Backup Only

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 19 August 2017

Saturday Walk - The Arun & Rother Valleys, Greensand Hills, Petworth House & Deer Park: Pulborough Circular (via Petworth)

SWC Walk 128a – Pulborough Circular (via Petworth Park)
Length:  26.5 km (16.5 mi)
Ascent/Descent:  440 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 6 hours
Toughness:  7 out of 10
                              OR
SWC Walk 128 – Pulborough to Petworth
Length:  18.0 km (11.2 mi) [shorter walk possible]
Ascent/Descent:  280 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 hours
Toughness:  5 out of 10 

Take the 09.06 Portsmouth Harbour & Bognor Regis train from Victoria, arriving Pulborough at 10.17 (you have to be in the rear part of the train, as it splits in Horsham)
Return trains: xx.23 and xx.55 to 18.23, then 19.05, 19.35, 19.59, 20.36, 21.36, 22.38, 23.08.

Across the Arun valley and Greensand Hills to an attractive town with one of the National Trust's finest properties: Petworth House (National Trust, ticketed entry) set in Petworth Park (free to enter). After lunch in Petworth you can do as much or as little walking through the deer park and the village as you wish. Three suggested routes through Petworth Park are briefly described.
For a longer outing, we’ll complete a Circular Walk back to Pulborough on a more southerly route between the A283 and the Rother valley, with views of the South Downs along the way. This is a mixed landscape of farmland and wooded commons, with Hesworth Common being particularly attractive. The route passes two fine old churches at Fittleworth and Stopham, and crosses back over the River Arun on the medieval Stopham Bridge (with the lovely White Hart pub next to it).
On the short walk, and if you want to abandon the long walk in the afternoon, you will need to catch a Stagecoach 1 bus to return to Pulborough station (hourly service) [The afternoon route is never far from the A283 and you could catch the same bus from Byworth, Fittleworth or Stopham.]”

Lunch:
The Angel Inn in Petworth (12.0 km/7.5 mi, food to 14.30);
The Star in Petworth (12.0 km/7.5 mi, food to 15.00). 
Tea:
Audit Room Café  at Petworth House (NT);
Plenty of options in Petworth;
The White Hart at Stopham Bridge (2.3 km from the end);
The Banyan Tree restaurant (300m beyond the station);
The Oddfellows Arms (1.2 km beyond the station);
The Chequers Hotel (650m beyond the station). 
                                                                               
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files  click here.
T=swc.128.a

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

A few plan to take the later train at 10.06 and finish at Petworth.

Anonymous said...

Later train sounds good. I am tempted. However, the walk is 3 hrs to Petworth, that means arriving Petworth at 2:30pm. Will that be too late for pub lunch. Alternatively, 9:36 am train maybe a compromise. Any takers?

Anonymous said...

9 is the new10.

Thomas G said...

10 off the 10.06 I've been told when we (the vanguard of the 9.06 mob) bumped into some of them in Petworth...
15 off the 09.06, none (we suspect) off the train inbetween, so I make that n=25 (msg for early posters of part-walk reports: the nequalsnumber thingie is best reserved for the total number of walkers, so that it feeds into the stats correctly; ta) in w=sunny-with-passing-clouds weather, i.e.: as usual better than forecast.
A good day for this walk, as it lives off the South Downs views to a degree, combined with lots of woods (some plantations amongst them though), pretty, remote cottages and several water features. Plus Petworth Town, Park and House. A lovely mix.
The faster walkers got to the Angel Inn before 13.00 hours and found a shady table in the pretty courtyard. All indoor tables were reserved, presumably for the v large wedding party that started to assemble while we were there.
The not so fast walkers ended up in the Star.
Off to the park, where we walked the medium length route, back to town and on to Pulborough. Some good heather displays in Hesworth Common, a tea stop at The White Hart (which serves wine from the very local Stopham Vineyard), then the 17.55 train.
One cuckoo heard en route...

Anonymous said...

More than 1/2 of walkers did the morning session plus a stroll in Petworth estate, then took 4:45pm bus to Pulborough to catch 5:24pm train. 4 on 4:45pm bus got off at Fittleworth to continue with walk to Pulborough. At least 2 caught earlier bus. Only 4 fast walkers did the full walk.

Well-meaning busybody said...


An experiment to see what would happen if I copied, deleted, and reposted this comment with a partial number in without the n. Will the 25 magically take over from the 9?
#3 Anonymous, Sat 19 Aug 17, 17:30
£1 £1 £1
Absolutely chuffed to get off so lightly on the bus fare
Mr Miser
PS 9 on the 10.06 out of Victoria

Walker said...

To explain the bus fare comment, a number of us got on the 4.45pm bus. Half way through charging us for our fares the ticket machine went into meltdown. A bizarre scene ensued in which the driver pulled reams and reams and reams of ticket paper out of the machine and got increasingly flustered. Finally he waved the last few passengers onto the bus but said "You will not travel for free". A little way out of town he stopped the bus and fiddled with the machine a second time and finally charged those who had not been able to buy a ticket earlier £1 each, rather than the correct £4 something fare: maybe this was the only ticket he could get the machine to print?

Those of us who got off at Fittleworth had a nice walk down to the pub at Stopham Bridge, a drink in the pleasant sunshine, and then a lovely walk over the hill to Pulborough. This was a good way of shortening the walk, I think. In the interests of research (and to fill time before our train) we walked down into downtown Pulborough - an ugly place - where the former pub, now an Indian restaurant called the Banyan Tree, did indeed seem to have a cafe attached to it - The Swan Cafe - but we did not go in, as our train was due.

Anonymous said...

Wren and pied wagtail spotted on this super undulating walk through this scenic walk of West Sussex. Fine views of the South Downs as advertised and more flexible Lunch time options with the Star (under new management) now serving food to 5:00pm
After a stroll around the Upper Pond in Petworth Park, some caught the 5:55pm No.1 bus and those with FP's turned the ticket machine lights green without any ado. Unfortunately the ticket machine was functioning perfectly for the younger person who had to fork out £4 + for here fare :-(
Other SWC walkers were spotted in the gardens of the "White Hart" at Stopham enjoying the evening sun and refreshments as the bus sped us on to Pulborough after a delightful day out.

Thomas G said...

# Well-meaning busybody:
That's what I have done in the past, I always assume it does the trick, as long as it happens before webmaster does his 'stats run'. Webbie was talking about setting up the magic routine in such a way that it captures the higher of all nequalsnumber thingies, but whether he has done so...?