Length: 19.4km (12.1 miles) to Upper Beeding or 25km (15.5 miles) to Shoreham
9.35 train from Victoria (9.42 Clapham Junction, 9.53 East Croydon) to Amberley, arriving 10.57.
T=SWC.26
Buy a day return to Ford (two stops beyond Arundel and also on the coastal route, so valid for return from Shoreham)
Experience has taught me that if trains to the coast are busy on bank holiday weekends, the lines to Amberley and Shoreham-by-Sea generally are not. But this is an unusual year, so no guarantees.... There could be longer than usual ticket queues at Victoria.
This is a simple but very scenic walk along the crest of the South Downs, with fine views. Pub lunchers can descend after about six miles to the Frankland Arms in Washington ("Our Nation's Capital" as the National Geographic magazine used to say in my youth...), whose website seems to suggest it is open and serving food all afternoon: but you might want to phone 01903 891 405 to check before you commit yourself. Sandwiches can save themselves 1km of walking and stay on the ridge.
Just after lunch the walk passes the ancient hill fort of Chanctonbury Ring. A little while later you can choose to descend to the pretty twin villages of Bramber and Upper Beeding (the 12.1 mile version of the walk), where there are a couple of pubs for tea. Buses to Shoreham-by-Sea station go from here at 44 past the hour till 18.44 and then at 19.38 (etc), taking 19 minutes.
Otherwise, the main (15.5 mile) walk - recommended - continues down to Shoreham-by-Sea, ending up along the Adur river. I would personally diverge slightly from the official route here, by crossing Old Shoreham Bridge and walking down the east bank of the river - a pleasant and flowery walkway (on the west bank you are walking along the edge of the airport...)
Shoreham itself has a pretty pedestrianised area with various tea options, if you can get there before they close at 5-5.30pm. After that there are pubs. For a swim in the sea, cross the footbridge over the harbour and walk straight through the modern housing area beyond. Shoreham beach is gently-shelving shingle and so a great place for an early evening dip, if the weather/sea conditions are amenable.
Trains back from Shoreham are at 12 and 42 past, taking 1 hour 16 minutes
1 comment:
N=13 on this walk. An early blow was the information that the Frankland Arms was fully booked by a biker event. Two walkers headed off to the Riverside Tea Rooms as a result in the hope of buying lunch items. They were never seen again….
The rest of us climbed up onto the broad downs with their fine views and only the irregular passing of cyclists to disturb us. The weather was w=sometimes-sunny-sometimes-not. As the afternoon wore on dark clouds built up but it never actually rained.
The towering eminence of Chanctonbury Ring seemed the obvious picnic place, even though we did not get there till 2pm or so, and several of us lunched there as dragonflies flew overhead. Down in the valley there was a vast rock festival, whose geography was interesting to observe. Thankfully the bands had either not started playing or their efforts were inaudible.
The afternoon of this walk seemed long - great rolling landscapes of harvested wheat and low hills. Some may have taken the shorter route to Upper Beeding.
The rest of us passed Lancing College and took the east river path into Shoreham. Two went for drinks here, two or three for tea, one for the train, and two for a swim. The sun broke though for this, casting a silvery trail on the slatey-blue sea. The water was colder than it ought to be in late August but we stayed in for 15 minutes. Then we joined the other two in the pub and got the 18.43 train, where another SWC-er who had been on a nature walk joined us: we had a pleasant run back to London, fortified by “supplies”.
Post a Comment