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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Saturday 27 June 2015

Saturday First Walk Book 1 Walk 32 : Arundel to Amberley

Book 1 Walk 32 : Arundel to Amberley
Distance  18.8km (11.7 miles) or less     Please see below  
Toughness   7 out of 10
Explorer 121 or Landranger 197
Ordnance Survey map of the route here
Take the 10.02 from Victoria Station to Arundel arriving 11.29 (Clapham Junction 10.08 and East Croydon 10.18)
Trains back from Amberley to Victoria are at 17 past the hour, and take 87 minutes.
Buy a day return to Arundel.

There are a number of options for reducing the length of the walk to 8.5 miles or less that are noted in the online instructions here
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_32/index.shtml
 
On this walk there are several stretches that are steep (but with excellent views in compensation) and some of the descents on chalky paths can be slippery in the wet or after recent rain.

I include this piece of info below just in case we have 'April Showers'  on the day When coming down off the South Downs towards Amberley, the final leg of the walk, across the south-western section of Amberley Wild Brooks, should not be undertaken after periods of heavy rain, as your route over the water meadows is likely to be flooded; instead, take the direct route down High Titten to the railway station and the Bridge Inn.

Mervyn Peake and his family lived here and he walked the South Downs while devising the fantasy characters of Gormenghast. The turrets of Arundel Castle may have been its inspiration.
The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary in Burpham is of Saxon origin and has a lepers' window by which lepers could watch the Mass.
The afternoon’s walk, up, over and down the chalky South Downs, makes for a nice contrast to the morning’s walk. Amberley is a delightful village with many thatched houses, a pub, tea shop and village store, in addition to its castle and church.
By the railway station is the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre (http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/ ) .



Lunch

The suggested lunch stop is the George & Dragon Inn, at Burpham (tel: 01903-883131) which is at 6 miles (just a little over half way), say 2.5 hours of walking so you should get to lunch at around 14.00
The pub has an extensive menu of quality main courses and specials (fairly expensive) and substantial snacks, served  noon to 15.00. Just had a look online and the sandwiches and salads are not too bad on price http://georgeatburpham.co.uk/food.html
There are also some benches outside the churchyard nearby where you can sit and enjoy a picnic and a pint from the pub.
It will be necessary to give them a courtesy call if more than 4 of you wish to eat at the pub.  There maybe a service charge for tables of 6 or more so maybe a few should book tables for 4 or 5

Tea

There is a new tea room in main square of Amberley village (the village itself, not the huddle of houses by the station) - the Amberley Village Tea Rooms. See http://www.amberleyvillagetearoom.co.uk/ or phone 01798 839196.

The Black Horse pub in Amberley village is closed according to the Comments section on this walk (tel: 01798-831700) though it maybe open again by now after local campaigning and then a refit.

The Bridge Inn (http://www.bridgeinnamberley.com/page4.htm tel: 01798-831619) serves coffee, tea and stronger drinks all afternoon and good-value meals from 6pm.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

18 on the walk and we heard a cuckoo - is this a record ?

Walker said...

Cuckoos rare in June though not unknown, but this is the latest I have ever heard of. Perhaps he has had trouble finding a lady cuckoo?

Anonymous said...

n=18

Anonymous said...

W=glorious_sun
We also saw a buzzard though everybody else said it was a Red Kite - ?
Weather was wonderful throughout and the walk was truly charming with a great pub for lunch, The George and Dragon.
Tea in Amberley Village tea rooms was cracking
A lovely day
I think that were 19 on the walk as some chap joined us at lunch time, he got to the pub before us.
Bridie