Above: This ornate bridge at West Dean, north of Chichester in West Sussex, carries the former Chichester to Midhurst branch line over a public footpath. The bridge features several panels of knapped flint, clearly visible here, which were installed by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway so that its bridge matched the main entrance to West Dean Estate, which is situated about 200 yards to the east, on the far side of the A286. The LBSCR was under the thumb of local landowners to an incredible extent when it completed this line. This bridge was built originally in 1867, but was altered in 1880 at the insistence of Frederick Bower, the then owner of West Dean Estate, who considered that the original structure was not sufficiently elaborate. (Richard Lewis)

Centurion Way, the popular walk and cycle trail between Chichester and Lavant, is being extended another 2 miles to the north, taking it to Binderton. At Binderton, the trail will use an improved section of bridleway to reach the nearby A286 (Chichester-Midhurst) road, where a new cycle trail will take it on to West Dean and Singleton, thus giving access to attractions like West Dean College, West Dean Gardens, and the famous Weald and Downland Open Air Museum. Work was expected to start at Easter 2001, but was delayed, understandably, by the Foot & Mouth crisis. At the time of writing (October 2001), construction of the extension was finally under way. It looks as if completion can be expected by the end of the year.

Report by Jeff Vinter