Length: 14½ km (9.0 miles), or 18¾ km (11.7 miles) with seafront extension. Toughness: 3/10.
09:35 Portsmouth Harbour train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:42, East Croydon 09:52), arriving Arundel at 11:04.
Direct return trains from Goring-by-Sea are hourly at xx:27 (to 20:27). You could also take a Brighton train at xx:47 and change at Hove (London-Brighton trains are being diverted via Hove). Arundel and Goring are on different lines but a return to Littlehampton is the same fare and covers both routes.
The start of this walk will be familiar enough from others in the area, but it soon leaves the Arun valley to head east through the Angmering Park estate to a lunch stop at The World's End in Patching. The short afternoon leg includes far-reaching sea views from Highdown Hill and the opportunity to visit Highdown Gardens (free entry), with its fine collection of rare plants and trees.
At Goring-by-Sea station you can decide whether to hop on a train or do the optional loop out to the seafront. If you haven't got an Advance ticket restricting you to a specific train you could even think about strolling along the coast to finish at Worthing or Littlehampton.
You'll need to bring the walk directions from the L=swc.295 , which includes a map of the gardens.
1 comment:
I'm not sure why no-one else has posted a report, so I'll briefly record that there were at least n=18 walkers on a w=sunny day. The World's End mischievously claimed a long delay on food to the first few who arrived but others went ahead anyway and were served promptly enough, with plenty of space available in its large garden. Further on the car park on Highdown Hill looked pretty full but most of their occupants seemed to be splayed out in the nearby pub's beer garden, so Highdown Gardens weren't overcrowded and looked immaculate, as always.
I think about half the group did the extension to the seafront and at least one braved the water for a 10-minute swim, emerging without noticeably shivering. The 'rail sale' fares were a bonus for some of us but having to head for the specified 17:27 train slightly curtailed our enjoyment of a perfect spring day.
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