1 , so I'm told. some rain some sun .

Being a fast walker and a picnicker, he got the 15.40 bus back to Chichester.

Please see my comment, on the Chichester to West Wittering, New Lipchis Way Walk, just added,

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/chichester-to-west-wittering-and-east-head/comments.html

about the walk, including the stupid New Lipchis Way signs, showing direction of travel only by the orientation of the red sail on the Lipchis Way signs.

When I added my comment, it didn't seem to offer me the usual 'choose an identity' option, only the 'I'm not a robot'

4 incl. 1 first-timer in overcast but dry weather.

Canal-side paths were a bit muddy away from Chichester, and the remaining route was muddy in many places (much of which could be skirted by walking along the beach though), and we had plenty of standing water as well.

All 4 lunched at The Ship, which was busy but not fully booked. Service was friendly and quick, the food was tasty and quick, so we had time for a coffee before moving on.

The scenery opened out a bit after lunch, the houses got grander, the tide was going out, revealing mud flats and attracting even more birdlife. We then rounded East Head (sand spit) and finally reached West Wittering beach at around sunset time. 17.40 train.

Train seems to be at 09.36 from Victoria (09.43 Clapham Junction).

This comment has been removed by the author.

Just 4 off the (late-arriving) Victoria train for a walk in very hot and sunny weather. We stopped for ice cream (and a beer) at the Chichester Yacht Club, which seemed to welcome walkers. It would be a good option for an early lunch: there is a garden at the back with tables right by the water, the food looked quite reasonable, and the beer was fine. Then on to West Itchenor for a rather late lunch - 3 picnicking by the slipway and 1 eating at the Ship Inn (which was serving food after 2.30pm from a van in the front garden). As we discovered later, there are better picnic spots only a little bit further along the route (as mentioned in passing in the walk introduction), and then also the Quarterdeck Café at Itchenor Shipyard with some tables outside (where apparently excellent paninis are served all day).

The afternoon walk, surprisingly shaded for much of the way, did much to revive our spirits, and approaching the coast, near Snow Hill, sunlight glinting from hundreds of parked cars told of the delights ahead of us. An out-and-back along The Spit, in the heat and glare, did not appeal as much as it might have done on another day, so we headed straight down onto the beach. Here, some 3 hours after high tide was sufficient sand to entice the weekend hordes, but red flags were flying and occasional announcements warned of strong currents and not to enter the water. (The online beach map suggests that this section of the beach around "The Hinge" is permanently red-flagged.) Undaunted, however, 2 of our company braved some ankle-deep water for a paddle and returned to tell the tale.

The final walk along the crowded beach to West Wittering, whether on the sand, the shingle near the top, or along the service road, seemed an unattractive proposition, so we retraced our steps inland towards Snow Hill and followed footpaths towards the church . Very pretty it was too. From there a route along tarmac paths, surprisingly well signposted, led across the beach access road and through housing to the main road and thence to the bus stop at the end of the mapped route - where to our surprise there was no pub! This walker, at least, had not done his research properly. The pub is in fact some 400m north along the road from where the route is shown to end. (Honestly!) This we headed to, only to arrive just as the (20-minute-delayed-by-sunny-weekend-traffic) 17.37 bus pulled up, so we jumped on board and reached Chichester in good time for the 18.39 train. A handy coffee shop on the platform provided some non-alcholic refreshments for the journey home.

This walk could do with some proper (if brief) directions as the New Lipchis Way marking is sporadic in places and it is often unclear which path or turning to take. As it is, a map is really needed. Directions to the final pub would be useful as the location is not clear from the OS map; and the GPS route could helpfully be extended as far as the pub(!) where the bus also stops (and which is in fact the stop listed in the timetables and from where the return bus times were given in the current posting). In summer, the inland route from The Spit to West Wittering could be suggested as a pleasant alternative to the route along the beach.

Two of our group, who did the route in late December last year, thought it worked better as a winter walk.

Thanks for the detailed feedback.

For me, the highlights were the canal (in spring), and the sand spit at the very end, which few (no?) club walks have had time to do.

I'll check the GPX file, and add an "inland route" as an option

I was one of the pair that had done the walk on a club winter outing, and on that occasion we did go all the way round the spit in lovely winter afternoon light, with relatively few other people around. The spit itself didn't look crowded at all.

16 walkers off the train (incl. 2 friends of regulars) and 1 other that took the route via Havant to catch us an hour into the walk, so 17 in dry with passing clouds type weather. Easy route finding with one or two exceptions. Quite busy with walkers and cyclists along the canal, as town gave way to countryside. Then another busy stretch along the approach to a large marina and after that we were almost always close to the tidal harbour and - with the low tide - mudbanks, birds and boats. Several stretches were between hedges so w/o views, and the paths were quite muddy in places after the recent rain falls, but that's all the negatives out the way. Lunch was had at the very busy but excellently run Ship Inn. Efficient and fast service, innovative, tasty and fairly priced food, excellent value. On to East Head's sand dunes and sandy beaches and then the proper East Wittering beach. Again with lots of people and a sunset that didn't quite produce a stunning skyscape, and off inland to the main road, where the main (slow) group got to the bus stop just as the 16.26 arrived. A perfect day.

West Wittering beach, of course

this walk sounds lovely, can someone kindly tell me (if they know...walk designer?) whether this walk would be ok for a four legged creature as well ? aware that lunchtime pub might not allow dogs but it is the actual walk route that i'm asking about ?

I'm aware of this:

"From May to September, dogs are excluded from the main swimming beach between groynes numbered 14a to 18 - broadly corresponding to the area in front of the line of beach huts"

but it is the actual walk route I'm asking about ? if anyone's kindly got any info ? Thanks

you should be OK for most of the walk along the canal / sea front path ...

at the very end where you go out to the spit, that might be a problem as its on the beach, but i'm not sure if its in the "groyned" area

thanks Andrew

There were eight of us on this walk, including two visitors who randomly joined us in the middle of a two-week holiday from Australia, and one four-legged friend. We got a bit lost in the morning and I was more than usually relieved to reach The Ship Inn, where we all found space outside, even the people who had their own sandwiches, and met up with two seasoned walkers who had cheated slightly by driving to the pub for lunch. The afternoon was a very scenic and slightly wooded coastal path. Most of us ended up at the tea shop and bus stop in west wittering at about the same time and waited about an hour for the bus, which was delayed by an accident, then another half hour for the train from Chichester which was crammed full of noisy Italian teenagers. A long but happy day in brilliant sunshine.

8

Australian couple were on a European tour for four months and if they're reading this it was v.pleasant hearing about their adventures & travels plans! wish more travelers would join SW walks.. Dog walkers take note you can't really allow off-leash walk because canal route is crossed by busy roads & later due to mudflats and wild birds nesting. Nevertheless dog loved his first SW walk and is booked for future ones!

Thanks