Emsworth and Environs: Into the Downs, Back Round the Town

Downs, town, plus a detour along the shore! Once the suburbs are behind us and we're walking through mixed woodland on our way to the immaculate parkland of Stansted House, you'll begin to see how such a small area can hold such a big range of landscapes. And beautiful landscapes too, because we'll enter the South Downs National Park and glimpse the hills rolling away inland just before we veer round to head towards the coast. We'll follow the Ham Brook and the River Ems as they trace the transition from sheep to arable, inland to coastal and open country to built-up area, with the village of Westbourne and the town of Emsworth being equally pretty and prosperous. 

The sights:

Hermitage: In the parish of Southbourne, contiguous with Emsworth. Named after a hermit who maintained a bridge over the River Ems. Lumley Mill is early C19, a curious mishmash of columns, pediments and battlements adjacent a mill that made biscuits for Nelson's navy but burned down in the early C20. Pretty flint gothick villas nearby. 

Westbourne: On the Hampshire/West Sussex border and with the air of a small town like Wickham in Hampshire rather than a village. This is no accident: it was a local centre with a market until the C18. Streets with an abundance of mellow, handsome houses radiate from the now quiet marketplace. St John the Baptist Church is big, all perpendicular gothic in style from the late C14. Tower is early Tudor. The avenue of yew trees up to the porch is very ancient.

Stansted House: A remarkably remote and unspoilt setting considering the nearness of Portsmouth. Splendid grounds tended according to a sustainable management programme. The house itself is the third version, built in 1900 by Arthur Blomfield in an attractive neo-Wren style after the James Wyatt-version burned down in the late C19. 

Racton Monument: a ruined folly with views over Chichester Harbour and to the Isle of Wight. It was commissioned by the 2nd Earl of Halifax, either as a summerhouse for the nearby Stansted Estate or so he could watch his merchant ships dock at Emsworth. The lower level may also have been used for holding banquets. Grade II listed. By architect Theodosius Keene and built between 1766 and 1775. Abandoned for over a century and in a state of ruin, with the floors and much of the original flint facing having disappeared, and its roof caving in. Reputedly the site of raves and occult activity. Plans to restore it have come to nothing.

Chichester Harbour AONB: 'Chichester Harbour is one of the few remaining undeveloped coastal areas in Southern England...Its wide expanses and intricate creeks are at the same time a major wildlife haven and among some of Britain's most popular boating waters. The massive stretch of tidal flats and saltings are of outstanding ecological significance.' (From Wikipedia). 

Emsworth: In the SE corner of Hampshire on the shore of Chichester Harbour. A famous maritime town with an abundance of attractive homes from elegant Georgian buildings to cosy fishermen's cottages. Once a medieval port for wine and other goods, it has one basin for boating and another for supplying Slipper Mill with water which fills at high tide and empties through a sluice at low tide. 

The route (click the link to see it):

After a walk past Lumley Mill under the A27 we'll reach Westbourne. After walking through the village and west along Long Copse Lane we'll reach Southleigh Forest and use the Sussex Border Path to reach Stubbermere. Crossing Emsworth Common Road and Broad Walk we'll enter the parkland of Stansted House. We'll then turn southeast and use Park Lane to get to Racton. Having crossed the B2147 we'll use a bridleway to go past Racton Park Farm to go to Woodmancote. Here, we'll head southeast again and use a bridge over the A27 at Devil's Copse. Passing Winton's Farm and heading to Hambrook we'll start on Prior's Leaze Lane before using a footpath and Broad Road to go south to reach the A259. At Nutbourne we'll head south along Cot Lane before using footpaths heading west all along the coastline through Prinsted and back to Emsworth. Having gone through Emsworth Marina, we'll go around Slipper Pond and walk through the town back to the station car park.

Dogs:

Dogs are very welcome on all my walks and this is a very good dog walk, with plenty of woods and fields for them to run free, although there will be country lanes and livestock in some fields necessitating the dog going on a lead. A dog off the lead must be obedient. 

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(Image credits: Sussex Border Path: Photo © Chris McAuley (cc-by-sa/2.0); Beautiful Bridleway: Photo © Graham Horn (cc-by-sa/2.0); House at Lumley Mill: Photo © Chris Gunns (cc-by-sa/2.0); Southleigh Forest: Photo © Janine Forbes (cc-by-sa/2.0); Racton Monument: Photo © David Martin (cc-by-sa/2.0); Racton Park Farm: Photo © Janine Forbes (cc-by-sa/2.0); View towards Racton: Photo © Jonathan Thacker (cc-by-sa/2.0); The road to Aldsworth from Little Hambrook: Photo © David Smith (cc-by-sa/2.0); Field to the north of the A259 at Chidham: Photo © Basher Eyre (cc-by-sa/2.0); Footpath Junction south of Nutbourne: Photo © Shazz (cc-by-sa/2.0); Boats on the Beach: Photo © Shaun Ferguson (cc-by-sa/2.0); A fine view at Prinsted: Photo © Basher Eyre (cc-by-sa/2.0); Emsworth, jetty: Photo © Mike Faherty (cc-by-sa/2.0); Part of Emsworth Yacht Harbour: Photo © Robin Webster (cc-by-sa/2.0); Queen Street, Emsworth, Hampshire: Photo © Jeff Gogarty (cc-by-sa/2.0). The images are copyrighted but are above credited to their copyright holders and are licensed for further reuse under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0).)