Petsto one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

I walked this on a windy and showery day in April from Storrington to Petworth. I really enjoyed it. Its mainly off road or along some very quiet lanes. It took me about four hours with a couple of picnic stops and brief visits to two of the churches en route.

I found this Slow Way to be easy to follow and although there were some short muddy sections, most of the paths were reasonably dry or fairly easy going. Much of the soil is sandy hereabouts rather than thick clay. The route passes through Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve in the flood plain of the River Arun. It also passes three interesting churches at Wiggonholt, Pulborough and Stopham. Perhaps best of all, it crosses the medieval Stopham Bridge across the Arun, which is probably the best bridge in Sussex.

There are several stiles, kissing gates, narrow footbridges and a section of boardwalk at the Storrington end. I don't think this one is suitable for wheels. I passed through no fields of livestock this time. Plenty of refreshment opportunities are available at Pulborough the half-way point including the White Hart at Stopham Bridge. Other pubs passed include the Welldiggers Arms and the Black Horse at Byworth near Petworth. You also pass nearby the RSPB shop/cafe at Pulborough Brooks.

I would make one change to the route for aesthetics, but it is not essential. At Pulborough, rather than walking along the main road to the station, I'd take the footpath opposite Allfreys Wharf up the hill to Old Rectory Lane then head to the church, crossing the A29 there then heading down Church Place to meet the plotted route by the bridge over the railway line. This saves about half a mile and cuts out some road walking.

I thought this was a lovely route (walked on 2/12/23), with the stretch coming out of Petworth particularly nice with lots of interesting little hills and woods. It is long though (I clocked it at 22.66 km), and it's odd that Pulborough isn't a SlowWays Place - it's bigger than Storrington and would make a good stopping off point. As the first review says though, there are lots of places which might be waterlogged, notably the RSPB at Pulborough Brooks and could then be impassba,.e, but easy to find routes around.

This quite a long route mostly on footpaths and bridleways. It is easy to follow and well signed.
There are several crossings of the A283 - care is needed particularly at Low Heath and Stopham because of poor visibility. The crossing at Stopham Bridge can be avoided by turning sharp left at the pub and going under the main road - the might not be possible if the river is very high.
Some stretches of thick nettles mean long trousers are a good idea. Mud a problem in the woods at Low Heath and Sellings (slippery but not insurmountable)
The route from Pulborough to the RSPB Reserve crosses water meadows which are often flooded and impassable in winter after heavy rain and/or spring tides. An alternative route uses the path to the east from Marehill to Wiggonholt. This is always above the waterline but can still be boggy.
There are a couple of pubs at the Petworth end, and the White Hart at Stopham Bridge is a good halfway point. There are other refreshment options in Pulborough.

Overall it is an enjoyable route with a variety of lowland terrain. However, it is only accessible on foot with many kissing gates and a flight of steps.

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