Arundel to Amberley

A relaxing 9¼ km stroll along the beautiful Arun Valley with magnificent views of Arundel Castle. Walking alongside the river, through water meadows and low-lying woodlands gives this route an abundance of wildlife and a spirit of adventure!

This route can be joined to the Amberley to Arundel walk to form a circular walk of twice the length - 18½ km (11½ miles).


 Pubs & cream teas

There are two pubs and a tea room that link to this walk, providing plenty of opportunity for refreshments mid-way and at the end of the walk.

The George & Dragon Inn, Burpham
The George & Dragon Inn is a picturesque 17th century pub at the heart of a traditional Saxon village in the South Downs National Park.  Voted “No.1 Pub to Walk to” by the Sunday Telegraph and awarded AA Rosettes for its outstanding food year after year, a warm welcome, stunning food and traditional hospitality await you.


The Bridge Inn, Amberley
The Bridge Inn is a delightful traditional English Pub, serving well kept real ales and delicious, locally sourced, home cooked food.
http://www.bridgeinnamberley.com/



Riverside Tea Rooms, Amberley
For breakfast, lunch or a cup of tea and a slice of cake at the end of the walk, then the Riverside Tea Rooms are hard to beat.  Located on the bank of the River Arun, the Riverside enjoys fantastic views across the river and south downs.
http://riversidetearooms.co.uk/


The walk

You can open this link to view the Arundel to Amberley walk in a larger map window or to open the walk on your smartphone in Google Maps. This is a fully interactive map that will enable you to follow the route as you walk and to access additional information such as bus timetables and pub or tea room websites, You can use Street View to check features on the route, for example, to recognise the route on the ground and to identify where the bus stops are or what to look out for. By activating your phone's GPS you can identify your location and follow your progress as you move along the route.



 

Route Description
A few words of warning. Use caution whilst on country roads as the traffic can be faster than expected and can appear suddenly around bends. As a rule, if there is no pavement or verge, you should walk on the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic. You should also be prepared to walk in single file, especially on narrow roads or in poor light. Keep close to the side of the road and it may be safer to cross the road well before a sharp right-hand bend (so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you). Cross back after the bend.


 .      1.  Arriving in Arundel by train or by bus, the walk starts at the railway station access road. Leaving the station access road, turn left onto the A27 towards Arundel, crossing the busy A27 at the pedestrian crossing. Continue towards Arundel along The Causeway. At the top of the steps you will see the first view of the castle.
Arundel Castle dates back to the 11th century and has undergone
extensive phases of extension and embellishment throughout its history

Turn right along the footpath, leading to the River Arun. Turn right to follow the path that goes along the river bank.


      Stay on the riverbank as it winds its way northwards, ignoring the first opportunity to cross the railway line and continuing alongside the river. Enjoy the spectacular views of the castle, the cathedral, the water meadows and wetlands as you go. You will pass the Black Rabbit at Offham, on the opposite bank of the river before the path and the river turn sharp right, towards the railway line. The Norman church at Burpham will be visible amongst the trees ahead of you and to the left. Keep a lookout for buzzards soaring overhead.

Buzzards circling on thermals, looking for a meal
      2.  Where the riverbank meets the railway line, follow the field boundary to the right to reach the railway crossing. Cross the stile and approach the railway crossing with caution as this is an uncontrolled level crossing. Once across, climb the stile on the other side and make your way straight ahead across the water meadow. Cross the stile over the first sluice gate and continue along the riverbank to the stile at the second sluice gate and then the stile into the woodland.


Much of the Arun Valley forms part of a site of
special scientific interest (SSSI) and is known for its variety of birds and wild fowl

      3.  Take the steps ahead of you, up through the woods and onto the plateau. This was the site of a 'promontory' fort that would have been entered from the north, between two grassy mounds. The site would have been a defensive position, offering views across the surrounding Arun valley. 

      Turn left, pass through a gate and walk straight ahead passing the cricket pavilion. The George & Dragon Inn is directly ahead of you.

      On leaving the pub, follow the road round to the left and then to the right, passing the Norman church. Alternatively, you can walk through the churchyard. Continue along the road until it takes a sharp right hand turn. Cross the road and walk along the public bridleway straight ahead, alongside the farm buildings and the hedge. Follow the bridleway past fields and down into trees.

Poppies in a meadow overlooking the Arun Valley
     4.  After entering a belt of trees, ignore the first footpath to your left and climb the stile to the 2nd footpath, beneath a chalk cliff face. The path follows a drainage channel across the meadow to a stile and over the sluice gate into the woods. Turn right into a low-lying, marshy woodland. 

    5.    Leaving the woodland, cross the stile and turn left to join a public bridleway across an area of chalk grassland, and up to the road.

Wild flowers in chalk grassland
     Cross the road, bearing left and then immediately down the other side of the road, to where the bridleway continues through the opposite hedgerow and into the woods. At the end of the bridleway re-join the road, turning right and then left onto a footpath just beyond the cottages.

     6.  Follow the path along an embankment between two drainage ditches. Follow the path through the woods. Climb the stile at the edge of the woods and turn right along the riverbank. Climb a further stile and continue along the riverbank. As you approach Houghton Bridge you will notice the remains of chalk quarries on the South Downs escarpment. Also, keep your eyes peeled for heron!

     Go over a stile and across a footbridge, a final stile and right onto Houghton Bridge. The bridge was erected in 1875 but is built in the medieval tradition. The traffic can be heavy along this road so you should approach this with caution and shelter in the recesses to let traffic pass.

     The Riverside Tea Rooms are located at the end of the bridge or, take the first turning on the right, signposted to North Stoke, and The Bridge Inn is directly in front of you.

     To find Amberley railway station, follow the road from the bridge under the railway bridge and turn immediately right.


Getting There & Away  


Stagecoach Coastliner 700 provides regular services from Brighton*, Hove*, Shoreham*, Worthing* and Littlehampton*, Monday – Sunday.
Compass Bus84/85 provides services to Arundel from Worthing*, Chichester*, Billingshurst and Pulborough* at various times through the day, Monday – Saturday.

* Bus services connect to the national rail network at Brighton, Hove, Shoreham, Worthing, Littlehampton, Chichester and Pulborough.


Arundel and Amberley are both on the Arun Valley line; Arundel is served by two trains per hour, Monday to Saturday and Amberley by one train per hour. The Arun Valley Rail Line provides a link between the Sussex coast and Gatwick Airport to London and beyond, crossing right through the centre of the South Downs National Park. It provides rail access to Pulborough, Billingshurst, Horsham and Crawley and links to the south coast line for services from Southampton, Portsmouth, Fareham, Havant, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Worthing and Brighton.



For journey planning to and from the walk please use the following tools provided by Transport Direct



For directions to arrive at the start of the walk (Arundel, West Sussex) by public transport


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For directions on leaving the end of the walk (Amberley, West Sussex) by public transport
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