Robust Rambles

Section 27

Cootham to Amberley Station

Walk Details

Walk Instructions

Greatstone to Gillingham Robust Ramble

Section 27  Out

Cootham to Amberley Station

Map: OS Explorer 121 Arundel & Pulborough

Distance: 5 miles/2.5 hours

Start: The Crown Inn in Cootham; ask about parking if intending to visit, otherwise there is limited on street parking further up the village.

Comment: This is an easy and rewarding section through the beautiful parkland of Parham Park with deer easily seen. Most of the walk is on the West Sussex Literary Trail. Once again, the paths on the middle section are muddy and some of the fields full of standing water at wet times of year. The locals walk in wellington boots. The pub in the centre of Amberley is currently closed for renovation, but another, The Sportsman, is passed on the road down into the village and there is a shop in the village centre, so there are opportunities for refreshment before the end of the section at The Bridge Inn at Amberley Station.

With The Crown Inn behind, Cross the road and turn right. Walk along the pavement for ¼ mile. Where the road swings right, go straight ahead through the entrance to Parham Park and go forward on the drive. Continue past the lodge where there is a gate.

In ¼ mile, where the drive begins to drop left towards the mansion, bear right onto a grassy path dropping down through trees (there is a grassy knoll on your right with a distinctive conifer on top; there is currently a waymark post here).

Continue across open land heading to the right of the walled garden of Parham House. Pass a telegraph pole and isolated veteran tree (many old trees in the park) on the way. At the far side reach a road junction. Go forward in the same direction up the road ahead, parallel to the walled garden on your left. Pass a lake and eventually exit through a gate between lodges to a road.

Turn left on the road for 50 metres to reach a triangular road junction. Turn right here up Greatham Road. In a few paces turn left off the road onto a path into woods. Follow this feint path up then down through trees to the far side.

Emerge onto a gravel vehicle track. Turn right on this past a house to a junction of ways. Bear left downhill along the edge of the wood. At a corner and junction of paths, turn left over a footbridge. Go forward on a grassy way between a stream on your left and a fence on the right.

At Rackham Mill bear slightly right to a stile into woods. At the far side cross a footbridge and stile, and follow an enclosed path to a further footbridge and stile and cross into a field.

Bear right across the field to another footbridge and continue forward to yet another footbridge in the hedge ahead. Cross to the bottom of a large rising field. Go straight uphill towards houses at the top. All of these fields are very wet in winter.

Emerge onto a road and turn right to go gently downhill for ½ mile. Pass a pub halfway down. At the bottom of the hill reach a sharp left turn with The Black Horse pub on the corner. The pub is currently closed for renovation.

Turn left, past the pub, and walk on down the main street a short distance passing the village shop. Look for a road off on the right past a bus shelter. Turn right along this between attractive houses.

Look for a footpath off left, opposite a turning on your right, signposted to the playing field. Go down this asphalt path to the very end and emerge onto a main road. Turn right on the pavement for 1/4 mile.

Pass the entrance to Amberley Castle Hotel. Just past a house, turn right on an access road, part of the South Downs Way. Cross a railway bridge and keep on past a water treatment works to reach a corner. Turn left on an enclosed path to soon emerge via a wooden gate onto the bank of the River Arun. Turn left along the river bank to a main road and railway line at Amberley Station. The Bridge Inn is up a side road opposite and the end of the section.

Greatstone to Gillingham Robust Ramble

Section 27  Return

Amberley Station to Cootham

Map: OS Explorer 121 Arundel & Pulborough

Distance: 4 miles/2.5 hours

Start: The Bridge Inn at Amberley Station

Comment: A steep climb up onto the South Downs way then two miles of panoramic views. The drop back down to Cootham as ever involves some narrow, enclosed paths which are prone to be muddy.

From the Bridge Inn and railway station, turn right on the main road to cross the railway, walking away from the river. In 150 metres turn right up a side road called High Titten (it is on the South Downs Way).

On reaching a T-junction turn right uphill, past Highdown House on the left. Continue uphill, ignoring a path off right over a stile. In 20 metres turn left off the road up the South Downs Way. Go through a gate and continue uphill on an enclosed path.

Pass a farm on your right and go forward a short distance on the farm track (a byway). This soon swings away right. Keep forward and steeply uphill on the South Downs Way. Go steadily up the ridge then along with stunning views inland over the outward section walk and beyond. Continue for two miles.

Finally pass a car park on your left and reach a meeting of paths. Here, turn left, down the road past the entrance to the car park. In a few paces turn right on a bridleway between wooden bollards and by a metal barrier. Continue across an overflow parking area to enter a narrow path between fences at the far side.

Walk up this path for ¼ mile; needless to say, it can be muddy. Near the top reach a junction of bridleways. Turn left downhill with a fence on your left.

After some way is a Y-fork. Keep to the left here although the paths merge again further down. After ¼ mile of dropping down through trees on this narrow path, emerge onto a farm track.

Turn left on this track. Soon pass a path off right to Coldharbour. In a few paces more bear left through a gap in the hedge into the field on your left. Immediately turn right to follow the field edge past a house on the right.

Reach a stile and cross into the corner of a large field. Go on downhill with the hedge now on your left. Keep on down to a metal gate in the hedge at the very bottom (the wettest part of the field of course).

Through the gate cross a footbridge and enter an enclosed and muddy path. Halfway up cross another footbridge and go on, ignoring a path off right. Finally emerge onto a drive.

Turn right up this for a few paces to reach a junction of paths. Turn left into a path enclosed between fences and hedge. Come to and cross a private road and continue down to a main road.

Cross this and turn right for 20 metres. Look for a footpath going down to the left by a brick wall at Cobb Cottage. Follow this for some way between garden fences.

Reach and cross a road to continue along the path at the other side. The path opens out a little. Ignore a wooden gate into a field on your left and continue along by new houses on your right.

Soon cross a footbridge and go straight across the field ahead. At the far side go through a wooden gate onto a roadway by a high brick wall. Go forward on the road past Cootham Cottage of 1760. Bear round to the right and follow the road all the way down to a junction with a main road.

Turn right for a short distance to reach The Crown Inn and the start of the section.