THE SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK

South Downs national park - Arundel

Pick a gorgeous early summer day and take yourself off to Arundel to explore the verdant green rolling downs surrounding the town. Arundel itself is a great place to wander around if you just want to gorge on cream teas, antique shops, a trip around the second biggest castle in England and perhaps round off the day at an Indian restaurant or a Pizza Express. Otherwise Arundel is tagged onto a massive park that blankets over the top of the Downs and has its very own folly, lake and network of public walkways. If you head into Arundel from the A27 from Brighton, over the bridge and immediately turn right, you head down a tree-lined gladed avenue until you reach Swanbourne lake on the left. This is like a leftover from the Victorian age with its ancient cafe building and duck filled lake. You can take the safe option, sit on the benches and have a picnic, otherwise you can explore a wonderful sweep of down and woodland that switchbacks right over to the northern scarp edge of the South Downs and yields wide open vistas of the Weald of Sussex to the north.

So how would you proceed? Take the path up the east side of Swanbourne lake into a comfy green valley with Box Copse on the right. An interesting aside here is that if you look up far to your left you see a brick folly peeping over the top of the hill from its green resting place. This my friends is Hiorne Tower, used as a location for a Dr Who film involving the cybermen. Alas, I spotted none myself! After this stretch bear right and up through Dukes plantation, Firm plantation and Dry Lodge plantation, all open downland towards the northern end of Arundel Park. With woodland to your right and left, the whole of West Sussex jumps into your face as you creep over the lip of the downs and the scarp slope drops away below you. Scrumptious ramblers feast!

Then you take the clear path down towards the River Arun, sometimes out in the open with tantalising photo opportunities of the Arun valley, sometimes hidden in the woods, until you hit the winding bends of the river. Then you trace its course until we reach the village of Houghton. There is not a lot of Houghton, it must literally be one of the teensiest weeniest little settlements in England easily scooped up in the hands of a giant. But here is the George and Dragon pub, supposedly a stop off point of Charles 1's son on his escape to France in 1651 after his defeat by Cromwell at the battle of Worcester. The Monarchs Way long distance footpath from Worcester to Shoreham-by-Sea is supposed to trace his footsteps.

Here you stumble onto the main road that drops down to Amberley just a few hundred metres further on. Be careful walking down here as there is a distinct absence of pedestrian walkway. Over the old stone bridge and you are there, a little piece of old England all on its tiddly own. Here there is the Bridge pub,a restaurant and a perfect cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, although outdoors wins my vote as the tables sit on the edge of the River Arun. With the ancient bridge, the bucolic meadows bordering the river meanders, and the South Downs rising up on the horizon, it's just like sitting in your own limitless back garden with your cream tea and scones.

Strike south from here towards the tiny village of North Stoke. All the villages are tiny round here! Take the side road from the Bridge pub alongside the rail line which heads towards Arundel. This peaceful,tree lined avenue heads straight ahead with water meadows stretching out towards the downs on the right. Soon the road winds up to the right into North Stoke which consists of barely more than a street of cottages hitting a dead end with a tiny church and farm. You can take a detour to check out the church, but otherwise clock the red telephone box, another bit of old England, and just to the left another path heads out towards South Stoke. You have to negotiate a field which is often inhabited by frisky cows that even if congregated far away in one corner start moving ominously towards you as you stride out across the field. Could make a man nervous, but if they get too close stare them down and make a bit of noise! Next stop the bridge built by the Gurkhas a few years ago across the pond/stream that borders the woodland, which then has to be negotiated by a winding path that takes us through to the river Arun at South Stoke.

Here you cross a bridge into the village and with the church and cottages on your left (all classic England around here) follow the lane round until you see a bridleway going off to the left. This takes you on a fairly long straight route through the fields rather than following the very narrow road along the side of the scarp slope. Eventually the path takes a climb up onto the lane later after a very easy walk on the flat. Take a left turn on the lane then immediately right down a cutting through the downs to the Black Rabbit pub. 

The Black Rabbit is the sort of pub you dream of visiting in a dream about the most idyllic English countryside pub visit possible. Snug up against the River Arun, the long low construction of this watering hole contains ample beer swilling room and tables for a tasty pub lunch. Outside across the road are multitudes of outdoor tables and benches crammed against the river bank where you can while away the hours contemplating the cow filled meadows across the river and admiring the gentle slopes of the Downs in the middle distance, whilst an occasional distant southern region train whips past on its way to Arundel and reminds you that we are in the twenty first century and cannot remain in 'smock wearing ale swilling peasant' mode. When you've had your fill of rural bliss a trundle down the country lane towards Arundel castle returns you to your car at Swanbourne lake. 

You really could not spend a day in any better way.