Walk no: 1
Length: 10 miles
A 10 mile linear walk from Chichester rail station to Barnham rail station in West Sussex, forming the first stretch of the Sussex Hospices Trail. The route passes by St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Chichester before following the line of a long lost canal which once transported goods from London to Portsmouth, avoiding encounters with enemy ships in the English Channel. You will enjoy a stretch of the restored Chichester Ship Canal, several charming villages plus the rural path of the old canal as it crosses arable fields and fruit farms with plenty of wildlife to enjoy along the way. The return leg can be completed with a single 7 minute train journey.
Difficulty
The walking route from Chichester to Barnham is almost entirely flat. The paths across farmland can be very muddy at times and can also be quite overgrown in part, so shorts are not recommended (unless you’re immune to nettles!). There are a couple of sections of walking along quiet lanes (so take care of traffic for these stretches) and you will need to cross the railway at an unsignalled footpath crossing so take extreme care and listen carefully for trains before you cross. You will need to negotiate some steps, several kissing gates plus 4 stiles (most of these have large gaps alongside, but two have tighter fence surrounds that medium-large dogs should be able to pass through – our standard poodle just squeezed through). Allow 5 hours.
Map
Accessing the Trail
There are several ways to follow the Trail!
On paper
You can download and print the PDF leaflet for your walk at the top of this page. These include turn-by-turn directions, photos and a simplified map. For extra safety, we recommend that you carry an Ordnance Survey map of the area too.
On an app
The walks can be found on the free AllTrails App. They are already downloaded and the directions are in the section called Waypoints.
This version of AllTrails will work as long as there is an internet (3G/4G) signal.
Note: within the AllTrails App you have the option to pay a subscription to upgrade to AllTrails Pro. This gives you the ability to follow the guides without using any internet data in areas where there is no 3G/4G coverage.
On a GPS device
If you have a Garmin or another GPS-based App e.g. the Ordnance Survey App, you can download the GPX File for your chosen walk from our website to use on these devices. (Please note that the GPX Files are for personal use only and must not be published on any other platform)
