Billingshurst to Amberley walk

Starts in gentle countryside, with the South Downs a thin line on the horizon, then via some steep hills and hidden valleys to finish on the crest of the South Downs with a panoramic view

Vines OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Vines

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Mar-01 • lindsay_randle on Flickr

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Through the vineyard OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Through the vineyard

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Mar-01 • lindsay_randle on Flickr

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Vineyard OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Vineyard

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Mar-01 • lindsay_randle on Flickr

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Glider

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Mar-01 • lindsay_randle on Flickr

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Billinghurst to Amberley Field patterns
Billinghurst to Amberley

Field patterns

Apr-07 • Viv Lewis on Flickr

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Billinghurst to Amberley The South Downs Way above Amberley late afternoon
Billinghurst to Amberley

The South Downs Way above Amberley late afternoon

Apr-07 • Viv Lewis on Flickr

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Billinghurst to Amberley Coming down off the South Downs Way just before Amberley
Billinghurst to Amberley

Coming down off the South Downs Way just before Amberley

Apr-07 • Viv Lewis on Flickr

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Length

22.8km (14.2 miles)

Toughness

5 out of 10 – fairly flat, but with a stiff hill climb at the end.

Maps

OS Explorer OL10 (formerly 121) and OL34 (formerly 134)

OS Landranger 197 (a tiny bit near the start on 198)

Features

This walk is an illustration of the maxim that a pleasure deferred is a pleasure intensified. It starts in very gentle countryside, from where there are occasional glimpses of the South Downs as a thin line in the distance. Gradually throughout the day, you get closer and closer to them, and finally there is an exhilarating finish along their crest, with panoramic views of the Arun valley. But way before you get to them, just before lunch, there is a surprise area of High Weald-like territory of steep hills and hidden valleys. Early in the walk, there is a particularly fine bluebell and wood anemone wood, making this a good excursion for late April or early May. The length of the afternoon section - 13.5 km (8.4 miles) means this walk is not viable from November to February.

Walk options

This walk has a sister walk – Pulborough to Amberley - which shares the same lunch stop and a small centre section, and has the same finish over the Downs to Amberley. It is thus possible to do the morning of one and the afternoon of the other. The morning of the Pulborough to Amberley walk is 5.5km (3.4 miles) versus 9.3km (5.8 miles) for this walk, and its afternoon is 11.2km (6.9 miles) compared to 13.5km (8.4 miles) for this walk.

Transport

Billingshurst and Amberley are both on the Horsham-Littlehampton line, served by trains out of Victoria. Catch the nearest train to 9.20am from Victoria to get to lunch in time. Buy a day return to Amberley.

Lunch

Rising Sun, Nutbourne (01798 812191) 9.3 km (5.8 miles) into the walk. Described in one comment as “just how a village pub should be”, it is a very atmospheric place, with a cosy interior and a pleasant garden. It offers a varied menu with good walker-sized portions from 12pm to 2pm (3pm on Sundays). It is open an hour later than these times for drinks.

A possible picnic spot is mentioned in paragraph 42 of the directions, although this is only 7.3km (4.6 miles) into the walk

Tea

The Crown Inn (01903 742625) Cootham, 15.6km (9.7 miles) into the walk, is a possible early tea stop at weekends in spring and summer, when the proprietor says he “usually stays open all afternoon”: an ideal choice to refresh yourself before climbing on the Downs.

The Riverside Tea Rooms (07765 790 414) by Amberley station provide a charming riverside location for tea, but are currently (November 2021) only opening Wednesday to Sunday and closing at 4pm: but hours may improve in the summer months.

An alternative tea room, slightly off the walk route, and staying open till 5.30pm daily (in summer at least), is the friendly Amberley Village Tea Room (01798 839196). Details of how to reach this are given in paragraph 117 of the walk directions.

Otherwise, the friendly and atmospheric Bridge Inn (01798 831 619) across the road from the Riverside Tea Rooms and directly adjacent to Amberley station (though on the opposite side of the tracks from the station entrance: you have to go under the road bridge to find it) serves tea and coffee until at least 10.30pm.

For a picnic tea, the fine viewpoint mentioned in paragraph 110 of the directions is ideal.

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By Train

Out (not a train station)

Back (not a train station)

By Car

Start RH14 9SE Map Directions Return to the start:

Finish BN18 9LT Map Directions Travel to the start:

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Help

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Version

Nov-21 Peter

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Walk Directions

Full directions for this walk are in a PDF file (link above) which you can print, or download on to a Kindle, tablet, or smartphone.

This is just the introduction. This walk's detailed directions are in a PDF available from wwww.walkingclub.org.uk