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Newhaven to Brighton and Portslade walk

A Victorian Fort, White Cliffs, cliff top and cliff bottom paths, Brighton's busy pier and promenade and quieter Hove

East Sussex

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sat, 09-Dec-23 Newhaven to Brighton - or anywhere in between 5 windy sun and cloud
Sat, 06-Aug-22 Brighton Pride Parade 2022 and walk to Newhaven 1 warm and sunny
Sat, 10-Feb-18 Saturday walk - Newhaven to Brighton: a (largely) mud-free walk by the sea 9 strong winds and some rain
Fri, 18-Apr-14 Newhaven to Portslade
Walker
Sorry for the disappearance of this post for a time on Friday (or maybe also earlier). I do not know what happened: it just got deselected.
Length: 4 miles to 11.8 miles. T=swc.213
9.29 train from Victoria (9.36 Clapham Junction, 9.46 East Croydon) to Brighton, arriving 10.29, changing there for the 10.41 to Newhaven Town, arriving 11.12.
There are no trains to Newhaven via Lewes today due to an overtime ban by the National Union of Grinches (aka ASLEF). This also affects return trains: see below
Buy a day return to Newhaven Town, which is also valid for return from Brighton (ie, it goes through the ticket barriers there)
For more details of the walk click here. There is a GPX and map, but they are not really necessary: turn left on the main road from Newhaven Town station over the rail line, and follow the estuary around to the left, then up onto the headland and keep to the coast path.

I had a special request for a Brighton walk today (for reasons that will be clear to some of you...) and thought of this little outing, one of the least done walks in the SWC cannon. It is a much more scenic walk than it looks on the map, starting out with a walk over the little-visited (by non-locals, anyway) cliff tops of Newhaven Head.
After 2.8 miles you then hit Peacehaven, an inter-war suburb insensitively plonked on the cliff tops. But actually, the coastal path follows a grassy strip between the houses and the sea, and is not unattractive.
All this is weather dependent, of course. If the sun shines, it can be glorious - an airy walk above the glittering sea. By contrast, if it is wet and windy.... But once you are in Peacehaven there are regular coastal buses into Brighton and you can pretty much stop the walk wherever you like thereafter.
There are possible lunch pubs on the coast road in Peacehaven. The Peacehaven, 4 miles into the walk, is a carvery and pizza restaurant, as far as I can see. while the Telescombe Tavern in another half mile seems to have a fairly basic menu, though some positive reviews. Perhaps the best option, is the the Smuggler's Rest just beyond it, an efficient (if somewhat unsmiling) chain pub last time we visited.
Once you get to Saltdean, 5.6 miles into the walk, you can switch, if you wish, to the seafront promenade, which runs under the bottom of the cliffs past Rottingdean (6.3 miles) to Brighton Marina. Both Saltdean and Rottingdean have seafront cafes, though whether they are open in winter I do not know. If you get as far as the Marina, do take the route through its middle (see map or GPX), rather than just walking along the back. There are more refreshment options here, and again, you can get buses.
If you carry on beyond the Marina, you find yourself at the back of Brighton Beach and get to the Palace Pier in 10.8 miles. If you happen to get here just before dusk (ie at 3.30-3.40pm) you can witness the famous starling murmuration here, with up to 20,000 birds flying in formation before roosting.
Otherwise, if you do not have other commitments, the Mock Turtle Tea Rooms are recommended (Google them). It is a one mile walk from the pier to Brighton station through the North Laines, or there are regular buses.
Trains back from Brighton are not as frequent as usual due to the overtime ban, but still pretty frequent: 10 and 40 past to Victoria, and 25 and 54 to London Bridge up to 16.54, then 17.33 and 03 and 33 past.

*** Services will finish early today though: the LAST TRAINS are the 20.10 and 20.40 to Victoria. The last train to London Bridge is the 20.03.
Please check all the train data on the day, in case it changes at the last minute!
  • 09-Dec-23

    No trains to Newhaven due to flooding. If this train ever gets to Brighton, meet outside Marks & Spencer in station to discuss alternatives- eg doing walk in reverse or bus to Newhaven.

  • 09-Dec-23

    Just 5 on this walk, a wet and windy weather forecast and awkward train service due to the ASLEF overtime ban probably not helping. Many who were attending the evening event it was posted to coincide with also decided to look around Brighton in the afternoon instead.

    Those who got the posted train got stuck on the train just outside Brighton for ten to fifteen minutes and then found all Newhaven trains cancelled due to flooding at Falmer.

    But we quickly regrouped (at least 5 of us did: if there were any others on the train we did not see them) and got a number 12 bus to Newhaven, which only got us there about 20 minutes late.

    Off we set under grey cloud, though with the rain already cleared through. On cliffs it was certainly windy - enough to make conversation a bit difficult at times - but there was a wonderful wild seascape. And almost immediately the sun started to break through the clouds - initially as silver patches on the sea, then larger areas of blue sky. For the rest of the day it was windy sun and cloud .

    The cliff paths were a little slippery in places due to their overnight soaking, but otherwise conditions were easy underfoot. The green section at the start of the walk was longer than I remembered, and even when the houses of Peacehaven started to the right, there was a 100 metre wide strip of grassy cliff top.

    It seemed a long stretch to the Smugglers Rest pub, but we got there at 1.35pm and had a nice welcome. It had an outside terrace overlooking the sea which would be nice in summer, though of course we ate inside. The food came quickly and was generally of good quality, though one of us was disappointed with his vegetable wrap.

    After lunch one got the bus to meet up with his partner. Four of us walked on to Saltdean - after a visit to the rather odd Peacehaven beach (we had thought there would be a continuous sea level path but there was not, so we had to climb back onto the cliffs).

    At Saltdean there finally was a sea level path and the choice was to carry on along that or take a bus to Brighton Pier to see the starling murmuration. The sun being out, continuing the walk won. We carried on to Rottingdean and had tea at Molly’s, the seafront cafe.

    We then got the bus, and approaching the pier were surprised to see the starlings still flying. We dashed onto the pier to catch the murmuration diving under the pier to roost, and twittering away beneath the fish and chip restaurant as they prepared for bed.

    One then got the train home, while four of us went to the evening event, finally catching a delayed 7.10 train back to London.

Andrew

Length: 11.4 miles (18.4 km). Toughness: 3/10.

Catch the 09:15 from London Bridge (East Croydon 09:28) to Brighton (10:17).

[Updated!] Or, catch the 09:05 from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:12), and change at Three Bridges for the above train (arr 09:44, dep 09:49)

A later Victoria train is the direct 09:27 Gatwick Express to Brighton (10:27).

See below for meeting point as the station and trains will be very crowded If its a sunny day, go even earlier and sit on the beach in front of the Tower. If you go later, the parade will start passing by about 11:15. If you're a first timer, it might be hard to find the group among the crowds.

The Brighton Pride Parade starts from Hove Lawns on the sea front at 11am, and heads along the seafront towards the pier before heading inland. A good place to watch would be the sea side of the seafront road parade route, in front of the i360 Tower (Walk downhill to the sea from the station, you'll see it. BN1 2LN). The parade has a fun atmosphere, lots of rainbow clothing.

Watch the parade go by, about an hour, then start walking along the coast. Lunch in Wethies overlooking Brighton marina. Then through the Marina to the Undercliff path (passing a café or 2) to Rottingdean (later lunch option with seafront pub with outside tables overlooking the sea), more undercliff path, then cliff top path to Newhaven Fort, harbour, town and eventually train station.

Far more than you need to know about train fares:

  • The railcard price for a return on (only) Thameslink trains from St Pancras / London Bridge to Brighton is only £9.00, but an any-train return from Victoria, is over double at £21.25!
  • A return to Newhaven, which is also valid for the outbound trip to Brighton is cheaper at £21.15. If you do this, change at Lewes for a London train on the way home.
  • But, if its worth it to save £9, get a Thameslink return to Brighton, then a £3.30 single from Newhaven to Brighton (direct), and change there on to a Thameslink London train.
  • Train buffs might suggest changing at both Lewes and Wivelsfield instead to catch a Thameslink train from there, but the Newhaven-Wivelsfield single ticket is over £6 for the same distance - no competition from local buses.
  • The 'cheap' Thameslink-only tickets are weekends and bank holidays only.

If driving, Newhaven has free parking (train as above, or regular bus to Brighton), and so does Brighton Marina (only for 4 hours, long enough to see the parade, but not to do the whole walk).

I attended the parade 3 years ago, and so posted this a year in advance for the next year's parade. Then it was cancelled, twice, by covid, but, eventually, every post has its day.

l=swc.213

  • Anonymous
    05-May-21

    Sadly, this event has now been cancelled. The organisers were unable to obtain insurance.

  • 07-Aug-22

    A rather disappointing 1 on a lovely warm and sunny day. And you can't say you didn't have enough notice! No mountains or orchards, but fabulous outfits, disco music, sea views throughout, not too mention cattle truck crowded trains.

    The parade took longer to pass than I expected, I left before it finished at 12.30. After detours to the pier and harbour arm, I had lunch at the marina around 2pm. The late lunch after just 3km of the walk made the afternoon seem quite long. Undercliff then clifftop paths led to Newhaven. The upriver path to the station was a bit blur.

    I just missed a half hourly train, so while waiting for the 730, I had time to visit a convenient Lidl to make for a merry journey home.

  • 08-Aug-22

    I inferred from "this event has been cancelled" that there would be no walk, or at least that its principal point had evaporated. If others did the same, it may explain the absence of companions for the solo participant.

Walker
Length: 18.8km (11.2 miles) to Brighton station, but you can take a bus at almost any point on the walk

Possible extension to Portslade: 23.8km (14.8 miles)

Toughness: 2 out of 10: undulating grass to start with, then tarmac paths

9.47 train from Victoria (9.53 Clapham Junction 10.03 East Croydon) to Lewes, arriving 10.47, changing there for the 10.57 to Newhaven Town, arriving 11.06.

Buy a day return to Newhaven Town, which will be accepted for return from Brighton (and probably from Portslade).

Walk directions are mostly not needed, but for some notes to help you on the walk, see here. The directions of SWC walk 65 are useful in the afternoon: see below. For GPS click here.

I have had my eye on this walk for some time. Perhaps a tad too urban as a summer walk, but also much less urban than you think in its early stages. In the summer one might say "mud free: wear trainers not boots". In the winter, maybe some mud in the early stages: but wear footwear that will be comfortable on tarmac as well as on grass.

You start in Newhaven, which is a town best swiftly left behind. But beyond is a surprise - a pleasant headland with an interesting fort and (the walk instructions suggest) a breakwater that is worth walking out onto. This is a bit of the South Coast I bet you have never been to.

From there westwards you are for 1.5 miles or so on grassy clifftop as good as any on the south coast. 3.4 miles into the walk houses start to your right, but a reasonable grassy strip is preserved (if my memory serves me right) for another 3 miles to Saltdean. Dotted along this stretch are several pubs - see the walk notes for details, eg the Smuggler's Rest 5.3 miles into the walk.

From Saltdean you can switch to a promenade along the bottom of the cliff, which gets you away from traffic noise. There are seaside tea options at Saltdean, Rottingdean and - my personal favourite - the kiosk at Ovingdean about 1km beyond Rottingdean (may only be open when the weather is good), where you can sit on the beach with your tea and cake and dream of summer.

From Rottingdean onwards, you could use the directions for walk 65 - see pages 7-8, starting in paragraph 63: these will take you all the way to Brighton station via the Pier, with a diversion into Brighton Marina. (This document also has full details of the tea options in Rottingdean: see page 2-3).

If you can time your arrival at Brighton Pier to 4.45pm or so (twenty minutes before sunset) you can enjoy the spectacle of some 20,000 starlings circling in formation in the sky before roosting under the pier (which they do roughly at sunset).

From there the walk 65 directions take you up through the North Laines to Brighton station, but if you have finished too early, you can carry on along the seafront to Hove, a pleasant stretch which passes the new i360 observation tower, cutting inland to get a bus back to Brighton station when you feel like it. If you follow the GPS track to the end you come to Portslade station, from where there are regular trains back to Brighton.

The fastest trains back from Brighton are at 18, 28 48 and 58 to Victoria, but the 02 and 32 to London Bridge are only a few minutes slower. The Thameslink trains to St Pancras are slower still, but not much slower if you going to change at East Croydon. T=3.213


  • 10-Feb-18

    The curse continues. The FOURTH week in a row where Saturday had by far the worst weather. The forecast rain was probably what put some walkers off but it was wind that was the main feature. Despite some rain on the train down, it was actually dry once we started walking and this lasted till near lunchtime. The rain then stopped (on the coast at least) for an hour and a half mid afternoon. But the wind was gale force, sometimes forcing one to a stop, in one place blowing spray up from the sea onto the cliff in a great plume. At times this was rather trying, though the turbulent seascape was exciting. So to summarise for the record: strong winds and some rain .

    Walk numbers may also have been hampered by a total suspension of the Victoria Line at around 9am due to a signal or power failure. All things being considered, it was impressive that eight of us assembled on Newhaven station. A locally-resident walker later joined us, so 9 in all.

    The early part of the walk, on Newhaven Head, was surprisingly unspoilt and scenic. On a nicer day we might have explored the fort or gone onto the breakwater. As it is we pressed on into the howling gale. Three miles in one comes to the bungalow sprawl of Peacehaven - perhaps on a sunny day it would look more idyllic. But there was always a grassy strip twixt the houses and the sea and some nice backward cliff views.

    For lunch we went to the recommended Smugglers - a Vintage Inn, with their trademark unsmiling but efficient staff. It would have been a cosy place if the heating had been on, but the food was nice enough and came quickly (apart from one dish forgotten due to a not entirely unforgivable mix-up). Top marks too to a pub chain (which includes the Cuckmere Inn and Beachy Head pub) that last year had no vegan options and now has a whole separate vegan menu - four starters, four mains, four desserts. A pity it then followed the invariable British pub tradition of not having any vegetable curry left.

    After lunch four split off to walk over the downs to Southease. Two got the bus from Rottingdean. Only three of us trudged on along the cliff-bottom path (I have never seen it so deserted) to the marina and then Brighton Pier. There we had a well-deserved tea at the wonderful Mock Turtle (surely the Platonic ideal of tea rooms) and saw several thousand starlings mumurating by the pier at dusk. Bless them, the bad weather did not put them off and it did not put us off either.