Arundel and the Arun: River, Valley, Downs and Town
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A great walk for Easter, and a chance to get away from the stresses of life, and out into the fresh air of Sussex, with some notable buildings, settlements and landscapes to see.
We'll walk from Arundel town, into the hills via Burpham, then climb gradually up on to the South Downs way, which gives some stunning views on a clear day, with Surrey to the north, and the English Channel to the south. From there we'll meander along the ridge, then the river and up into Arundel Park. From there towards Arundel Park, and the town for some sight seeing and a pint.
The sights:
Burpham: A lovely, romantic, sequestered village of unaffected flint cottages and barns. St Mary's Church is solid, substantial Norman and Angevin, 1100 to 1220.
Arundel: A very English town close to, but very un-English at a distance, with castle and pinnacled cathedral at either end of a ridge and mellow brick houses tumbling down to the river. A prosperous, immaculate and now quite chic place with antique shops and fine restaurants aplenty.
Arundel Castle: To a 12th-century keep and bailey were added enormous mock-medieval walls and buildings between 1890 and 1903.
Church of St Nicholas: Built in 1380 in perpendicular gothic. Unique in the country for being both an Anglican parish church and a Roman Catholic chapel.
Arundel Cathedral: The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Philip Neri was built by the 15th Duke of Norfolk at his own expense in 1871-3. Impressive at a distance, forbidding close to, but giving Arundel its dramatic Mont St Michel-like outline.
Hiorn's Tower: The Tower is a habitable folly from 1790. It has a triangular shape with octagonal corner turrents and chequerboard stone and flint facings. A little run-down but a famous landmark.
Arundel Park: This is the landscaped grounds of the castle but also an SSSI, consisting of oak woodland and open chalk grassland. A superb view is to be had over and beyond a broad dry valley.
Food and Drink
Please bring a packed lunch, as there are very few shops en-route. Bring some cash for food and a pint at the end of the day in one of Arundel's historic pubs.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres. It is mid-April, but is likely still to be warm
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-25 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and has been little rain, however, some parts of this walk will be on river flood plains.
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a microfleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold if it rains, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy summer days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of water, as it is Easter weekend, small shops are likely to be closed.