A grey & windy day, however with a new front coming over I took the
opportunity to get out. The ground had dried slightly and should not be too
muddy, and I wanted to keep off the tops to keep out of the wind, so I took
the opportunity to follow the route of the remains of the Arundel to
Chichester canal, which joins the river Arun to the Chichester canal.
We parked in the little layby where the Chichester canal makes a sharp right
turn. Luckily this still does not have a height barrier. We crossed over the
B2145 and followed a protected path on the south side which continued until we
came out on the B2166, where we had to follow the busy road on a convenient
pavement.
At the edge of North Mundham we dropped off the B road onto a side road that led
through the residential area until we picked up a footpath around a large house.
The path followed the side of a field before opening out as it approached the
village of Runcton.
Through the residential area of the village and across the B2166 once again
before following a back road. Along the way we passed a lonely church.
We left the road and followed a farm track from manor farm. At a junction of
tracks we finally reached obvious remains of the canal and turned onto it.
Previously we had just been following a theoretical line.
The path followed a ditch (all that remained of the canal) through a huge farm
of Polytunnels. The path continued through fields demarked by two lines of young
trees.
Across the A259 at a pair of lay-bys (this was the alternative parking spot) and
into the fields beyond. At Colworth we crossed a back road and down an overgrown
path (slight diversion around a fallen tree)
Between more polytunnels and before reaching a point where the path followed a
wider hedge and scrub.
Reaching a filled in rubbish tip the path was better maintained and along a
grassy swath.
After the ex-tip the path was once again blocked by a fallen tree, however a
bypass had been created and we continued along the raised bank beyond.
The track crossed the A29 at a bend, and continued down an access track that
ended at an oil pumping site - Lidsey oil extraction
The track mutated into a farm lane that ran alongside a sewage farm.
The track ended beside a path up to the railway line crossing. We crossed over
and along the path on a bank above horse fields.
The path continued on the bank as it snaked around the outskirts of Barnham
Passing Tilehurst Barn it crossed open grassland fields
Close to Yapton the bank ended at a new housing estate. Where we continued on
the original line (now a footpath)
Not sure if the bridge is original, but this is where we left the canal track
and had to follow residential roads in Yapton.
Across the playing fields and back on a path that mimicked the canal route.
However we left the route where it angled away from Yapton, and dropped down to
the B2233. We left the canal route here and would re-join it at the point it met
the river Arun.
We moved onto a path that crossed the Ford Airfield around the back of the
residential area. the runways are fenced off.
Following the perimeter track around to the edge of the the industrial area.
Here the signed path changed and dropped down to a back road.
We then followed the back road into Climping where we followed a path into some
scrubby fields
The path crossed to the edge of a caravan park, and we then took a bearing
across a sewn field on a vague path line.
The field ended in a scrubby bank with no obvious way to get up to the canal. we
tried a way, then retreated and continued along the field edge, we tried at the
boundary of each field but the bramble bank proved too dense to penetrate.
Eventually we could reach the river Arun path when the river bent back to us and
the field boundary was just a few saplings. Then along the river bank as it
snaked around.
The junction of the old canal and the river was now used as a berth for a number
of house boats. With no sign of the old locks that controlled it.
Beyond the junction and a small boat yard, we continued up to close to the rail
bridge. Here we turned across the field to the rail station at Ford.
We had just missed the train to return to Chichester (it arrived as we got to
the level crossing). We then had 45 mins to wait for the next train (several
in-between only going to Bognor).
At Chichester we followed the A286 to the Chichester canal basin. Lots of
maintenance going on.
Then it was just a case of following the towpath back to the junction at Hunston - we had walked this a few time before. Soon back at the van and the return home
Along the path is a number of information tableaux (some quite hidden) that mark places, particularly, swing bridge remains.
