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Sussex appeal ... continued ...
Then we heard it, the unmistakable sound of a horse race commentary.
It was surreal, floating over the top of that otherwise deserted chalk
hilltop, without a single thoroughbred to be seen. We wandered over
to the edge of the hill, and there it was, directly below us –
Goodwood race course. It was as if a giant had scooped up Ascot on Ladies'
Day – horses, hats and all – and trotted south west for a
while before plonking it down in the middle of rural Sussex.
 Sussex,
an English theme park?
If I didn't know better, I'd describe Chichester and environs as an
English theme park. How else could you explain a beautiful cathedral
city cheek by jowl with a large natural harbour, stately homes and superb
walking country, all within a few miles of each other? Not to mention
'glorious Goodwood' (horse racing), plain 'Goodwood' (motor racing),
the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum and the largest Roman building
north of the Alps? Long sandy beaches, bird watching, seaside resorts
and quiet marshland. And most of these no more than 10 minutes' drive
from Chichester itself. No wonder so many people here use bicycles.
Pedal power
So that's what we did too, hiring a tandem from Barreg Cycles in Fishbourne.
The £24 fee included a lock, helmets, map and puncture repair
kit. Better still, shop owners Reg and Paula seemed remarkably laid-back
about when the tandem was due back: "Come back when you like –
if the shop's shut we'll be in the pub over the road."
I wondered when their busiest time was. "Funnily enough, it's
September/October for bike hire," said Paula. "We get a lot
of older couples coming down then, when the kids are safely back at
school." Empty nest or not, if you like your cycling easy, then
this is the place to come. Once south of the Downs, you're rarely more
than 10 metres above sea level. But it's not bleak and polder-like �
the fields are too small and hedgerows too numerous, while the cottages
have names like 'Anchorage' and 'The Moorings.'
So we bowled down quiet country lanes towards the huge natural harbour
that gives the area south of Chichester such a unique character. Actually
it's more of a series of inlets than a neatly shaped harbour, with mudflats
and marshland in between. That's why the area is so popular with bird
watchers. Now I can't tell a curlew from a kittiwake, but their calls
provide a wonderful soundtrack to a peaceful summer evening. As we sat
outside our cottage, those plaintive calls came out of a deep silence.
Canute Cottages (there are four of them) turned out to be a perfect
place to stay – peaceful, spacious, well-equipped and with a warm
welcome from owner Diana Beale.
Across to Itchenor
Back at the bike shop, Paula had recommended a route that would take
us down to the harbour on quiet roads. At the water's edge, a tiny ferry
will take you across the quarter-mile stretch of water to Itchenor.
From Itchenor, Wingate III offers tours of the harbour (its indented
coastline stretches 48 miles), probably the best way to appreciate its
full extent.
Another means of getting down close is to take advantage of one of
the guided walks, which run all the year round (mostly at weekends)
covering themes as diverse as wild flowers, mud rescues, sand art and
sunsets. They are run by Chichester Harbour Conservancy (a local charity)
and the very modest fees help fund environmental projects.
The Sussex seaside
 But
we had a yen for the seaside, and pedalled on down to the long sandy
beach at West Wittering. It was packed, and you soon find out why –
the slope is so gradual that 400 metres out, we could see people wading
in the water, waist-high. Frustrating for serious swimmers, but wonderful
for families with small children. Or for that matter, squeamish adults
– it's so shallow here that we were paddling in lukewarm water.
For the more active, water sports equipment for windsurfing and kite
surfing is available for hire.
We settled for prawns and whelks from a traditional wooden stall on
the seafront at East Wittering, straight out of the 1930s. We'd heard
the place was famous for its seafood, but was it local? "The prawns
are mid-Atlantic," said the man, "but I picked up the whelks
myself this morning." And he meant the shoreline, not the supermarket.
We'd hoped to take a beginner's lesson in sailing, as Chichester Harbour
offers a relatively safe and simple environment for those taking to
the water for the first time. But to no avail. "It's a real gap,"
said Diana Beale. "There's not much opportunity for it, as most
of the sailing caters for groups or is organised around clubs or racing.
It's a pity, as the harbour is a fantastic place to learn." Instead,
we headed inland, considering what to do next. Sailing or not, we were
still spoilt for choice.
Exploring Chichester
Chichester itself is a lovely cathedral city with a huge selection
of shops and eating places. A few miles north of town, the Weald &
Downland Museum really is in theme park territory. A collection of homes,
farmsteads and rural workshops have been dismantled, restored and rebuilt
on this open air site. It's a brilliant place to visit on a sunny day,
very spacious, with big areas of grass to sit down on if you get tired.
Demonstrations of shire horses and rural crafts prevent it becoming
too static. There is a whole collection of more traditional museums
nearby too: military aviation (at Tangmere, a crucial Battle of Britain
base), the Mechanic Music & Doll Collection and the Royal Military
Police Museum (both in Chichester).
Roman history
If it's Roman history you're after, then Fishbourne Palace is a must.
In its day, this was a stunning example of the art of Roman villas,
bigger than Nero's house in Rome. It must have seemed like something
from a different world to the ancient Britons; it was the largest domestic
building in the country with glass in the windows, and central heating.
Craftsmen were shipped in from Rome to build its huge formal gardens
and intricate mosaics.
But perhaps the most astonishing thing is how the latter have survived,
some almost entirely intact, others lined with ruts where mediaeval
ploughs scored through the delicate surface. The Romans originally built
a military store base here – the Chichester area was ruled by a
friendly tribe, who weren't about to make trouble for the invaders.
When Britain was eventually pacified, the local chief Togidubnus was
given Fishbourne Palace, as a thank you for staying loyal to Rome through
Boudicca's rebellion.
Rounding off in Chichester
Tempted to eat Italian after that exposé to Roman culture, we
opted instead for Comme Ça, a French restaurant which specialises
in pre- and post-theatre meals. The Chichester Festival Theatre is only
a short walk away, with a full programme of live performances between
April and September. Laurence Olivier organised the first summer festival,
40 years ago. Maybe he had the odd post-performance drink at the Comme
Ça – it used to be a pub – but we were content to sit
out on the covered terrace after a superb meal, and listen to the soft
Sussex rain.
Chichester Harbour Tours
Tel: 01243 786418 Web: www.chichesterharbourwatertours.co.uk
Chichester Harbour Conservancy
Tel: 01243 512301 Web: www.conservancy.co.uk
Chichester Festival Theatre
Tel: 01243 812912 Web: www.cft.org.uk
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Sussex photos
© Peter Henshaw
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