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Amberley, West Sussex

Difficulty Moderate

Walking time 5 hours

Length 19.5km / 12.1mi

Route developer: Fiona Barltrop

Route checker: Robin Segulem

Start location Amberley station car park, Sussex.
Route Summary A 12-mile circular walk from Amberley via Burpham.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

Southern trains from London Victoria to Bognor Regis go via Amberley (www.southern railway.com). Compass bus service 73 between Ashington and Pulborough also goes via Amberley, Mondays and Fridays only (01903 690025).

Description
[1] Exit the station (TQ027118), cross the road and turn right along the pavement. After  about 500m, cross the road again and turn right up the lane called High Titten. As you ascend, you’ll have glimpses through the hedge on the right of the museum’s site below. Over to the left, Amberley village and castle can be seen. Further up, another lane joins from the left and soon after this you leave the road along a bridleway on the left (the South Downs Way) that ascends Amberley Mount – quite a climb but with ever-improving views to the east and north, notably over Amberley Wild Brooks. The route is very straightforward for the next few miles as you simply keep ahead along the crest of the Downs, ignoring all tracks to the left and right. From the top of Amberley Mount, the gradient eases as you continue along the gently undulating track over Rackham Hill (Parham House and Park can be seen down to the left) and Springhead Hill to the Kithurst Hill car park. Another car park is reached about a mile further on by the Chantry Post.
 
[2] Turn right through the gate and follow the track gently downhill (with a fence on your right) towards Harrow Hill. Having gone through another gate, the track bears right and continues down, bearing right at a junction past a barn. Continue along the farm drive, passing Lee Farm and ignoring a track to the left. Further on, having passed a turn for a bridleway on your left, you reach a T-junction.
 
[3] Turn right and very soon fork left along a footpath, following the track as it curves round to the left. In the distance, Arundel Castle can be seen. When the chalk track curves left, keep ahead on the grass. Burpham can be seen down to the right. At a junction, bear right then left and follow the path downhill, joining a drive that leads to the road.
 
[4] Turn right and soon left down a drive, then right along a footpath and half-left to a junction. Cross the stile and bear right down the steps. Cross a footbridge and carry on to the road. Turn right and then left at the junction. Pass the pub on your left and church on your right and follow the lane round to the right. At Peppering Farm, turn right then left at the next junction to Peppering High Barn. Continue along the bridleway heading north, keeping left at a fork to join a rough lane. 
 
[5] Carry on down the lane, going over the railway line and forking right down a bridleway to Stoke Road. Turn right then left along a footpath to the riverbank, and right to Houghton Bridge. Turn right along the road back to the station.
POI information

Sited in a former chalk quarry next door to the station, Amberley Museum is a 36-acre open-air site dedicated to the industrial history of South East England. It contains a range of exhibits, from transport-based collections – such as restored vintage buses – to industry-based collections, like the Printing Workshop. You look down into the museum’s site at the start of this walk, which explores some of the lovely downland to the east of the Arun Valley. The first few miles are along the top of the escarpment, following the South Downs Way National Trail. After that, you head southwest to the charming village of Burpham and a handy lunchtime pub, before the return leg north, with a short stretch along the riverbank at the end. 

Notes No details available.
Acknowledgements

Route devised by Fiona Barltrop for Walk Magazine.

  • Along the South Downs Way between Amberley and Chantry car park.
    Along the South Downs Way between Amberley and Chantry car park.
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This route has been viewed 38 times
Reviews
1 review
Overall rating:
Feb 02, 2014
kbdb
(1 reviews)
I'm a new Ramblers' member but I did enjoy the variety of this walk from the slighly strenuous rise up the South Downs Way, with its beautisful views, to the pretty village of Burpham. Not suprisingly I had to make a few diversions after that as the meadows between stages 4 and the end were flooded and totally impassable. The watery landscape was still a delight and the additional two miles was over small hills and on bridleways or tarmac lanes. Thanks for a wonderful day!
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