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Pulborough Circular Walk

Long but easy walk which explores the water meadows of the River Arun, with the South Downs as a dramatic backdrop.

Arun Valley Circular South Downs National Park West Sussex

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 Option Post # Weather
Wed, 24-Jul-24 Pulborough circular 16 hot
Sun, 07-May-23 Pulborough circular 15 cloudy morning brightening to a sunny afternoon
Sun, 14-Aug-22 b Amberley to Pulborough (or Circular) 6 sunny at first cloudy later
Sun, 29-Aug-21 Pulborough Circular 10 mainly sunny
Sat, 20-Jul-19 Pulborough Circular
Sat, 09-Jun-18 – Amberley Wild Brooks & Parham Park (Pulborough Circular) 24 warm humid
Sun, 30-Oct-16 Sunday First Walk - Sussex water meadows 6 initially foggy but soon bright and clear
Sat, 18-Jul-15 Saturday Second Walk - Away from it all on the Sussex marshlands 20 Largely sunny but cloudy and cooler later
Sun, 18-May-14 Pulborough Circular Walk 6
Sat, 10-Aug-13 Pulborough Circular Walk 14
Sun, 04-Mar-12 Pulborough Circular Walk
Sat, 01-Oct-11 a Pulborough Circular Walk
Sun, 10-Jul-11 Pulborough Circular Walk
Sun, 12-Jun-11 Pulborough Circular Walk
Thu, 15-Jul-10 Pulborough Circular Walk
Sun, 28-Jun-09 Pulborough Circular Walk
Mon, 24-Mar-08 Pulborough Circular Walk
Sat, 18-Aug-07 Pulborough Circular Walk
Sat, 18-Aug-07 b Pulborough Circular Walk
Sun, 13-May-07 Pulborough Circular Walk

Wednesday 24-Jul-24

Wanderer
Wanderer

Length : Main walk : 13 miles (21km), omitting Parham Park 17.5km (10.8 miles) finishing in Amberley: 18¼ km (11.3 miles).

Short Walk , starting in Amberley: 16 km (9.9 miles).

Toughness: 4 out of 10

Trains : London Victoria: 9.35 Portsmouth Harbour train, (Clapham Junction 9.42), (East Croydon 9.53) arriving Pulborough 10.52.

Return trains from Pulborough xx.25 and xx.54.

If you think you might finish in Amberley buy a return to there (same price as a Pulborough return).

This walk climbs gently at first to give a panoramic view of the South Downs from the low hills above Pulborough, where it joins the Wey-South Path. This goes past two medieval bridges on the canalised River Arun and continues across the extensive water meadows of Amberley Wildbrooks to the picturesque village of Amberley.

After lunch the walk heads eastwards through the landscaped grounds of Parham Park, with its large herd of dark-coated fallow deer and views of Parham House. In the next section you go along the edge of Parham Airfield.

You then have the opportunity to spend some time bird-watching in the RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve at Wiggonholt, which has a tearoom in its Visitor Centre, before a final stretch across the water meadows and alongside the River Arun back to Pulborough.

Lunch: There are two pubs in Amberley, after 8½–9 km on the main walk. In the village the BlackHorse (01798-831183) and on the edge of the village the Sportsman (01798-831787), a pub with fine views over the water meadows from its terrace.

Tea: The RSPB Visitor Centre (01798-875851) at Pulborough Brooks is conveniently situated for a mid-afternoon break - open until about 4.30pm.

The Pulbrew Café , Pulborough (01798 903060) is on Lower Street at the point where the route enters the village, about 1½ km from the station.

Other options for lunch and tea can be found in the directions here

T=swc.14

  • Wed, 24-Jul-24

    I'm half an hour behind. Hope to catch up at Amberley.

  • Wed, 24-Jul-24

    There were 12 on the train, one driver and one on the train behind, so14 altogether and a small dog. The morning path was full of interest although a bit overgrown and hot . Walking through the reeds in the Wild Brooks was still a hightlight but it was a relief to get to Amberley for some refreshment. Two went to Amberley station after visiting the Black Horse.

    As often, we got a bit fragmented in the afternoon but apart from the Amberley finishers, everyone else crossed paths again at the RSPB cafe. So I can report that eight took the road shortcut to the RSPB reserve and four did the full walk. Three late picknickers left the cafe first but I'm not sure if they would have got to the station before a points failure struck the route. The second group got on board a delayed train trapped at Pulborough station. It eventually limped onwards with alternating announcements either threatening replacement buses or promising a non-stop journey, neither of which transpired. Those doing the full walk had just got to the cafe as we left so no doubt encountered more cancellations; I hope they got home eventually and thought the trip was worth it - an enjoyable day out nevertheless.

  • Wed, 24-Jul-24

    I met two more late starters as I was leaving Amberley village, so 16. The loop out to South Stoke and back to Amberley station was also a bit overgrown in places, but manageable.

    I caught the 16:19 and ran into the same transport problems. While stuck at Horsham passengers for Crawley & Gatwick were invited to take their chances on a local Metrobus; they then toyed with the idea of sending us via Dorking to CJ and Victoria, but after 40 minutes it was unexpectedly fixed and we set off as per normal. They had the decency to encourage us to make a Delay Repay claim, something I've become all too familiar with this year.

    I'm tempted to suggest that the Amberley-Pulborough option for this walk is probably the best choice right now, given the condition of the Wey-South Path on the Pulborough start. Still, it's looking increasingly likely that The Sportsman will be back up and fully functioning as a lunch pub quite soon, which would bring the Circular Walk back into favour.

  • Thu, 25-Jul-24

    The three late starters did not have a problem with the Wey South path. Just after Greatham Bridge a fisherman advised us not to walk on the path next to the river but to take a path a few meters back immediately after the gate/style where you turn in towards the river - not sure if this is the bit you mean. The Pulborough to Amberley route may only be feasible after a good spell of dry weather but it is beautiful and well worth doing when conditions are right. Thanks to Sean for writing the walk.

    7 arrived at Pulborough hoping to catch the 17.57 and had to wait an hour before service resumed.

Sunday 07-May-23

Wanderer


Length: Main walk: 13 miles (21km), finishing in Amberley: 18¼ km (11.3 miles).

Short Walk, starting in Amberley: 16 km (9.9 miles).

Toughness: 4 out of 10

Trains: London Bridge: 9.35 Portsmouth Harbour train, (East Croydon 9.53) arriving Pulborough 10.51. Return trains from Pulborough xx.04. If you narrowly miss this train, catch the 9.39 fast Brighton train to Three Bridges and change onto the above Pulborough train, departing 10.22.

This walk climbs gently at first to give a panoramic view of the South Downs from the low hills above Pulborough, where it joins the Wey-South Path. This goes past two medieval bridges on the canalised River Arun and continues across the extensive water meadows of Amberley Wildbrooks to the picturesque village of Amberley.

After lunch the walk heads eastwards through the landscaped grounds of Parham Park, with its large herd of dark-coated fallow deer and views of Parham House. In the next section you go along the edge of Parham Airfield.

You then have the opportunity to spend some time bird-watching in the RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve at Wiggonholt, which has a tearoom in its Visitor Centre, before a final stretch across the water meadows and alongside the River Arun back to Pulborough.

Lunch: There are two pubs in Amberley, after 8½–9 km on the main walk. In the village the BlackHorse (01798-831183) and the Sportsman (01798-831787), a pub with fine views over the water meadows from its terrace.

Tea: The RSPB Visitor Centre (01798-875851) at Pulborough Brooks is conveniently situated for a mid-afternoon break - open until about 4.30pm.

The Little Bean Café in Pulborough (01798-874777) closes 4pm Sun. It’s on Lower Street at the point where the route enters the village, about 1½ km from the station.

Other options for lunch and tea can be found in the directions here

T=swc.14

  • Sat, 06-May-23

    I intend to do the slightly shorter walk of 10 miles

    See you tomorrow

  • Sat, 06-May-23

    Hayley

  • Mon, 08-May-23

    15 set out to make the most of the one fine day forecast for this week. After yesterday's heavy rain, the ground was sodden and we had to skirt around a lot of large puddles but it was all manageable with some boardwalks over the worst bits. There was a great variety of birdsong in the morning including nightingales identified by one walker and later on a cuckoo. We had a cloudy morning brightening to a sunny afternoon . In Amberley, six people dined at the Sportsman pub and had a long wait for their food. Four had a picnic in the bus shelter. A couple of people took the train home from Amberley. Some people may have dined elsewhere or taken different routes after lunch.

    Seven had tea at the RSPB cafe in warm sunshine with a lovely view over fields and wetlands. Lots of rabbits were seen,not that many birds. We eventually dragged ourselves away and made it to Pulborough station just in time for the 17.04 train.

Sunday 14-Aug-22

Sean
Extra Walk 14b – Amberley to Pulborough (or #11 Circular)


#14b, finishing at Pulborough: 16 km (9.9 miles). Toughness 3/10.
#11, returning to Amberley: 18.3 km (11.4 miles). Toughness 5/10.

The first 750m of these walks is the same as last Saturday's Amberley Circular, but the rest is completely different.

09:35 Portsmouth Harbour train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:42, East Croydon 09:53), arriving Amberley at 10:58. There will be frequent on-train announcements exhorting you to be in the front five coaches.

Return trains to Victoria are hourly at xx:58 from Amberley, xx:04 from Pulborough.

Parham-House These two walks were developed at about the same time and have the same morning route: starting through water meadows beside the River Arun and continuing via Amberley village, Rackham and the grounds of Parham Park to the Crown Inn at Cootham for lunch. Afterwards you can choose between:

  • a fairly gentle route past the gliders at Parham Airfield to RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve at Wiggonholt (which has a tearoom in its Visitor Centre, open to 4pm), then alongside the River Arun to return from Pulborough station;
  • a slightly longer and more strenuous route onto and along the crest of the South Downs, eventually descending to Houghton Bridge and returning from Amberley station. Refreshments are available at either the Riverside South Downs tearoom or the Bridge Inn, but note that both close at 5pm.

You'll need to bring the walk directions from either the L=swc.14.b (click on Option b) or the Amberley Circular walk, depending on your choice of afternoon route.

  • Mon, 08-Aug-22

    Anyone keen on this walk on Sunday 14 Aug?

  • Mon, 15-Aug-22

    6 and a tiny dog assembled at Amberley station. It was another hot day sunny at first cloudy later We set off at a brisk pace along the riverside then through Amberley village. The gardens were looking a little thirsty with their dessicated hollyhocks. So were we and, by the time we reached the Sportsman, it had been decreed there would be two ‘lunch’ stops. More of a cider stop really, apart from the cheesy chips. We didn’t stay long, mindful of a possible snap walk inspection at the Crown.

    So it was off, across the parched Serengeti for more cider. No sign of the walk inspector there. Phew!

    Another yomp took us to the RSPB tearoom where cake, coffee and ginger beer were consumed. It probably wasn’t a good idea to let my squadron of trained wasps out to stretch their wings. They were soon in everything. We had to time our departure carefully for the final stretch to meet the hourly train. So I gathered up my wasps and off we all went at an even brisker pace. A bit of a slog in the increased humidity. We got there in time, only to find the train was 15 minutes late. Harumph!

    A grand day out, anyway. The dog seemed to enjoy it too.

Sunday 29-Aug-21

Wanderer
Wanderer

Pulborough circular walk

Length: Main walk: 13 miles (21km) . Alternative Walk, finishing in Amberley: 18¼ km (11.3 miles).

Short Walk, starting in Amberley: 16 km (9.9 miles).

Toughness: 4 out of 10

Trains: London Victoria: 9.35 Portsmouth Hbr train, (CJ 9.42, EC 9.56) arrive Pulborough 10.51.

London Bridge: 9.36 Brighton train, change at East Croydon to the Portsmouth Hbr

train departing 9.56 from platform 3.


Return trains from Amberley xx:58, Pulborough xx:04. Buy a return to Amberley if you

wish to keep your options open – same fare as Pulborough.

This walk climbs gently at first to give a panoramic view of the South Downs from the low hills above Pulborough , where it joins the Wey-South Path . This goes past two medieval bridges on the canalised River Arun and continues across the extensive water meadows of Amberley Wildbrooks to the picturesque village of Amberley .

After lunch the walk heads eastwards through the landscaped grounds of Parham Park , with its large herd of dark-coated fallow deer and views of Parham House . In the next section you go along the edge of Parham Airfield .

You then have the opportunity to spend some time bird-watching in the RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve at Wiggonholt, which has a tearoom in its Visitor Centre, before a final stretch across the water meadows and alongside the River Arun back to Pulborough.

Lunch: There are two pubs in Amberley , after 8½–9 km on the main walk. In the village the Black Horse (01798-831183) and the Sportsman (01798-831787), a pub with fine views over the water meadows from its terrace.

Tea: The RSPB Visitor Centre (01798-875851) at Pulborough Brooks is conveniently situated for a mid-afternoon break - open until about 4.30pm.

The Little Bean Café in Pulborough (01798-874777) closes 4pm Sun. It’s on Lower Street at the point where the route enters the village, about 1½ km from the station.

Other options for lunch and tea can be found in the directions here

T=swc.14

  • Anonymous
    Fri, 27-Aug-21

    I may come on this walk but do my own Amberley to Arundel walk Walk 22 best,

    Jane

  • Mon, 30-Aug-21

    Nine off the posted train and one car driver plus dog set off at a leisurely pace from Pulborough and were caught up by a walker from a later train making a total of 10 on this very pleasant walk in mainly sunny , comfortably warm conditions, the perfect day for a walk through water meadows and woods with long views framed by the downs against the sky. The ground was dry and the going was easy. Our canine companion plunged into what looked like a shallow stream and disappeared under the boggy water but thankfully rose to the surface and managed to scramble out and went on to enjoy lots of rolling around in grassy tussocks. We humans were less daring but I think all enjoyed the landscape and renewing acquaintances after long COVID gaps. On reaching Amberley, one dined at the Black Horse (highly praised) while the rest of us had our sandwiches in various locations around the village (bus shelter, church and sports ground). The churchyard sounded like the best of those options. After lunch, two caught the train from Amberley and eight carried on to Pullborough, taking the short option, omitting Parham Park. we were disappointed to find the RSPB centre closed due to staff illness. We headed straight for the train station in Pulborough and caught the 17.04 train. A few people remarked that the walk instructions offered too many options and left them confused. It might be better in future to mention only the main walk in the posting and omit mention of the circular loop around Amberley which could be a separate short walk in itself. A lovely day.

Saturday 20-Jul-19

PeteG
Pulborough Circular swc.14
Length: 21 km (13 miles), with shorter afternoon options. Toughness: 4/10

This walk climbs to give a panoramic view of the South Downs from the low hills above Pulborough, where it joins the Wey-South Path. This goes past two medieval bridges on the canalised River Arun, and continues across the extensive water meadows of Amberley Wild Brooks to the picturesque village of Amberley.

After lunch the walk goes through the landscaped grounds of Parham Park, with its dark-coated fallow deer and views of Parham House. You might see gliders taking off and landing at close quarters as you go along the edge of Parham Airfield. You then have the opportunity to bird-watch in the RSPB Pulborough Brooks Nature Reserve at Wiggonholt, which has a tearoom in its Visitor Centre, before a final stretch across the water meadows back to Pulborough.

Trains: 09:36 Southampton & Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:42, East Croydon 09:52), arriving Pulborough at 10:51 . You need to be in the rear portion, for Bognor Regis. If doing the shortcut, buy a return to Amberley, which is the same fare as Pulborough.

Return trains from Pulborough to Victoria are at xx:24 & xx:55. If you finish at Amberley, trains are hourly at xx:17.

Lunch: There are two pubs in Amberley , after 8½–9 km. First the Black Horse (01798-831183) has been fully refurbished and looks rather up-market, but its website points out that it is “perfectly located for walking on the SDW” so could be worth trying. You might also be able to get a light lunch at the nearby Amberley Village Tea Room (see Tea below), but the recommendation is to carry on for another ten minutes to the Sportsman (01798-831787), which has fine views over the water meadows from its terrace.

Tea: The RSPB Visitor Centre at Pulborough Brooks is conveniently situated for a mid-afternoon break and has fine views over the water meadows. Its tearoom stays open until about 4.30pm.

If you get to Pulborough in time the Little Bean Café open to 4.30pm is on Lower Street at the point where the route enters the village, about 1½ km from the station. The Oddfellows Arms a short detour off to the right.

  • David Colver
    Mon, 22-Jul-19

    No idea how many did this at the appointed hour on Sat, but two regulars did it independently on Sun, taking different trains and eating at different pubs, the Black Horse and The Sportsman, meeting briefly at the latter. Both were very happy with the lunches served in these places. Some slightly menacing cloud in the morning dissolved into warm sunshine by the afternoon.

Saturday 09-Jun-18

Sean
Extra Walk 14 – Pulborough Circular
Length: 21 km (13 miles), with shorter afternoon options. Toughness: 4/10

09:36 Southampton & Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:43, East Croydon 09:53), arriving Pulborough at 10:51. You need to be in the rear portion, for Bognor Regis. A return to Amberley is the same fare as Pulborough and would allow you to cut the walk short.

Return trains from Pulborough to Victoria are at xx:24 & xx:55 to 21:55 (more regularly than before with the new timetable). If you finish at Amberley, trains are hourly at xx:17.

I thought this fairly long but easy walk might be scuppered when Amberley's second pub closed recently, but fortunately The Sportsman has been taken over by the local Greyhound Brewery and is up and running again. Its food offerings are untried but at worst you could press on to the reliable Crown Inn in Cootham for a late pub lunch.

After lunch you have a choice. For a short and leisurely afternoon you could meander across the water meadows and finish at Amberley station. The standard option is to complete a circuit back to Pulborough, taking the short cut if you want to be sure of getting to the RSPB reserve's tearoom at Pulborough Brooks before it closes at around 4.45pm. And if you can't resist climbing the South Downs, the Walk Notes point out ways in which you could switch to one of the more challenging SWC walks in this area.

At the end of the walk further refreshment is available at the friendly Oddfellows Arms in Pulborough, and you won't go thirsty if you finish at Amberley either.

You'll need to bring the directions from the Pulborough Circular walk page. T=swc.14
  • Sun, 03-Jun-18

    Sportsman: You're a closure out of date... Closed and re-opened again since then. The view from the terrace over the flood plain is as lovely as ever, but seemed overpriced. Call ahead for an outside table if its a nice day.

    Crown Inn: Popular (so I must be missing something) but variable food. The 2/3 course "smaller portions" set menu is good

    There's a new Thai bar/restaurant (?) by Pulborough station

  • Mon, 04-Jun-18

    This walk works much better with a lunch stop in Amberley and when The Sportsman closed in January it wasn't looking good (the Black Horse had been closed for many years). But as someone reported on another walk The Sportsman re-opened in April and so the walk is feasible again, hence this posting. And next year there should be a choice of two pubs again: a successful campaign by the Amberley Society saved the Black Horse from conversion to two holiday homes, an extensive renovation is underway and it's due to re-open in the winter.

  • Anonymous
    Tue, 05-Jun-18

    This is the only link that I can find for the Sportsman pub

    https://www.amberleystores.co.uk/the-sportsman-inn/

    but unfortunately it doesn't give menus

    There is a facebook link but that is of little value and their website address does not seem to be working

    thesportsmanamberley.co.uk

    Somebody must be able to find it

  • Tue, 05-Jun-18

    The Sportsman has no website, just its Facebook page. Odd, but oddly, not unusual for a reopened pub! The food is "OK", the usual suspects... burger, fish & chips, and a few more interesting options... mine didn't quite work.

    Good to hear about the Black Horse. I'd heard locally that it was going to be more of a upmarket restaurant. Seems it'll be part pub after all.

  • Sun, 10-Jun-18

    24 turned up on a warm humid day. Quite a pleasant walk and would have been uneventful had not a slightly crazy woman with a dog (not one of us) insisted on following me through a field of cows, shouting at them, waving her stick and even chasing them towards me at one point. Mercifully, the cows were docile. At the other side she said “you got to be strict with cows”. Yeah, right. Amberley Wild Brooks was dry for Amberly Wild Brooks. (Slightly sploshy but not as sploshy as it could have been). Amberley's gardens were pretty as ever. About half the group made it to the Sportsman. A friendly place. I foolishly declined the Harveys, opting instead for "Treefrog" pale ale. Big mistake. I don’t even like pale ale and I think this particular pint could well have once been treefrog habitat. And so, on down an uneventful lane to Pulborough Brooks for tea and cake. Wiggonholt churchyard had flowering orchids. Then a final push back to the station for the 16:55.

  • Sun, 10-Jun-18

    Beautiful walk. Added bonus for the picnickers opposite the Sportsman was a kind offer of tea from the lady in the cottage. She gave me a lovely cuppa, in a china cup with saucer, and digestive biscuits!

Sunday 30-Oct-16

Chris L
SWC Walk 14 – Pulborough Circular

Length: 21km (13 miles) Toughness: 4 out of 10

09:17 Havant train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:23, East Croydon 09:38) arriving Pulborough at 10:28.

Return trains are at xx:26 (journey time 1 hour 25 minutes) and xx:43 (journey time 1 hour 15 minutes). The cheapest option is to buy separate Advance tickets for the outward and return journeys before Sunday. You will need to specify the particular trains you intend to catch, and cannot change your mind. With dusk arriving around 5pm you’d probably be safe to choose the 17:26 train back.

With British Summer Time having ended, you’ll have had an extra hour in bed this morning, so the apparently early start is not really that early, and is necessary to ensure that the walk can confidently be completed before the light fails. If you’re worried that you might not make it back in daylight, you can omit the Parham Park loop after lunch, as described in the Walk Directions. This reduces the length of the walk to 11 miles.

This a longish but easy walk that explores the water meadows of Amberley Wild Brooks and the RSPB’s Pulborough Brooks, both of which are flooded in winter. So this may be a last chance until next spring to enjoy this tranquil walk with its bird-watching opportunities.

The recommended lunchtime pub is the Sportsman (01798 831787) in Amberley.

You will need to download the Walk Directions, suppressing any sections you plan to omit.
  • Sat, 29-Oct-16

    going

  • Sun, 30-Oct-16

    5 off the train, 1 woman and her dog up from Brighton by car, i.e.: 6 walkers in initially foggy but soon bright and clear weather. Largely uneventful and only modestly pacey walk, in an attempt to keep the group together and due to all the stops ogling up the wildlife en route (herons, geese, other birds, more birds, and then some other birds, deer, antlered deer and then more deer, especially in Parham Park, of course). Amberley Brook muddy in places, but always with an easy deviation around the bloopy spots.

    Splendid walk all in, with a nice lunch at The Sportsman (inside, as no big enough table was available on the terrace) and with a tea stop at the Cafe in the Visitor Centre at Pulborough Brooks (interesting Chocolate and Vanilla cake, if with too much icing), this time at an outside table with views across the wetlands.

    By then our most famous SW London walkers had had enough of the rest of us and hitched a hike to Pulborough Station.

    16.43 train for the rest (minus the woman with a car and the quietest dog ever on an SWC walk).

    p.s.: the SWC Roast Potatoe-Inspector was on the walk, but he had a curry, so he's not writing the walk report

Saturday 18-Jul-15

Walker
SWC Walk 14 - Pulborough Circular
Length: 21km (13 miles), but with lots of shorter options (eg 17.5km/10.8 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10 (officially: actually I would say about 2 out of 10… a largely flat walk)

 9.32 train from Victoria (9.38 Clapham Junction, 9.48 East Croydon) to Pulborough, arriving 10.51

For walk directions click here.

This interesting walk has not had an outing since May 2014 (and it is even longer since it was done on a Saturday). It is an ideal walk for high summer, exploring various landscapes to the north of the South Downs. These include the semi-marshland of Amberley Wild Brooks, which has interesting flowers and usually good displays of butterflies at this time of year, the very pretty village of Amberley, the Elizabethan Parham Estate, and finally Pulborough Brooks, with its RSPB visitor centre. You never climb onto the South Downs (though see para in italics below) but you have fine views of them all day.

The full walk is 13 miles, but a short cut down a road in the afternoon (omitting the Parham Estate) saves 3.5km - the 17.5km/10.8 mile option. An even lazier option would be to finish the walk after lunch at Amberley (12.3km/7.6 miles).

(Another intriguing idea, hinted at in the text, is to finish with a walk up onto the downs. If you turn right and not left on the road you come to at the end of section 6 of the directions (just past Old Rackham School) you are in paragraph 74 of the directions for SWC walk 9 (directions), which takes you on a lovely flowery climb up onto the downs and then along the downland ridge into Amberley - a walk of about 10 miles. You would need a day return to Amberley (or to pay the excess) to do this option. Note that there is a charity cycle event on the South Downs Way today but this route gives you ample opportunity to avoid the actual SDW path.)

Lunch is probably at the Sportsman pub just beyond Amberley, but it is just possible that the Black Horse in Amberley itself, saved by a recent campaign by locals, has now reopened. It was supposed to open earlier this year, though does not yet have a website. Otherwise, the Amberley Tea Rooms is a light lunch option.

For tea, you will have to step on it to get to the RSPB visitor centre before it closes at 4.30pm. The Crown in Cootham is a mid afternoon option but is closed 3pm to 5.30pm, according to its website. Otherwise, a pub option is mentioned in the directions in Pulborough and in 2014 the station taxi office at Pulborough was selling an impressive range of snacks and hot drinks.

Trains back from Pulborough are at 23 and 55 past till 18.23, then 19.05, 19.35, 20.35, 21.35.
  • Ian T
    Mon, 20-Jul-15

    20 or so on this walk. Largely sunny but cloudy and cooler later . Path through the Wild Brooks almost overgrown in places. From Amberley, one or two split off to Arundel. Black Horse still shut but Sportsman fine. Most went through Parham, some didn’t. Pulborough Brooks reserve’s teashop was also fine. Large herd of deer seen from there. Big population of white doves too.

  • Mon, 20-Jul-15

    "…and willows, willowherb and grass

    and meadowsweet and haycocks dry

    No wit less still and lonely fair

    Than the high cloudlets in the sky."

    (Adelstrop by Edward Thomas)

    Just want to add two things to the above report

    1) The morning was beautiful, full of butterflies and flowers. 5 minutes after the start there was a thistle-ridden verge of an arable field which had painted lady, gatekeeper, peacock, small tortoiseshell and skipper butterflies all over it. The meadowsweet came later by the river. On the Wild Brooks, more butterflies.

    2) Two of us who lingered over these delights hooked up with four members of the main party on the terrace of the Sportsman, with its gorgeous panoramic views, and decided (six of us in all) to go off piste and go up onto the downs: a beautiful climb with more flowers and butterflies. At the top, alas, the skies clouded over, so it was rather grey on the walk down to Burpham, but again with luxuriant verge flowers as a compensation. We got to The George in Burpham for tea/drinks at 6pm (or rather 5.55pm: they made us wait the extra five minutes for the kitchens to open before they would take a pudding order), and we then took the river route to Arundel (with some drops of rain), getting the 8.30pm train from there.