Arundel circular walk

Arundel circular

Distance: 7.1 (short) or 9.4 miles (long).
Time without long breaks: Apx 3 1/2 – 4 hours (shorter route) or 5 hours.

Terrain: One small but fairly steep hill, mostly flat.
How to get there and back: Train to Arundel and back.
Pub breaks: The Black Rabbit in Offham is towards the end of the walk. If you are doing the longer version, The Bridge Inn at Amberley is half-way. We also recommend the Fauna Brewing taproom (see below)
More information: There are different variations of this walk you can do (see map). The shorter route can be accomplished in an afternoon and you can add a detour to North Stoke. The longer route includes a second pub. On the return, there is the option of visiting the Wetland Centre and Arundel Castle. As some of the walk is along the Arun river, parts can get muddy and are liable to flooding. We recommend doing this walk in the summer months and not attempting it after a spell of rainy weather.

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This walk starts and ends in the historic West Sussex town of Arundel, which has a cathedral and a spectacular restored castle. After climbing the hill in the old town following the castle walls, you turn into Arundel Park, part of the Norfolk Estate, which has great views across downland and the Arun valley. Descending to the river, you can either turn right to head directly to the scenic hamlet of South Stoke or turn left to follow the river round via the Bridge Inn at Amberley and North Stoke. Both routes lead to the Black Rabbit pub by the river in Offham before the final stretch back to Arundel.

As you exit the station building, turn right following the sign for the pedestrian and cycle route to the town centre, which takes you under a bridge. The path joins a road. You will see Arundel Castle ahead of you. Keep on the pavement past the roundabout and into what becomes Queen Street. After crossing the bridge over the River Arun, continue straight ahead to reach Arundel High Street. The town has many fine old conserved buildings and also a lot of independent shops. If you want to visit the restored medieval castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, you pass the main entrance towards the end of the walk, but it might be best left to another day when you have more time.

Follow the driveway to the left of the Butler's Lodge (now the Norfolk Estate office). A little further down you reach another castellated lodge building and some red gates that lead in to the park. Go between the pillars and take the track straight ahead, following the wooden sign that says public footpath. There is only one main footpath that runs through this part of the park – the Monarch's Way – so it is fairly easy just to follow the waymarkers when you come across them. This is useful as Arundel Park, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is huge (134 hectares). Keep on the main track, which bends to the left, and in the distance you will see Hiorne Tower.

Keep going along the track, which passes through trees, heading downhill, and then bears right before reaching the valley bottom. Continue along the Monarch's Way by following the sign pointing to the steep climb up the mound ahead of you (the path has steps, which makes it easier). There are some more lovely views behind you when you reach the top. Carry on through the wooden gate and past the footpath sign. This leads to a large expanse of grassy downland, populated by sheep. Follow the path straight ahead, with a wood down to your right You go through a metal gate and then pass a small tree clump on your left.

After about 250m, at a meeting of tracks, turn right and then after a further 100m take the narrow path on your left, following the signpost. You will shortly pass another footpath sign. The path continues to head downhill. There are steps in places, with a fence and then a flint wall to your right. You come out via an iron gate at the riverside path, where there is an information board for the park. If you are intending on doing the longer version of the walk, this is where the two routes divide – follow the instructions in the separate section as indicated below. Both routes later merge.

Carry on up the hill, passing the Norfolk Arms. Then follow the castle walls on your right to the top of the hill, where the road swings left. Turn right into London Road. You pass the parish church on your right and the Roman Catholic cathedral (which was built by the Norfolk family) on your left. A little way after it, on the right, is the taproom for Fauna Brewing, housed in an impressive Victorian building. The company donates profits from every beer sold to wildlife protection. About 100m down from here you reach the entrance to Arundel Park and Arundel cricket ground (renowned as one of the most picturesque in the country).

The tower is an 18th-century folly built by architect Francis Hiorne for the Duke of Norfolk as a test of his skills (the Duke wanted to see how Hiorne might renovate the castle). Before you are level with the tower, when you reach a horse chestnut tree, turn off right up a broad grassy track. Rather than follow the track into the bushes, take the fork on the left, keeping the tower to your left and aiming for the edge of the row of trees ahead of you. You will see a footpath sign on a post and some steps heading down the bank with a wooden fence to your left. When you reach the chalk track, turn left. There are great views across the valley below.

When you reach the next clump of trees, go through the wooden gate straight ahead. The path leads to a chalky track which runs alongside the edge of a plantation to your right. Where the trees end you will find a two-fingered footpath sign. Cut across the field in the direction of the arrow on the sign (don't follow the track), crossing a path. Aim for the wooden gate in the fence ahead of you which leads on to a track. There are sweeping views from here across the Arun Valley below. Turn left, following the track, which heads downhill, curling around to the right.

Short Route

There is an optional detour here to North Stoke (about 1 3/4 miles there and back). Continue down the lane and go over the metal bridge. Take the gate immediately on your left on the other side. Follow the path, which enters some woods via a wooden gate. It eventually reaches the Ghurkha suspension bridge (so called because it was built by Ghurkas in 2009 following the collapse of an earlier one). On the other side of the bridge, follow the path across the field and then through some bushes. You emerge at a lane. Turn left to reach St Mary's church, parts of which date from the 11th century. Return to South Stoke the way you came.

For the shorter walk, turn right, taking the path through the trees alongside the river. It ascends a hill before descending and then rising again to reach a wooden gate into a field. Follow the path along the edge of the field and then downhill to a gate. Go through the gate and follow the track. After 400m you come out by some farm buildings. This is South Stoke Farm, where the philosopher C.E.M Joad once lived (see panel below). Follow the track around to the right, as it passes a converted barn (now an events venue). Take a left to walk into the village. The church of St Leonards, which has a tall spire in a French style, is accessed via a path on the right. Sheep sometimes graze in the churchyard.

Long Route

After crossing the bridge take a right to reach The Bridge Inn, which is half-way through the walk and a good place to take a break. (If you want to finish the walk here, incidentally, Amberley train station is literally just around the corner). On leaving the pub, turn left to walk down the lane that runs parallel to the railway line. In 1km you will reach the hamlet of North Stoke. Turn right at the road junction to reach St Mary's church, parts of which date from the 11th century. After leaving the church, retrace your steps back up the lane. Just beyond the junction you were at before, take the footpath on your right as indicated by the sign.

Turn left and follow the river path, which runs between trees. After about 1/2 mile you will see a green metal footpath sign. Ignore this, but about 1/4 mile further on, with a house visible ahead, look out for a footpath marker post. This is where the main path turns left towards the village of Houghton. Instead, turn right along a narrow footpath. Proceed along a long raised wooden platform. When this ends, continue along the footpath to a wooden bridge. Cross over a stile and continue via a metal kissing gate into a field. Follow the riverbank, aiming for the wooden gate next to the stone bridge. Turn right over the bridge, taking care to avoid the traffic (there is no pavement, but there are passing places).

Follow the path through the bushes and via a gate into a field. Cross over and head towards the trees. You will come to the Gurkha suspension bridge (built by British Army Gurkhas to replace an older one). Cross the bridge and then follow the path through the wood. It emerges via a wooden gate into a field by the river. Continue to a metal gate, and then turn right to cross over the iron bridge to reach beautiful South Stoke, once home to the philosopher C.E.M Joad (see panel below). Walk up the lane. St Leonard's church, with its unusual tall tower, is located down a path on your left. This is where you rejoin the other route.

Final section (both routes)

To complete the walk (both short and long versions), turn left when leaving St Leonards church and walk down the lane past the houses. Opposite the turning for South Stoke Barn, you will see three metal gates to your left. Go through the middle one, following the wooden sign saying public bridleway. The path heads downhill between hedges, before turning right and going through a gate. Follow the path through the meadows. You will pass an area covered with trees and what looks like an old quarry on your right. This is Foxes Oven, which has a World War II novel by Michael de Larrabeiti named after it. Carry on until you come to a wooden gate and a stile ahead, with a metal farm gate to your left. Cross the stile and take the track through the trees.

The river path skirts the Wetland Centre and then emerges at an old stone bridge with a wooden pedestrian bridge below it. If you want to have another break or need to use facilities, go up the steps to the road and turn right – in 250m you will reach picturesque Swanbourne Lake (which is also part of Arundel Park). There is a cafe in the old lodge building. Otherwise, turn left crossing the wooden bridge and follow the path that runs alongside the road. If you have decided to walk along the road from the Black Rabbit, you pass the entrance to the Wetland Centre and then come to Swanbourne Lake and the bridge shortly beyond it.

The track emerges at a house (also called Foxes Oven). Walk up the side of the fence, following the path which then climbs away from the river. At the top, you reach a metal gate onto a lane. Turn left, and then when you shortly get to a junction with an old road sign, turn right. In 400m you come to a house. Below it, to the left, is the Black Rabbit pub, a great place to stop and have a rest before the last leg of the walk. To continue, take the path from the end of the car park to proceed along the river. Alternatively, if the river path seems muddy or waterlogged, or you want to visit the Wetland Centre, you can walk down the lane instead.

About 1/2 a mile from the bridge you reach Arundel Museum on your left, which is opposite the main entrance to the castle and also next to the ruins of Blackfriars Priory. Carry on along the road to reach the junction with Queen Street. Turn left over the bridge to retrace your steps from earlier in the day back to the station. Alternatively, if you want to explore Arundel further and end your excursions in one of its pubs or restaurants, turn right here to reach the town centre (if you need to return to the station later, the distance from the war memorial at the bottom of the hill is just over half a mile, or approximately 12 mins walk).

C.E.M Joad, a philosopher, media personality and prolific author, lived at South Stoke Farm during the 1940s. A complex character and huge controversialist, he was an activist for pacifism and socialism, but also held some appallingly misogynistic beliefs. A member of the Fabian Society, he initially achieved notoriety due to his opposition to conscription during the First World War. Joad's sexual misadventures also attracted scandal. Following a divorce from his first wife, he had a series of mistresses who would all be introduced as ‘Mrs Joad’. Although he would later stand as a Labour Party candidate, in the 1930s he was briefly Director of Propaganda for Oswald Mosley’s British Union party, before steadfastly rejecting fascism. He was a central figure in the ‘King and Country' debate, which cemented his reputation as a pacifist.

Joad was also an outspoken cultural critic, a campaigner for civil liberties and the protection of rural areas, and a student of the paranormal. While at South Stoke, he authored many books and became a national celebrity due to his participation in the BBC discussion programme The Brains Trust. This led to Joad being popularly considered the greatest British intellectual of his time. But his life took a downturn in 1948, when he was caught fare dodging on a train from Waterloo to Exeter after being unable to explain why he hadn't bought a ticket. This made front page news and as a result Joad was sacked by the BBC and denied a peerage. He died five years later.

Joad loved walking the footpaths around this area of the South Downs and part of the longer version of this walk – from Houghton to South Stoke – has been labelled the ‘Joadian Way’ by the Joad Society, which celebrates his work. Arundel Museum has a collection of his books and held a special exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. This was also commemorated by a ‘South Stoke Festival of Thought’ hosted by Patrick Moore at the farm where he had lived. KB

Full-day country walks in SE England and beyond

Arundel circular

Click on the image below to access the full map on plotaroute

Full-day country walks in
SE England and beyond

Click on the image below to access
the full map on plotaroute