There are three main areas covered in this guide.
Shoreham Harbour Arm which is along the coast from Hove lagoon to the Harbour Arm where the river Adur meets the sea.
Then there is Shoreham Beach which is the other side of the river along the coast
Finally there is along the river inland.

If you stick to the coast then it’s fairly flat and your mostly not far from public transport, this is mostly true of the river walk but the further up the river you go the harder it gets.

Places featured in the video guide

SHOREHAM ARM

Starting with the easiest of the walks you can access from Brighton would be the walk from the Hove Lagoon to Southwick. You can get to either end on the 700 bus that goes along the cost here, or there are Brighton buses that run along Church Road that is only a few minutes walk away. There is also cycle parking / renting options at Hove Lagoon. The nearest stations are Portslade and Southwick.

This is not the prettiest of walks as you have the industrial estate on one side the whole way. Probably because of that it’s often quite a quiet route and it’s a good walk if you just want to switch off and walk along the coast.

If access it from the west (Southwick) you go over the lock, which is closed when boats come in or out of the harbour. But often only for a very brief period.

To the west you can carry on past the lock to go down to the Harbour Arm which is open most of the time during daylight but closed in bad weather. There is not much shade or cover and you feel the full force of the wind most of the way but if the weather is fair it’s a fairly nice hour and a half round trip from Hove Lagoon all the way along and back again.

There is also cafes and pubs at the lagoon end and both sides of lock across the docks.

Along the route you will often see plenty of the usual sea birds, crows and some of the smaller birds. There have been recent efforts of encourage some of the wild flowers to grow along the sides and this is attracting more insects and birds.

SHOREHAM BEACH

If you want a more pleasant version of the walk then travel a bit further along the coast to Shoreham-by-sea centre. Once again you can take the 700 bus or the 2 from Brighton Buses alternatively there is the option of the train to Shoreham-by-sea station, a few minutes walk away. There is also a local bus service that will take you from the high street to the beach.

This walk is for no cycling, pedestrian only so if you want to cycle there you will have to access the beach from the road system slightly inland. There are many routes to the beach from the nearest road though.

At east end is the old fort, other side of the harbour arm and if open a cafe. A few shops, restaurants and pubs just over the bridge from the high street too.

Alternatively or if the weather is too bad along the coast you can walk along the river. There is a park at the end or you can cut back along the road. This is also the best place to park if you are coming by car.

There are quite a few footpaths around this area and south of the Brighton Road the roads are usually quite quiet.

RIVER ADUR

The river walk can be accessed from a number of places along the river. There are a few bridges you can take if you want a round trip or to not go the whole way up the river. If you stick to the east bank of the river (Brighton side) you can access the Brighton Bus 2 all the way up the path. On the other bank you have to get to the next bridge to get back to the bus routes.

The shortest round trip route you can do will take about an hour to go up to the next bridge and come back the other side along the airport.

If you carry on up the west bank past this first bridge be aware it’s a good hours walk to the next crossing whereas if you stick to the east bank then you have many places to cut back to the road and catch the bus back if it gets to much.
The No 2 bus goes all the way to Steyning which is about a two hour walk.
Also as you go further up the river you start walking more on the banks than a path and if the grass is we then you may need appropriate footwear.

There is lots to see on this walk. The airport, old abandoned cement works, lovely views of the downs and a good range of wildlife. Swans, ducks and gulls all use the river as well as some more exotic birds if you are lucky. There is the seal that can sometime be seen too, so keep your eyes open.

More soon