Route: New route across Hilsea Lines

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Portsea creek is that part of the sea that goes around the north of Portsmouth island from Eastern Road to Hilsea roundabout. It's between the Hilsea lines and the M27 motorway.

They have just completed the raising of the embankment on the south side of the creek. So this is now cycleable from the south end of Eastern Road bridge to the railway bridge going west. So this can now be used to go alongside the creek even when the tide is in (you could not get under the railway bridge on the north side of the creek when the tide was in). Once under the bridge you can then regain the northern side by crossing over by the foot bridge ( it's a smoother route than staying on the south side). So we now have an "any time" link to the Broadmarsh cycle track.

The surface is smooth at the moment with a sandy clay-like finish but that will deteriorate if horses or rabbits get at it.

It is wide enough for trikes but they will have problems if they want to cross over the foot bridge as it has a gate at the south end. They would have to continue along the south side to get to Hilsea and then go over the motorway to Tudor Crescent as there is another gate between that point and the foot bridge that crosses over the bus station at Hilsea.

Pop Ginger

Update: 

  • You can avoid the kissing gate at the south end of the bridge across to the north side of the Hillsea lines by not taking the immediate path up to the bridge but, instead, continue on 50 metres, or so, then double back up to the bridge. You will still encounter a gate, but it was been left open for a while now.
  • A new kissing gate has been installed half-way along the path between Eastern Road and the bride. It has a strong hinge making it difficult to get through on a solo. Not nice if you have panniers and/or a tandem. Impossible on a trike. There is a fence either side of the gate making it impossible to avoid.

2 thoughts on “New route across Hilsea Lines

  1. Re "the new kissing gate now installed half way along the path between Eastern Road...." I've passed through this gate twice this week now by getting my bike vertical on it's rear wheel (by applying the rear brake and pulling back and raising the handlebars - if you can visualise that?) . Not suitable for everyone/every bike but straightforward enough for the able bodied on a lightly loaded solo bike and worth the effort to cycle this otherwise lovely track.

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