Amberley
Houghton Bridge
Children will enjoy looking for wildlife on the river, crossing the little suspension bridge and getting refreshments at the end of this walk.
The Riverside Café and boat hire beside the River Arun
The Basics
Time: 2 hours
Distance: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Terrain: Fields, woodland paths, short section on a busy road, quiet country lanes, kissing gates, stiles (one missing you will need to climb over a small fence), some parts very overgrown in summer or very muddy in winter.
Pushchair: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome, although you will need to walk through a working farmyard and fields that may have sheep in.
Refreshments: The Bridge Inn and Riverside Cafe are beside the river at the start/end point of this walk.
Toilets: There are toilets at Amberley Station.
Public Transport: Amberley Station is on the Portsmouth/Bognor Regis line to London Victoria.
Parking: Large car park at Amberley Museum, free to museum visitors or payment via Ringo for anyone else (Postcode: BN18 9LR - W3W:///cone.advances.hexes)
Returning to Houghton Bridge at the end of the walk
This is one of the longer walks on our website, but the going is mainly flat and the river provides plenty of distraction (we saw our first ever kingfisher). There are riverside refreshments waiting at the end of the walk and the countryside in this part of Sussex is consistently beautiful with the ridge of the South Downs, chalk escarpments, rolling farmland and the gently meandering River Arun to treat your eyes.
A slightly more challenging route due to a few overgrown paths, a broken boardwalk and a path that is hard to find; we recommend this route for families with older children and those who enjoy exploring beautiful countryside.
The Route
Leave the station/museum car park by heading back to the road. Cross to the pavement and then turn left, walking down the hill towards Houghton Bridge. Pass the little old toll house on your right and walk over the large stone road bridge. There is no pavement over the bridge, but make use of the series of little inlets to let traffic pass safely.
Approximately half way over the bridge, follow the footpath sign on your left, go around the gate and then over a little footbridge. After the footbridge, you will come to a locked gate. There should be a stile, but on our most recent visit it had been removed, so you will need to climb the post and rail fence to the side of the gate instead. Turn right and walk with the river directly to your right.
When you reach the first hedge, go through the kissing gate. Then almost straight away, at a metal railing, turn left away from the river through the metal kissing gate. This path will bring you to North Stoke and the last few metres of the path can be overgrown in summer.
Turn right when you meet a quiet country lane at North Stoke. At a T-junction with a red phone box turn left and then immediately take the footpath to your right. Shortly, go through a little wooden gate and then another with a ‘caution, livestock with young’ sign on. Walk straight across the field to a wooden kissing gate on the other side.
Go through the gate into the trees and cross The Gurkha Suspension Bridge. The path will work its way under trees with glimpses of fields to your left. When you arrive at another kissing gate it will take you out into a field. Walk along the narrow path with the hedge to your right.
Go through the gate at the edge of the field and turn right onto the stony track and go over the bridge. On the other side, pass The Old Rectory and enter the hamlet of South Stoke. Follow the road as it bends round and at South Stoke Farm, take the footpath on your right. Walk through the farmyard and just after the wedding barn, take the bridle way running parallel to the left of a large barn. Proceed down the path and then go through gate at the end and cross the hard standing. Pass a pile of silage bales and continue around another gate. The farm track will bring you up into a field. Follow the path around the right hand edge and climb one of the few hilly sections of this walk. Look out for a wooden gate to your right, just where the path turns chalky, and exit onto the wooded path.
You will stay on this path for some time. It will pass along the edge of Arundel Park and there will be glimpses of the river to your right. After a steep footpath leads off to your left, continue and then keep your eye out for a well hidden path on your right that you need to take. It will be narrow and somewhat overgrown but will be defined by the fact that is the only path you will have seen leading to your right. If you come to a gate and a house, you will have come too far. The little path will become muddy as it nears the river, and you will soon reach a rickety boardwalk which will take you over the marshy ground. Follow it until a wooden footbridge with a barrier takes you into a pony paddock.
Cross the pony paddock straight ahead and then climb the stile on the other side. Walk to the metal kissing gate and then proceed with the river to your right towards the stone bridge. Go out through the gate onto the road and retrace your steps back to your car.
Adjacent to Amberley Station is the entrance for Amberley Museum with café, play area and a narrow gauge railway that children can ride throughout the summer.
Boats can be hired from Riverside.
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.
Did you know?
The suspension bridge on the path was rebuilt by British Army Gurkhas in 2009 after the original one was damaged by a falling tree.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try another one along the River Arun at Arundel
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