#14b, finishing at Pulborough: 16 km (9.9 miles). Toughness 3/10.
#11, returning to Amberley: 18.3 km (11.4 miles). Toughness 5/10.
The first 750m of these walks is the same as last Saturday's Amberley Circular, but the rest is completely different.
09:35 Portsmouth Harbour train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:42, East Croydon 09:53), arriving Amberley at 10:58. There will be frequent on-train announcements exhorting you to be in the front five coaches.
Return trains to Victoria are hourly at xx:58 from Amberley, xx:04 from Pulborough.
These two walks were developed at about the same time and have the same morning route: starting through water meadows beside the River Arun and continuing via Amberley village, Rackham and the grounds of Parham Park to the Crown Inn at Cootham for lunch. Afterwards you can choose between:
- a fairly gentle route past the gliders at Parham Airfield to RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve at Wiggonholt (which has a tearoom in its Visitor Centre, open to 4pm), then alongside the River Arun to return from Pulborough station;
- a slightly longer and more strenuous route onto and along the crest of the South Downs, eventually descending to Houghton Bridge and returning from Amberley station. Refreshments are available at either the Riverside South Downs tearoom or the Bridge Inn, but note that both close at 5pm.
You'll need to bring the walk directions from either the L=swc.14.b (click on Option b) or the Amberley Circular walk, depending on your choice of afternoon route.
2 comments:
Anyone keen on this walk on Sunday 14 Aug?
N=6 and a tiny dog assembled at Amberley station. It was another hot day w=sunny-at-first-cloudy-later We set off at a brisk pace along the riverside then through Amberley village. The gardens were looking a little thirsty with their dessicated hollyhocks. So were we and, by the time we reached the Sportsman, it had been decreed there would be two ‘lunch’ stops. More of a cider stop really, apart from the cheesy chips. We didn’t stay long, mindful of a possible snap walk inspection at the Crown.
So it was off, across the parched Serengeti for more cider. No sign of the walk inspector there. Phew!
Another yomp took us to the RSPB tearoom where cake, coffee and ginger beer were consumed. It probably wasn’t a good idea to let my squadron of trained wasps out to stretch their wings. They were soon in everything. We had to time our departure carefully for the final stretch to meet the hourly train. So I gathered up my wasps and off we all went at an even brisker pace. A bit of a slog in the increased humidity. We got there in time, only to find the train was 15 minutes late. Harumph!
A grand day out, anyway. The dog seemed to enjoy it too.
Post a Comment