Brighton and Hove Way: Seafront stroll from Brighton Palace Pier to Saltdean Lido is a photographer's dream and packed with history and things to do

This is the final part, walking from Brighton Palace Pier to Saltdean Lido, where I started. I have completed the journey of around 30 miles in five sections, taking in Castle Hill National Nature Reserve, Falmer, Stanmer Park, the Chattri Memorial and old Portslade, as well as the seafront.

I have followed a circuit of footpaths, bridleways and existing rights of way and it has not been easy because the dream for it to become a permanent waymarked route when it was launched in April 2017 has not come to fruition. At times, it has been impossible to follow correctly, if I'm honest, but it has been a joy from start to finish, a challenge that I feel proud to have completed.

Founded with the support of City Parks, the route through the South Downs National Park is promoted by the Brighton & Hove Way Association. When I met the chairman in Southwick in March, he encouraged me to follow the walk, explaining that it could be easily broken up into sections that are accessible by public transport. My kind of walk!

This final section needs no directions, really - it is pretty much a straight path. But there are a few things to note about the route and some interesting things along the way for me to tell you about.

Start at Brighton Palace Pier and head east. The first thing you see is The Zip, with a 30m tower staircase that looks like a giant helter skelter. This 300m zipwire is the longest on the south coast. Then there is Pirate Crazy Golf, followed by Volk's Electric Railway, the oldest working electric railway in the world at 140 years old. The visitor centre is open every day and the railway runs to Black Rock Station, by Brighton Marina.

I was intrigued by the life-size bronze statue of Steve Ovett by sculptor Pete Webster. This was gifted to Brighton & Hove City Council on July 24, 2012, by KSD Group to honour the Brighton-born Olympic athlete and replaced a previous statue, which was sawn off at the ankle and taken from its plinth in Preston Park in 2007. Ovett had trained in the park as a child and the statue of him running had been a favourite with visitors for 20 years, I later learned.

As a FIT4 member, I was interested to see Sea Lanes, the new 50-metre national open water heated swimming pool development run by South Downs Leisure. It took about a year to build and it opened in June to great acclaim.

Before you know it, you reach the Halfway Station for Volk's Electric Railway. Just past this point, you can cross the line to follow the England Coastal Path on a boardwalk across the beach towards Brighton Marina. It brings you to Black Rock Station, where the Black Rock Rejuvenation project is underway.

You will see a sign pointing to Undercliff Walk Marina. It's a bit confusing, I thought, if you don't know the area. Does it mean go down the slope or carry on along the path you are on, where it is pointing? What you need to do is go down the slope underneath the sign saying Welcome to Brighton Marina, a path that is shared by cyclists and pedestrians.

With the Asda car park in front of you, turn left at the England Coastal Path sign and walk up past the Undercliff Walk sign. Then turn right at the next England Coastal Path sign and go through the gates to the Undercliff Walk. Here, you will find lots of information about Ice Age Brighton and the Black Rock Raised Beach.

As you walk there are views of Brighton Marina and time to contemplate the amazing history of the Black Rock cliff. It preserves one of the best and most accessible sedimentary record of Ice Age climate change in north western Europe. At the base, the rounded flint pebbles represent a beach dating to a warm period around 250,000 years ago.

As a guide, there is a pair of signs which show the point 1.5 miles from Brighton and 2 miles from Rottingdean. There is a way up to the A259 Marine Drive here, allowing you to access the buses, and I thought from memory this was the last 'get out' point before Rottingdean. It turned out this was wrong, there is in fact another way up at Ovingdean, where there is also a little café with outside tables.

All along the walk, there are amazing scenes and with the right combination of dramatic clouds and the tide being out, you can get some incredible photographs. At Rottingdean, there is another opportunity to head on up from the beach to explore the shops or stop for refreshments, though it is not actually far from here to complete the walk.

Stay on the Undercliff Path and pass Conner's Court, a popular multi-use games area dedicated to the memory of a talented young footballer. The path continues with a view of Telscombe Cliffs opening up and before you know it, you are at our finish point.

The Welcome to Saltdean tunnel takes you through to the lido and the path up to the road takes you to a rather colourful toilet block. Just past the bus stop is the sign marking the boundary of Brighton and Hove, so we are back we started, happy, jubilant and at the same time sad it is all over. Maybe time to start it all over again?!