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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Monday 27 August 2018

Bank Holiday Walk - Arundel to Amberley - Arundel Park and the South Downs

Book 1, Walk 32 - Arundel to Amberley

Length: 18.8 km (11.7 miles). Several options to extend or shorten - see the Directions
Toughness: 7 out of 10   Just one ascent in the afternoon up a steep flight of steps onto the Downs (which can be avoided). Remainder of walk 4 out of 10

London Victoria: 09-36 hrs   Southampton Central and Bognor Regis service. CJ  09-43;  EC  09-53; Horsham 10-27. Train splits at Horsham. You need to be in the Bognor section.
Arrive Arundel: 11-01 hrs

Return  Arundel to Victoria:  13 and 46 mins past the hour
Return Amberley to Victoria: 17 mins past the hour  (just one an hour)

Check: as it's a Bank Holiday do check the accuracy of the above travel information. Occasionally, travel websites do not reflect timetable changes over Bank Holiday weekends.

Rail ticket: buy a day return to Arundel

Lunch: bring a picnic in case the lunch pub in Burpham is fully booked

It's almost a year since this Book 1 favourite was given an outing, so here it is for your Summer Bank Holiday (long) walk.

Leaving the railway station you head towards the centre of Arundel to walk (quite steeply) up its High Street, to pass Arundel Castle, then the Roman Catholic Cathedral before you enter Arundel Park, the Duke of Norfolk's modest back garden (....the old ones are the best ones.....). There are some lovely views from the Park. Leaving the Park, and with the River Arun now down below you, you head towards the hamlet of South Stoke. Its church (usually open) is well worth a peek inside. You now cross the River Arun on an ugly, modern steel pedestrian bridge, and head over water meadows, at times beside the river, and into the village of Burpham, where you stop for lunch. If you are lucky, you might find an outside table at the George Inn (indoors is likely to be fully booked some weeks ago): tel: 01903-883131 - but you might be lucky: your e.t.a is 13-05 hrs.  But I suggest you bring a picnic, just in case - there are seats by the church nearby, and in the cricket ground also nearby.

After your lunch stop, do pop into Burpham Church, before you set off on your afternoon leg. You can avoid the steep flight of steps (see later) on the Book 1 walk by reversing the morning leg of Book 2, Walk 22 -Amberley to Arundel  which offers a gradual, steady ascent onto the Downs: if you take this easier route you will meet up with those following the Book 1 route in Amberley. Otherwise, reverting to the Book 1 route, you walk through the churchyard and along a quiet road to Peppering Farm. You now follow a track which is soon beneath a chalky embankment to the South Downs. You now turn sharp right and climb up 244 earthen steep steps (do count them - some say there are 246, others 242 - but I'm sticking to 244). At the top, take a breather, then enjoy the views as you head along and over the South Downs. You eventually descend to Downs Farm, where you often encounter sloppy, chalky mud ( but the farm tracks should be firm today), then you drop down to a road junction above Amberley. You now have a choice of onward route: if you have time and the energy, you follow the walk directions to the village of Amberley, then walk over Amberley Wild Brooks and back beside the River Arun to Amberley Bridge. Otherwise, you can take the direct route down High Titten for tea at the Bridge Inn, close to the railway station. For other tea options, in Amberley village centre or near the railway station, please refer to the walk Directions.

I almost forgot to mention - your water feature for today is the River Arun.
T=1.32
Walk Directions are here L=1.32
If you are contemplating any "backwards"options, the Book 2 Directions are here 


3 comments:

Marcus said...

After Sunday's lengthy, steady rain, the chalky paths within Arundel Park are likely to be slippery, so do please take care.

Anonymous said...

Two of us intend going

Anonymous said...

Around n=10 on this walk in w=overcast-but-warm conditions.
Most seemed to have done the 244 steps (not counted, sadly)
Four of us had time for a drink in the Bridge Inn before catching the 16.17. Others descended to the village in search of a tea shop and perhaps continued around the Wild Brooks.
The George at Burpham was indeed full at lunchtime, but the lone walker who ordered a meal was served promptly sharing an outside table. Overall verdict, a lovely walk in good company in a very special landscape.