Log No 308. Thu 8th May 2014 - East Wittering to Littlehampton, 24 miles (4721 miles walked)

It was to be a longer thsn planned walk today as I had to mske up for the shortfall yesterday.

I managed to get the tent down during a brief interlude in the rain and got going in full waterproofs at 07.30.

Having to come inland I took to the minor roads going through the small hamlets of Earnley and Almodington.

I cut off a bit of road with a footpath across three fields before rejoining a farm road and then a final section of footpaths to come into Selsey by the chalets at Selsey Country Club.

I got onto the sea front at 09.45, where I should have been at yesterday afternoon.

There was no let up in the rain and it was a strong southwesterly wind so the weather was at least more or less behind me.

I wasn't on the front long before I had to come back inland to get around Pagham Harbour, this time using a very busy B road.

The "harbour" was just an area of saltmarsh but it had a small RSPB visitor centre which had a hot drink vending machine so I was able to some respite from the weather.

I followed footpaths through the reserve and the edge of the saltmarsh to the village of Pagham.

Where Pagham ended Bognor Regis began and just before the sea front a cafe welcomed me in. It was 12.30 so I warmed myself up with a hot meal, keeping my sandwiches for tomorrow. By the time I came out the rain had finally ceased, 5 hours was plenty.

There was no promenade to speak of but the tide was out far enough to expose some sand to walk on and to start with there were no groynes.

I stayed on the beach going under the pier before coming up onto the walkway along the front. I never saw anything of Bognor.

Where Bognor ended Middleton-on-Sea began and I walked alternately on a stony footpath or beach trying to find the easiest route, the big toe on my right foot felt as though it had developed a blister.

There were no houses after Middleton-on-Sea and the footpath continued along tge top of the shore, passing the car park at the end of the road at Atherington before turning inland around the edge of a golf course.

The path came out onto the road near the marina in the River Arun. The marina had a footbridge over the river and crossing it I was now in Littlehampton with the campsite just half an hour away.

The campsite was right in the town just off the A259 and at a bargain at £8 compared with yesterday's site.

It was 17.00, it was a long day walking 24 miles in this weather but tomorrow will hopefully be much shorter if the planned campsite checks out okay.