Walks Day walks (CW1) # 32

Arundel to Amberley walk

Arundel Castle, its parkland, and the South Downs

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date	#	Post
Tue, 26-Sep-17	4	Marcus A Nice Walk through the Duke of Norfolk's Modest Back Garden Book 1, Walk 32: Arundel to Amberley Length: 18.8 km (11.7 miles) Toughness: 7 out of 10 (one steep climb up steps onto the Downs) Lots of options to mix-and-match your route after South Stoke. London Victoria: 09-32 hrs Southampton Central and Bognor Regis service. CJ 09-42, EC 09-53 Arrive Arundel: 11-00 hrs Younger walkers: take the 10-06 hrs service from Victoria, arriving Arundel 11-26 hrs. Your younger legs will probably catch up the oldies during the morning leg. Return: Amberley to Victoria: 17-17, 18-17 and 19-28 hrs Return Arundel back to Victoria: 17-12, 17-47, 18-12, 18-52 and 19-23 hrs Rail ticket: buy a day return to Arundel. Today's walk is one of the best walks in Book 1 and a favourite amongst many a SWC walker - me included. Mid-week walkers did a mix-and-match variation of this walk last February, when it tipped down with rain all morning. Let's hope the weather is kinder to us today. Soon after leaving the railway station you walk uphill through the pleasant town of Arundel, passing the Duke of Norfolk's Castle and then the Roman Catholic Cathedral, before you enter Arundel Park, all 1,240 acres of it. Walking through the park is quite lovely. On leaving the Park you walk above the River Arun (your water feature for a good part of the day) and head for South Stoke, a pretty hamlet with a lovely church. From South Stoke you have lots of options to continue your walk. The Book 1 route takes you beside the river to the village of Burpham for lunch at the very popular and always busy and booked up George Inn tel: 01903-883131. A table will be booked for us in advance. But if not heading for Burpham you can head for North Stoke for Lunch at the Bridge Inn in Amberley or return by the river to Arundel, taking lunch at the Black Rabbit pub. Continuing on the Book 1 route, after lunch you have a lowland section before you climb up a steep flight of 196 steps up onto the South Downs. If you don't fancy this ascent, from Burpham you can reverse the Book 2 Walk 22 Amberley to Arundel walk which takes a gentler route up and along the South Downs. Back to the Book 1 walk, you now have a pleasant leg on top of the Downs before you walk through a farmyard and drop down to Amberley - either through the village and then to the station via Amberley Castle and a sweep of Amberley Wild Brooks, or direct down High Titten to the station. Tea is best taken at the Bridge Inn, next to the railway station, although there are other options in Amberley village. If you are new to the SWC or a walker yet to try out this walk, it comes with my personal recommendation. T=1.32 Walk Directions here L=1.32 Marcus, 27-Sep-17 Only 4 of us for what many consider to be the best walk in Book 1. Where were you all ? The weather was hazy sunshine and warm for most of the day, very pleasant walking conditions for the time of year. On arriving at the George Inn in Burpham I released the table I had booked and instead dined at a small table by the bar, with my colleagues eating their sandwiches in the nearby churchyard. After my excellent lunch, promptly served with a smile and washed down with a very acceptable pint of beer, we proceeded on the afternoon leg of the walk, still in warm sunshine. Not having done this walk "proper way round" for some years I led the group astray up on the Downs silly me but we regained the route after a bit of head scratching. Onwards then, enjoying the fine views, and picking the last of this year's blackberries, to Downs Farm, then the descent via High Titten to Amberley. A swift drink at the Bridge Inn, then the 16 17 hrs train back to London. A lovely day's walking shame there were so few of us today. Marion, 29-Sep-17 Sorry I missed this guys but Ive been seduced by the south east trains £10 fares to the Kent coast for Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate on my days off work. Also the Essex coast has C2C senior rover tickets for £6 to seaside locations Leigh on sea, Westcliff and Shoeburyness where Footprints of London have Thames estuary walks with a professional guide Rob Smith .including the industrial and social history of Canvey island and the Thames foreshore. Never more than 5 8 miles and a relaxed pace for those who like to linger in tourist locations.
Sat, 27-Jun-15	18	Bridie Saturday First Walk Book 1 Walk 32 : Arundel to Amberley Book 1 Walk 32 : Arundel to Amberley Distance 18.8km (11.7 miles) or less Please see below Toughness 7 out of 10 Explorer 121 or Landranger 197 Ordnance Survey map of the route here https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_32/map.shtml Take the 10.02 from Victoria Station to Arundel arriving 11.29 (Clapham Junction 10.08 and East Croydon 10.18) Trains back from Amberley to Victoria are at 17 past the hour, and take 87 minutes. Buy a day return to Arundel. There are a number of options for reducing the length of the walk to 8.5 miles or less that are noted in the online instructions here https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_32/index.shtml On this walk there are several stretches that are steep (but with excellent views in compensation) and some of the descents on chalky paths can be slippery in the wet or after recent rain. I include this piece of info below just in case we have 'April Showers' on the day When coming down off the South Downs towards Amberley, the final leg of the walk, across the south-western section of Amberley Wild Brooks, should not be undertaken after periods of heavy rain, as your route over the water meadows is likely to be flooded; instead, take the direct route down High Titten to the railway station and the Bridge Inn. Mervyn Peake and his family lived here and he walked the South Downs while devising the fantasy characters of Gormenghast. The turrets of Arundel Castle may have been its inspiration. The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary in Burpham is of Saxon origin and has a lepers' window by which lepers could watch the Mass. The afternoon’s walk, up, over and down the chalky South Downs, makes for a nice contrast to the morning’s walk. Amberley is a delightful village with many thatched houses, a pub, tea shop and village store, in addition to its castle and church. By the railway station is the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre (http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/ ) . Lunch The suggested lunch stop is the George & Dragon Inn, at Burpham (tel: 01903-883131) which is at 6 miles (just a little over half way), say 2.5 hours of walking so you should get to lunch at around 14.00. The pub has an extensive menu of quality main courses and specials (fairly expensive) and substantial snacks, served noon to 15.00. Just had a look online and the sandwiches and salads are not too bad on price http://georgeatburpham.co.uk/food.html There are also some benches outside the churchyard nearby where you can sit and enjoy a picnic and a pint from the pub. It will be necessary to give them a courtesy call if more than 4 of you wish to eat at the pub. There maybe a service charge for tables of 6 or more so maybe a few should book tables for 4 or 5 Tea There is a new tea room in main square of Amberley village (the village itself, not the huddle of houses by the station) - the Amberley Village Tea Rooms. See http://www.amberleyvillagetearoom.co.uk/ or phone 01798 839196. The Black Horse pub in Amberley village is closed according to the Comments section on this walk (tel: 01798-831700) though it maybe open again by now after local campaigning and then a refit. The Bridge Inn (http://www.bridgeinnamberley.com/page4.htm tel: 01798-831619) serves coffee, tea and stronger drinks all afternoon and good-value meals from 6pm. More info on the walk here Anonymous, 28-Jun-15 18 on the walk and we heard a cuckoo is this a record ? Walker, 28-Jun-15 Cuckoos rare in June though not unknown, but this is the latest I have ever heard of. Perhaps he has had trouble finding a lady cuckoo? Anonymous, 28-Jun-15 18 Anonymous, 29-Jun-15 glorious sun We also saw a buzzard though everybody else said it was a Red Kite ? Weather was wonderful throughout and the walk was truly charming with a great pub for lunch, The George and Dragon. Tea in Amberley Village tea rooms was cracking A lovely day I think that were 19 on the walk as some chap joined us at lunch time, he got to the pub before us. Bridie
Sat, 07-Jun-14	14	Arundel to Amberley
Sat, 28-Dec-13	3	Arundel to Amberley, omitting Amberley Wild Brooks
Sat, 02-Feb-13	12	Arundel Circular, via Burpham
Sat, 28-Jul-12		Arundel to Amberley
Mon, 09-Apr-12		Arundel to Amberley
Sat, 06-Aug-11		Arundel to Amberley
Sat, 24-Jul-10		Arundel to Amberley
Sat, 12-Dec-09		Arundel Circular, via Burpham
Sat, 08-Aug-09		Arundel to Amberley
Sun, 24-May-09		Arundel to Amberley
Sat, 24-Jan-09		Arundel Circular, via Burpham
Sat, 02-Aug-08		Arundel to Amberley
Sun, 03-Feb-08		Arundel Circular, via Burpham
Sun, 07-Oct-07		Arundel Circular, via Burpham
Sat, 11-Aug-07		Arundel to Amberley
Sat, 12-May-07		Arundel to Amberley
Sun, 11-Mar-07		Arundel to Amberley