Continuing the series of beach walking, I had planned a section from Climping
to Bognor, then back around the edge of Felpham and Middleton, finishing along
the first patch of beach.
Arriving at Climping beach car park to find the gate closed (it would be open
when we returned so opens after 9am). Luckily the time limit on parking at the
end of the road was removed for winter and we pulled in behind two campers who,
I guess, had spent the night there.
We set out across the empty car park and up onto the shingle bank and around the
bay.
Around the initial headland the next bay had some severe erosion and the path
had been forced into the field. Alongside Poole Place we had to negotiate a bank
and onto a sea wall - we could have walked along the beach as the tide was
beyond the groynes here.
We stayed on the beach edge shingle path along the edge of Elmer avoiding the
outfalls across the beach.
As the tide was way out we dropped onto the beach - there was an expanse of sand
beyond the shingle and therefore good to walk on.
Bertie liked the pools at the end of the Groynes and also went for a paddle
where the waves were absent.
The beach gently curved around to the Butlins holiday camp on the edge of
Bognor, and we kept to the sand following it around past Middleton then Felpham
until we reached a slipway we could use to cross the shingle and regain the
promenade. We then walked along the wide track up to the shops at Blakes
road.
We travelled up the residential streets then a row of shops to end up at the
church. We could not find the path out so had to circulate around the graveyard
until ti appeared then followed it up and over the B2259.
The path continued up the side of a college and school as well as a "nature"
area before coming out at Bognor Golf club.
The path wound its way through the golf course in a reverse question mark form,
until we left it over a girder bridge into the field beyond.
Along the edge of the field and across to the A259 (note off road parking here)
and over using the central island. On the far side we followed a farm track and
into fields.
We zigzagged through a number of fields working across to Old Bilsham Farm where
the path merged into a farm track then a metalled road.
A short way along the road before we could continue the zigzagging going around
Bilsham Manor. This path came out of a tight footbridge onto the B2132.
We left the road beside allotments and down a green lane. There was the remains
of a path closed notice which I duly ignored. However this came back to bite as
we continued and came to a long metal fence ... the panels open across our track
so we continued. At a crossroads of tracks there was a "Path Closed" sign to the
left, so we turned right along another track only to meet another "Path Closed"
sign further down. We returned to the cross roads and took the other track which
followed the fence around to the continuation of the farm track and another gap
int he fence. We took this and escaped the long return.
Back on track we followed the path across a fallow field then a ploughed one to
return to the A259.
Beyond the road we were back in the fields - a little confusion as to where the
path was until we crossed the Ryebank Rife. Then into a thin wood between fields
that led down to the outskirts of Elmer
Through the residential streets - Private roads with suburban houses. Then
across and onto the beach once again.
We walked back along the beach this time - diverting over the ends of the
outflows and past a strange structure of sticks.
We continued along the beach back to Poole Place and the strange sea wall
crossing. Then along the erosion impacted path.
At the last promontory we stayed on the shingle bank and around to the car park and coffee hut - now open. Remaining on the bank and back to the car and the now full end of road parking slots (all saving the cost of parking in the car park.
