On Friday afternoon after work, I quickly walked down the hill to meet Peter at the station and jump on a train down to East Croydon, where we switched to a train down to Amberley. It was a smooth train ride down and we arrived just after 6. After a quick walk past some fields (full of bunnies!), we found our way to our Airbnb and were checked in by our host’s husband. It was a cute little annex attached a main house and had been done up very nicely. Once we’d dropped our stuff, we headed off up the road to find somewhere for dinner. 

After about a half hour walk up the road and through the village, we found our way to the Sportsman’s Inn. We found a spot on their patio, which had a gorgeous view over the fields below, and ordered ourselves some wine and a pub meal. It was our first pub meal this year, and didn’t disappoint! When the sun started going down it got pretty chilly so we wandered back to the Airbnb and settled in for the night. 

We were up and about reasonably early on Saturday morning for a delicious breakfast provided by the host - toast, smoked salmon, eggs, fruit, juice and coffee. By 9 we were out the door and on our way on our hike. It was a bit drizzly, but definitely not the rain that had been forecast so we were grateful for that. After a few hesitations initially (is this the path on the map? Do we walk across that guy’s field? Are those horses going to chase us?), we found our rhythm and made our way along the River Arun for the first section of the trail. Gorgeous green woodland surrounded the path and the drizzle stopped as we went. 

We found the ‘iron gate’ marked on the map to turn into Arundel Park, which led us up a fairly steep section but gave us beautiful views over the Arun Valley. From the top of the Downs, we were supposed to be able to see Arundel Castle but it was a bit too misty and cloudy for a distant view. We found our way through a succession of sheep fields and eventually down to the main track into Arundel via the Hiorne Tower (mini castle). From there it was a straightforward walk into town and we found ourselves in Arundel exactly 2 hours after we’d begun. 

We headed straight for the castle and found the High Street busy with a Saturday market and lots of cute shops. Just before 11:15, we made our way into the castle gate and began exploring. Inside venues still don’t open until Monday so we were limited to the gardens but the size of the grounds meant this was definitely still worth a visit! There were tulips everywhere, and lots of colourful wildflowers brightening up the scenery. I was shocked at how enormous the castle was - we both agreed that we’ll definitely have to come back to explore the inside. We checked out the walled gardens and stopped for a snack and coffee before finishing a loop of the moat and finding the exit. It was well and truly lunchtime so we nabbed a table under an umbrella at a pub recommended in our guide book. Good thing we did, as the rain started pouring down not long after we sat down. We enjoyed a pint and a sandwich and checked the map, before heading off again just as the rain stopped. 

The sun came out as we were leaving town, walking along the raised embankment next to the River Arun again. This gave us stunning views back at Arundel Castle, really emphasising how enormous it is! The way back had a few navigational wiggles but we managed to find our way using the map, double-checking each stile as we crossed into a new field. We had to distract some cows away from a stile so that some other hikers could climb over and we then hurriedly crossed ourselves and quickly power-walked up the path a way before we relaxed again. At about the halfway point we found ourselves at The George in Burpham, another pub recommended by the guide book. We stopped for a beer and a sit before walking through a tiny churchyard and back out onto the path. That was the last village we passed through, and the last hour of the walk was just through fields until we reached Amberley again. 

When we got back, we dropped our stuff back in the Airbnb and quickly got changed before heading out again for our dinner booking. The Airbnb host had recommended the Amberley Black Horse, the ‘pub’ in town, but it turned out to be quite posh, with a lovely rooftop terrace. We got duck spring rolls and a steak each and it was a really lovely meal. We were both exhausted though, so at a certain point when it stopped raining for a stretch, we quickly walked back to the accommodation and collapsed in a heap. 

We had a very slow start this morning, just watching Drag Race in bed while it poured outside and then having a quick breakfast before we checked out at 11. It was really raining quite a lot so we weren’t too keen on more walking. Instead, we found a table at the Riverside Tea Rooms and had a coffee before our lunch booking at the pub by the station. This was a gorgeous spot, luckily with very sturdy umbrellas as it was still pouring on and off throughout the early afternoon. I had scampi for lunch and Peter had a delicious looking baguette before we headed back to the station to catch the 1:51 train. We both agreed this is one of the best spots we’ve visited for a short stay, and certainly one of the best Airbnbs so we’re both keen to go back again for a different walk and a visit to the inside of Arundel Castle!