Fishbourne Meadows
On this walk, children will enjoy paddling in the river, crossing the wooden footbridges and viewing the large colony of swans that reside here.
The Basics
Time: 1 hour
Distance: 3.63 km
Terrain: Flat coastal paths, meadows and some narrow bridges
Pushchairs: No, terrain is rough
Dogs: Yes
Refreshments: None on this route, but you could drive to the nearby Apuldram Centre for tea and cake or extend the walk home by ten minutes to reach Dell Quay and the Crown and Anchor Pub.
Toilets: None
Parking: On approach to Church of St Mary the Virgin, there is a small parking area (Postcode: PO20 7EG - W3W:trustees.trickles.papers)
An easy walk through the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that takes you to the clear meadow waters, perfect for a paddle.
The Route
Head along the narrow footpath towards the church from the parking area. You will have a tall hedge to your right and a pony paddock to your left. At the churchyard, turn left and enter a field.
The path hugs the left edge of the field before ending with a kissing gate. Head towards the water and then turn right. Follow the coastal footpath, staying adjacent to the water by always choosing the path to the left. A little further on, you should see a colony of swans in a nesting area out on the water.
After the swans, the path heads over a little wooden footbridge into Fishbourne Meadows. Here there are steps into the stream where children or dogs can splash about. Try to stick to the managed access points if paddling as the river banks here are important water vole habitats.
After enjoying the meadows, cross the second footbridge heading right. The path crosses a small meadow before entering a larger field. Look out here for a footpath sign directing you through a gap in the hedge to your right. Pass through two more fields before meeting the coast path again on the other side
After a few metres, you will have a choice. Continue on the coast path to return to your car, or enter the gate where the path splits and walk through another field. At the opposite side of this field, the path will rejoin the coast path again and you can retrace your steps to the church and parking area.
If you want to walk on to Dell Quay and The Crown and Anchor, don’t leave the coast path and instead continue for around another ten minutes.
We recommend viewing the map as a Trails Map:
Did you know?
Cows graze the meadows at certain times of the year. They eat some of the plants that grow strongly, making space for species that would otherwise be crowded out.