Length: 24.6km (15m)
Toughness: 8 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:05 train from London Victoria arriving at Billingshurst at 10:15. Return trains from Amberley at xx:18 and xx:48. Buy a day return to Amberley
This is a great walk towards the South Downs passing a vineyard and the charming village of Nutbourne with the equally charming pub before you finally ascent the South Downs and finish the walk in Amberley with the Bridge Inn right next to the station. There are two variations I highly recommend: The first is just before entering Nutbourne. It leads you through some woodland with a secluded lake and past an old mill, the second is an alternative approach and climb up to the South Downs ridge avoiding a long awkward walk along a lane. These variations extend the walk from 22.8km to 24.6km.
1 comment:
Four met on the platform and one #5 joined us from the car park on a generally #warm-and-sometimes muggy day. The walk poster hadn't promised wild flowers but there were lots of different ones by the side of the paths and one field was covered with beautiful, though clearly not wild, lucerne or alfalfa. We walked past grapes growing in the vineyard that the footpath goes through, and stopped and ate lots of blackberries further on. Arriving at the Rising Sun in Nutbourne – we (four) were told that although they had plenty of tables, the kitchen was nearly at capacity but they might feed us if we chose quickly. We did and ate in the garden. Generally tasty food although the vegan linguini was reported to have a little too much chilli.
The picnicker had walked on so, after surviving fields with signs stating “Bull in Field” (there wasn’t, but there were cows and calves) we chose an alternative route avoiding a walk along an airfield and then a long lane. We’d already seen several gliders and aeroplanes. Instead, the route took us along a wooded valley with lots of little plank bridges and board walks. Maybe very wet in winter? And who has been kind enough to install them? The contour lines on the climb up to the South Downs looked scary but the path is a windy one through woods and somehow we were at the top before we knew it – where we met the picnicker again. The views on both sides – north over Sussex and south to the sea - are amazing. But it is longish walk to Amberley where the Bridge Hotel had an outside table for us and a drink or two before the train. A lovely, if long, day out.
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