Midhurst
On this walk, children will enjoy viewing the Cowdray ruins and the option to add on the amazing play area at Easebourne.
Looking across the polo lawns towards the heritage ruins
The Basics
Time: 45 mins (+ 15 to walk to Midhurst castle, + 5 to walk to Easebourne Park)
Distance: 2.4 km / 1.5 miles
Terrain: Flat, well surfaced paths with uneven and narrow paths if you add on the castle.
Pushchair: This walk is suitable for pushchairs, apart from the optional extra bit to the castle.
Dogs: It is vital that dogs are on leads around Cowdray Park. They must never run on the lawns and you must pick up all of their mess.
Refreshments: Cowdray Farm Shop and Café , also serving stone baked pizza, 4-8 pm, Friday and Saturday. Cowdray Ruins Heritage Centre Cafe, Friday - Sunday & Bank Holidays 10-4.
Toilets: There are toilets at Easebourne Park and Cowdray Farm Shop & Cafe for their customers. There is a Changing Places toilet at North Street public toilets.
Public Transport: Buses stop at Easebourne Church where the entrance to Cowdray will be clearly visible.
Parking: Large, free parking area beside the farm shop and café (Postcode: GU29 0AJ - W3W: ///apply.transmits.hello)
The Tudor ruins (not open to the public inside)
Nestled at the centre of The South Downs, Midhurst is home to the country estate of Cowdray, famed for its polo lawns. Our easy, pushchair friendly walk begins at their excellent farm shop and café and passes by the polo grounds and impressive Tudor ruins. You can then choose to add on a short diversion along the River Rother to the site of the former Midhurst Castle, and if you have children, we highly recommend another extension to Easebourne Park, which is quite possibly our favourite park on this entire website!
The Route
Leave the parking area along the wide path with the road behind you and the farm shop and café to your right. Head towards the polo lawns, passing some large wooden picnic tables. At a large yellow sign about the Lawns Grounds, turn left and join the tarmac path that runs the width of the polo lawns. Continue along this long, straight path with the polo lawns to your right until you arrive at the boundary on the other side. Turn right and continue following the surfaced path, still with the lawns to your right.
When the tarmac path ends, go through the gateway on your left next to a yellow sign for the ‘River Grounds’, and then turn immediately right. Go around the large metal gate and then walk along the tree lined path. Shortly, you will come out into the open again and should continue on the tarmac path towards the Tudor ruins. Pass the ruins on your right and some cottages on your left. Please note that there is no entry to the ruins. Follow the path as it rounds the ruins and comes out beside The River Rother.
If you want to add on an extra fifteen minutes to your walk, you can continue along the river and walk to the site where Midhurst Castle once stood. To do this, turn left opposite the main gates at the front of the ruins and cross over the river. Immediately turn left on the other side of the bridge and walk along the narrow path with the river to your left. At a large bend in the river, continue with the water to your left. You will soon reach a the edge of town and some industrial units. Turn right here, following the footpath up into the trees. The path will curve round in a circle and bring you to a clearing on top of the little wooded hill where you will see the stones that made the foundations to the castle and some interpretation boards. Continue around the path in the same clockwise direction and steps will lead you back down to the bend in the river. Retrace your steps and join the walk again at step four.
To make your way back to the car park from the Tudor ruins, keep the ruins to your right and stay on the same path which will lead you in a straight line back to the car park.
Please note, there may not be access to the grounds and permissive paths if a polo match is taking place. Please use this link for match fixtures and also note that weekday fixtures are sometimes free to view.
Just around the corner from Cowdray is Easebourne Park. You will find clean and well maintained equipment ranging from swings, slides, sea-saws, trampolines and a zip line. Some of the more unique play features are the scooter track laid out like a road system, a mini castle and beautiful climbing structures made of tree trunks. Look out too for the wooden carvings hidden behind the wildflowers. The park has picnic benches, eco toilets, a covered pavilion and a free car park.
To get there, you can drive to the free car park through Easebourne Primary School grounds off Wheelbarrow Castle, GU29 9AG. You can also walk from the Cowdray car park by heading back up to the A272 and turning left, then turning right into Wheelbarrow Castle. Going up this road you will almost straight away see a tiny footpath on your right which will take you straight into the park. The footpath is narrow, so if you have a pushchair you could keep going up to the school and enter through the driveway.
Gain access to the member's only area of our website where you will find the complete A-Z library of all our PDF files. This includes over 220 self-guided walks ready to print or download, as well as various children's activity sheets. You will also find a digital membership card, giving you access to our current discounts.
Cowdray Park:
Along the River Rother to the site of Midhurst Castle:
Easebourne Park:
Did you know?
The Cowdray Heritage Ruins were once part of a spectacular Tudor home that was visited by both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. In 1793, whilst undergoing repairs as part of the preparations for the marriage of the 8th Viscount, a devastating fire took hold leaving only the kitchen tower in tact.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try another walk on the Cowdray Estate at Benbow Pond and the John Cowdray Arboretum.
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