Nutbourne
Children will enjoy exploring the shoreline and climbing on the rocks on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 1hr
Distance: 2.8 km
Terrain: Easy, flat shoreline paths and fields. Kissing gates.
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes
Refreshments: Although not directly on the route, Mamawu café in Nutbourne is a couple of minutes walk away from the parking area on the junction with Farm Lane.
Toilets: None
Parking: There is a small amount of free parking available beside the start of the footpath at the bottom of Farm Lane (Postcode: PO18 8SB - W3W - nanny/billiard/sponsors)
What I love about a walk in Chichester Harbour AONB is that the views change entirely depending on whether the tide is in or out. Whichever you get on this walk, both will be stunning.
The Route
Find the footpath marker and information boards at the side of Farm Lane. Take the footpath as it begins its journey with a wall on your left and a marshy field on your right. You will then enter a crop growing field and should walk with the hedge to your right towards the coast.
When you reach the shoreline, turn right and follow the coast path with beautiful meadows on your right and the sea water to your left. The path will bend left where there is a low concrete wall and will then bring you to an old wooden bench. The path will then veer right along a longer coastal stretch. You will see the rather snazzy looking Marsh Farm away to your right.
At the end of this straight section, you will reach a prominent corner where a well placed bench gives views to Thorney Island. Turn right here as the path bends. Just before the path bends again, you will see a footpath sign taking you down through the hedge and then away from the coast*.
Follow the path through an opening in the hedge and then with a paddock to your left. Turn right with the path as it goes under a few trees to emerge into a large crop growing field. Turn left and follow the path up the edge of the field, walking away from the coast. Stick with the path at the top of the field as it turns right, still following the perimeter. At the corner of the field the path will bring you to a gate with a large yew tree and some other dead ones. Go through the gate and then stay right along the path. You will pass by a property with a large orchard before the path will narrow as you squeeze around a garden wall and then emerge at the end of Farm Lane. There are some really pretty cottages and a bridge over a stream to finish the walk back to your car.
*if wanted to add an extra diversion from the route here you could continue along the coast path to Thorney Marina where there is a great café serving drinks and food in little beach huts
We recommend viewing the interactive map as a Trails Map:
Did you know?
Chichester harbour has provides feeding grounds for internationally important numbers of ringed plovers, grey plovers, redshanks, black-tailed godwits, dunlins, sanderlings, curlews and greenshanks.
The inland area that this walk encompasses was once a tidal millpond. Seawater flooded the reed bed and then as it emptied, it provided power for a local grain mill.