Length: 23.8 km (14.8 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 390m
Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
Take the 09.06 Bognor Regis & Portsmouth Harbour train from
London Bridge (09.22 EC),
arriving Pulborough at 10.23 [the train splits at Horsham]
Return: xx.26 and xx.56.
Across the Arun valley and Greensand Hills to an attractive town with
one of the National Trust's finest properties, Petworth House. 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.
Walk Options:
Add a loop through Petworth Park – up to 30.5
km (19.0 mi) with 525m ascent/descent.
Finish the walk in Petworth (Bus Line 1,
at 13.44, 14.44, 15.49, 16.54, 18.04, 19.14 and 19.44 back to Pulborough
Station) – from 12.2 km (7.6 mi) with 245m ascent/descent.
Add a loop through Petworth Park to that – up to 18.9
km (11.7 mi) with 380m ascent/descent.
Tea: Plenty options if finishing the walk in Petworth and else
The
White Hart in Stopham (2.3 km from the end).
For summary, walk directions, map, height
profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.t=swc.128.a
4 comments:
N=8 assembled at Pulborough station on a W=mainly sunny spring day. One immediately went ahead but the others proceeded as far as Petworth as a, slightly strung-out, group. I believe most spent the afternoon at the house/park but this walker attempted to complete the circular walk via Fittleworth and Stopham. Unfortunately this route is not mapped out and the directions at times proved inadequate so I ended up doing a fair amount of road-walking with the aid of Google Maps. All in all, though, a lovely walk at this time of year - the bluebells and wild garlic were particularly stunning - made more entertaining by the fact we kept crossing paths with runners from 2 ultra events, one 80km and the other 110km!
Hi SaraiU3A.
I am not sure what you mean when you say that "this route is not mapped out" as there certainly is a gpx route for it, it is shown on the route map as well as on the map embedded in the walk directions?
But if you also found that "the directions at times proved inadequate", it would be very helpful for the walk author (not me) to know which parts of his directions you refer to, so he can investigate them. Thanks
I only have the OS app and the GPX for this does not include the second half of the circular route to Pulborough.
In section Q the directions do not fit with my experience on the ground and I didn't manage to find my way onto/across Hesworth Common.
At R, 85 I was not able to identify the path off School Lane so never did find my way onto Fittleworth Common.
HTH. Thanks
@SaraiU3A: I don't know why your OS app only shows the main route and not a walk's extensions or other options. Plenty of other walkers have apps which show all the described routes, with different colours to distinguish them.
Anyway, thanks for the comments about the written directions. I last did a thorough check of this walk in 2023 and we don't get much feedback about the return leg since few walkers choose to do the long circuit back to Pulborough. The walk route across Hesworth Common and onwards to School Lane deliberately follows the waymarked Serpent Trail to try to help with navigation through Fittleworth but it's possible the maze of paths there have changed. And if you're on the right path to School Lane in [83] then the signposted footpath onto Fittleworth Common should be obvious as it's directly opposite (unless it's been blocked or rerouted).
Post a Comment