6/12 HSLCC Fri Night Ride- Cycle Path Washed Away!

Our beloved Cycle path Is Washed Away!

It was just Joseph and myself who turned out tonight. We set off and found our way blocked again on the nature reserve path by barriers. Thinking it was just stones across the path again we walked around and continued on. At the turn towards the harbour all seemed fine and no stones. It was then I noticed that there were huge sections on the left hand side where the shingle was missing. Just a few meters further and we came to an abrupt halt as the path was broken and a section about 10m square was lifted. Beyond this there was nothing as the whole path and shingle bank had washed away with the surge tide last night. There was extensive flooding on the nature reserve and no way to continue. It will take a massive rebuilding programme to put the path back with a large section gone and the whole bank washed away. It was quite epic in the dark and we had to turn back and take the long way round via Winchelsea beach. We decided to take a different route back and time trialled it along the main road back to Hastings. There was surprisingly little traffic but White Hart hill does not get any easier. So for the rest of the season we will have to stick to the road and avoid Rye Harbour.

 Jon Stainsbury