Amberley, Burpham and North Stoke circular

Enjoy far reaching views of the Arun Valley

Two steep inclines, uneven ground. Some gates. No stiles

Getting here

By bus: There are regular services to Amberley, visit traveline.info/se
By rail: Amberley station is on the Arun Valley line from London Victoria. Check nationalrail.co.uk for details.

Amberley

Amberley is a chocolate box village with many old buildings, thatched cottages, a castle (now a private hotel), a church, two pubs and a shop. There is also a working pottery.
Amberley Wild Brooks is a large area of flood meadows, jointly managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust and the RSPB. It is one of the richest wetlands remaining in the UK.

Amberley Museum

Amberley Museum is a 36 acre open-air museum dedicated to the industrial heritage of the south east. The main chalk quarry at the museum is famous for being the location of the mine in the James Bond film A View to a Kill. The museum is home to a number of resident craftspeople using traditional methods. Open mid March to October.

Burpham and North Stoke

The village of Burpham (pronounced ‘Burrfam’) is steeped in history. It is positioned on the site of one of the five forts built by King Alfred the Great between Chichester and Lewes to defend the country from Danish raiders, hence the name ‘Burgh’ for fort and ‘ham’ for village. You can clearly see where the River Arun carved out its channel through the chalk. Nowadays flood banks confine what was once a wild and wandering river.

St Mary’s Church, North Stoke is set in a secluded location near the River Arun. It remains virtually unaltered since medieval times.

Directions

1. From Amberley Station turn right then go past the Museum. There is a footpath on the far side of this busy road.
2. Turn right up High Titten for a steep climb onto the South Downs Way (SDW) and Amberley Mount.
3. Turn off the road at the timber chicane and follow the SDW to Rackham Banks.
4. At Rackham Banks, a scheduled ancient monument, turn right and take the bridleway. At the fork, follow the left (higher) path which runs between a wood on one side and a field on the other.
5. At this complex junction turn right then keep going; ignore the bridleway to the left a few metres further on.
6. To walk the shorter route take the next turning right. Follow the path until you meet the little lane which comes up from North Stoke and ends at the metal gate near Canada barns.
   Follow this lane until you pick up the route again in North Stoke at point 13.
7. Alternatively, follow the footpath straight on through to Peppering High Barn.
8. Take the second right into Burpham, then turn right at the junction.
9. Just past the church turn up the tarmac lane to the right.
10. At Peppering Farm leave the road at the corner and carry on down the bridleway.
11. At the edge of the flat floodplain, turn right and follow the bridleway along the foot of the wooded banks.
12. Follow the bridleway up the hill and along the road.
13. At the junction, you can carry on to see St Mary’s church, North Stoke, then retrace your route back to the junction and carefully take the road downhill back to Amberley Station.