[Closed] What to do in, near & around Arundel, West Sussex?

Isn't there some sort of big house nearby? And a river for nice walks. Arundel is quite sort of cutesy post but quite small.

Ford Open Prison is nearby. And a nice beach at Climping.

Chichester and the Pallant House gallery isn't too far away. Lovely cathedral.

If you have any interest in birds the Wildfowl and Wetlands trust could be worth a wander around.

Arundel has a big castle and a cathedral if they interest you too

big house nearby?

Parham House near Storrington, Petworth House or Goodwood House?

And a nice beach at Climping

Nice beaches either side of the River Arun at Littlehampton, shingle by the time you get to Climping though

Bognor Butlins is a short drive away too

Pootle around antique shops, refesh at "quaint" tea and cake shop then walk/boat up river to Amberley via a number of nice pubs before train back. Downland walks and/or seaside on second day with more "quaint" tea and cake stops. Castle if happy to splash some cash.

You have to pay to get into the castle but it's actually pretty good and fulfils the 'big house' part of the trip.

The wildfowl trust is good for pretty birdies, you have to pay a few quid for that too. For a short walk from the town tho, from the southern end of the town you'll reach the river, turn left (heading east), with a small stream full of water vole and ducks on your left and the main river over to your right, walk for a mile or so along the path until you reach the nice pond at the end and wander round that. For a longer walk you can make a loop fro here that goes up to houghton then back down the river to Arun.

Its on the edge of the South Downs, so theres some nice walks around there.
You've got Amberley Chalk Pits museum nearby in Amberley.
Out of interest where are you staying? Its not the Norfolk Arms Hotel is it?

Posh hotel for the weekend you say? Don't pregnant ladies have increased libido? Pretty sure that's your weekend sorted 😉

Probably too cold for the lido yet. Otherwise, excellent lido!

Libido.
Lido.

What comes next?
Dil..??

DrP

You're the doctor :-0

edit - likely order - libido, d-do, lido

lido in early May likely to neutralise libido

edit - likely order - libido, d-do, lido

Ia gree.

Anyway...

I'd suggest:
Potter around Arundel. very quaint.
The Castle.
Swanbourne Lake (free) then wild fowl (£).

Could drive up to the SDW (chantry lane) and have a walk up on the top - see my local stomping ground..

Pop to Worthing for a fish and chips.

THat would fill your time.

DrP - "bringing you the tours that matter"

If you're in the car to Worthing then Brighton's easy distance - lots of different coffee shop/cafe places on North Laine, Brighton Pavilion, etc. Parking's a bugger though, might consider parking at Ford or Angmering and getting a train in

Cool cool - plenty of stuff to go at there; thanks folks.

Bigyinn - it [i]is[/i] the Norfolk Arms Hotel - was posh a description too far?? Too late now...

Keep anything else coming.

Ta, Paul

Bognor!

Arundel you say? Well you could visit the tomb.

An Arundel Tomb
By Phillip Larkin

Side by side, their faces blurred,
The earl and countess lie in stone,
Their proper habits vaguely shown
As jointed armour, stiffened pleat,
And that faint hint of the absurd—
The little dogs under their feet.

Such plainness of the pre-baroque
Hardly involves the eye, until
It meets his left-hand gauntlet, still
Clasped empty in the other; and
One sees, with a sharp tender shock,
His hand withdrawn, holding her hand.

They would not think to lie so long.
Such faithfulness in effigy
Was just a detail friends would see:
A sculptor’s sweet commissioned grace
Thrown off in helping to prolong
The Latin names around the base.

They would not guess how early in
Their supine stationary voyage
The air would change to soundless damage,
Turn the old tenantry away;
How soon succeeding eyes begin
To look, not read. Rigidly they

Persisted, linked, through lengths and breadths
Of time. Snow fell, undated. Light
Each summer thronged the glass. A bright
Litter of birdcalls strewed the same
Bone-riddled ground. And up the paths
The endless altered people came,

Washing at their identity.
Now, helpless in the hollow of
An unarmorial age, a trough
Of smoke in slow suspended skeins
Above their scrap of history,
Only an attitude remains:

Time has transfigured them into
Untruth. The stone fidelity
They hardly meant has come to be
Their final blazon, and to prove
Our almost-instinct almost true:
What will survive of us is love.

Lovely area. How pregnant is the wife as the walking on/around the SDW is lovely. Eg loop from Burpham anti-clockwise upto sdw and back. Also you can drive to a car park near the top of Bignor Hill from village of Bignor (road is a bit rutted but ok with care) a short-ish stroll to the high point of the hill, maybe some lambs in the top fields. Great views. There is a Roman Villa near Bignor, not been in yet so can't comment.

As above Castie is worth a visit, town has some nice cafe's etc

The Wetlands Trust place is excellent.

It's nice and flat, plenty of different birds to see and they do a little electric boat thing that takes you round where the Kingfisher's nest.

[url= http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/arundel/# ]Link to wetlands website[/url]

Also the castle but check when its open before heading there.

You're a short-ish train ride (or drive) from Chichester where there's an exhibition about Tim Peake and the town museum (same building).

I think you can also access Bosham by train (or car) which is very pretty on a sunny day.

Our lass is 5½ months pregnant so walking is fine so long as she/we get a rest every now and again. She managed 10 miles around the Gower last weekend.

Birds are all good, castle sounds good, Chichester sounds interesting, whats Bognor actually like? I imagine lots of old people waiting to die...

Bigyinn has me slightly concerned we're off to Fawlty Towers though!

Thanks for all the help so far. Its appreciated.

Ta, Paul

[url= http://www.arundel.org.uk/whatson/view/arundel-beer-festival-8494 ]Arundel Beer Festival[/url] - tomorrow sorted 😉

Funny but we spent the day in Arundel the day before our first son was born. He was planned c-section so it was by choice but still, take plenty of towels.

Do.Not,Go.To.Bognor. 😉

Do some of the above and see the sea. Chichester is great (ex traffic) and was a member if Bosham sialing club but its not worth the drive if you have only 2 days in Arundel.

Chichester has a nice wee art museum

Bognor Butlins! Is it still there?

we went to Bognor Butlins for a long weekend when the kids were little, had a whale of a time on all the fairground rides, swimming pools, bedtime visit with Billy the Bear, etc. Like Centerparcs without the trees, pretentiousness and Mumsnetters looking worried what they were in for later, replaced by boozing, fags and tattoos.

I suspect probably not for you this time......

There are loads of bluebells at the moment, I'd find some nice woodland for a walk rather than the South Downs.

Walk in the woods from Whiteways car park for bluebells 🙂

Got a 4x4? It's pay and play day in slindon quarry, perfect for a pregnant lady.

Or, more sensibly, get thee over to Brighton and meander the lanes for a day. If you've never been it's marvellous and so 'Brighton' the cliche rings true for once.

If you do go to the Arundel wetland centre, I built some of the boardwalk there, it's double nailed, you'll be fine...

Pictonroad - I do happen to have a 4x4 (Landy) but its not coming so Slindon is out. Sham as its somewhere I'd like to have had a play. C'est la vie.

Strongly suspect that Bognor is a no go but bluebells are a winner so that could feature.

Once again, ta for all the replies,

Paul

Gregsd - we're there Sunday and Monday so the beer festival is a no-go. 🙁

Another vote for Arundel castle... We were there just a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it, the walled garden is particularly stunning with all the tulips out.

Amberley working museum is another we enjoy and have been many times...can happily while away a few hours on the exhibits there

If you prefer nature oriented places then Tilgate Park, Hotham park are good options. Also check out Arundel Castle and Gardens

And....

Lots of nice pubs in Arundel, just be warned that the Black Rabbit ( north of the Wildfowl and Wetlands centre) whilst a nice place to be but the food and beer is very average and its VERY busy.
Bignor Roman Villa (just north of the downs)
Amberley Working Museum...slightly bizarre displays of old cellphones and you can see where the end of "A view to a Kill" was filmed.
Bluebells...go to Arundel Park Estate (on the other side of the river just east of Warningcamp) for a stroll. The bluebells are in full bloom and looked great yesterday evening.

It's just a pity that the Curiousity Shop in Arundel closed years ago as it was a bonkers display of lots to wierd two headed cats in jars of formaldehyde...hmm, possibly wasn't for everyone.

You can see the results of this for real, the temporary measures are still in place.

[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/working-for-the-environment-agency-and-how-my-weekend-escalated-somewhat ]Thread on Arundel emergency works.[/url]

Buy her Dinner and spoil her

Visit the Tangmere aviation museum and have a go in the Lightning simulator.

northernerindevon - Member

Bigyinn has me slightly concerned we're off to Fawlty Towers though!

Thanks for all the help so far. Its appreciated.

Ta, Paul

Nudge for the OP.

If you drive through Chichester and then Birdham, you come out at the best bit of coastline in the South East, in which you can park at West Wittering and walk round to Itchinor or vice versa.(coastal path/beach) Very Yottie at the latter, but a pub near the water to have lunch.