includes Rock Samphire, Red Valerian, Sea Kale, Tree Mallow, Viper’s Bugloss and Yellow Horned Poppy. Lizards and slow worms are also in residence. “It’s lovely and smooth,” noted Keith, “It makes the beach accessible for scooters. Wonderful.” At the very end of the boardwalk, it turns right to join Beach Road. Cross over and scoot down the slope to the junction with Beach Green. Turn right and continue for about 200m, before crossing over to the wooden bollards on the other side. Take the steps or the ramp up to Riverbank and head west along the path. It’s an otherworldly experience passing the houseboats, offering a wonderful parade of style, design and
July 2021 | SUSSEX LIVING 109
