Arundel
Children will enjoy the park, views of the castle, Swanmore Lake and a pub with riverside play area.
Walking towards Arundel Castle beside the River Arun
The Basics
Time: 1hr 10mins
Distance: 4.7 km
Terrain: Flat grassy paths which are uneven in places and can be slippery after heavy rain. A section along a tree lined pavement.
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes, but not in play area (pub is dog-friendly)
Refreshments: The Black Rabbit, Offham, which is a riverside pub with castle and wetland views, outdoor and indoor dining, a children’s play area and was even used as a filming location in the Harry Potter movies!
Toilets: At the start of Mill Road, opposite the Lido
Public Transport: It is around a ten minute walk from the train station to the top of Mill Road, where you can join this walk
Parking: We ate at the pub, so parked there (Postcode: BN18 9PB). If not going to the pub, you can also park at the side of Mill Road for free or there is also a large pay and display car park on Mill Road (Postcode: BN18 9AB - W3W: almost/pounces/explore)
The Black Rabbit pub is in a perfect riverside location
You will probably want to do this beautiful riverside walk again and again as there are so many possible add-ons including a castle, a lido, a pitch and putt, a boating lake, a hilltop-folly, a wetlands centre, a destination pub and not least the gorgeous town itself.
The Route
We began our walk from The Black Rabbit pub, but if you park on Mill Road, join the circular route at point 2 below.
At the end of the pub’s first car park, you will see a footpath marker leading you away from the pub in the direction of Arundel with the river to your left. Follow this riverside path for some time as it meanders along towards the town. You will have views of the castle to your right throughout.
As you approach the road and town, the path will veer to the right, still with the river to your left. A few boats will come into view and the cathedral and castle will now be positioned ahead of you. Follow the path over a little wooden footbridge and enter the pay and display car park. If using the pay and display car park, join the route here.
Cross the car park and join Mill Road on the opposite side. Turn right and follow the tree lined avenue with the castle up to your left. Along this road you will find first a pitch and putt course (with café) and then the play area. Continue along Mill Road until you reach a large stone road bridge. Take the pedestrian bridge to the right, going over the river.
Just over the bridge turn right at the footpath marker and follow the path with the river to your right and the wetland centre to your left. Continue straight ahead until you reach the sluice-gate again. Turn left and head along the riverside path to The Black Rabbit pub.
Arundel is a beautiful town with independent shops, cafes and plenty of listed buildings. A visit to the medieval castle is highly recommended and can be combined with this walk.
This walk is ideal for those who use public transport as it can easily be accessed from Arundel train station.
Featured on another page of our website, this walk can be very easily combined with one around Arundel Park, including Swanbourne Lake and Hiorne Tower (see below). If you are walking with children and don’t want to add on the full route, then a visit to just the lake with its multitude of ducks, rowing boats to hire and tea-room can be found just beyond the bridge along Mill Road in point 3 above.
If you do this walk on a hot day, you can even cool off at the lido - it is found near the car park!
Did you know?
Founded at the end of the 11th Century, Arundel Castle has been the family home of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for nearly 1000 years, and still is today.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try adding it on to this one around Arundel Park with Swanbourne Lake and Hiorne Tower. They can easily be combined to make a longer walk.
