The rural areas south of Chichester are perfect for leisurely cycling. Known as the Manhood (originally Man Wood) Peninsula, this coastal terrain is flat without being boring, and has plenty of quiet lanes, off-road tracks and traffic-free cycle paths.
Circular cycle routes pass through pleasant countryside, historic villages and along the Chichester Harbour estuary. And if you fancy a swim at the seaside, head south-west all the way to The Witterings.
The photo above shows the beautiful village of Bosham at low tide. Bosham’s on the purple route on this pdf map. Click the map to view it full-size and download or print a copy.
The Bosham route is good, but quite short, so it allows plenty of time for exploring on foot too. We cycled this route combined with the red and orange one to the right of the pdf map.
This combined route (See map below) includes the medieval village of Apuldram, historic Dell Quay, the Marina, and then the canal-side route to Chichester, where cycle lanes and low-traffic roads lead into and out of the city.
We’ve included a .gpx download for your GPS or phone app.
Download file for GPS
= Full screen view = Print map. Printing Tips Map Key
The Chichester Canal path
Look out for herons, swans, cormorants, emperor dragonflies, blue-tailed damselflies and other wildlife on the once busy, now tranquil, canal.
Some more useful links (maps)
Chichester to the sandy beach at West Wittering – a more detailed map of the red route, the Salterns Way, on the first pdf. If you return on the green and orange routes, that’s a 23-mile circular ride.
A family-friendly circular cycle route that includes the seasonal ferry between Bosham Hoe and Itchenor
A circular cycle route on Hayling Island a few miles west of Chichester