Walking the Arun Canal
The Walk
Walking along the the four and half mile Arun Canal can be neatly divided into two sections, what you can walk along and what you can’t! The most accessible part of the canal is the section that runs from Newbridge through the heart of the West Sussex countryside down to the site of Lee Farm Bridge. Here, with the exception of a short stretch at the southerly end the Wey South Path follows the course of the old canal where it still exists which is for almost its entire length.
South from Lee Farm Bridge although the bed of the canal runs unbroken for this entire stretch down to Pallingham Lock where it joins the River Arun, the path is forced to take a long deviation as, at the moment, permission cannot be obtained to continue the footpath along the path of the canal, a situation that I hope will change one day so people can enjoy the walk along this beautiful and much shorter route.
Just before Pallingham Lock the footpath briefly crosses the bed of the canal via Pallingham Bridge and as you approach this bridge the line of the canal heading north is clearly visible. The canal here is very much overgrown and neglected. This southerly section will be dealt with later as it is best reached from another location.
Finally on my other site My River Arun there is a walk from Stopham Bridge, near Pulborough to Newbridge in 2009 which includes the Arun Canal but not in as much detail as I intend to do here. It is a pleasant walk and if you wish to read about it follow the link above.
A Little About the History of Newbridge Wharf:
Looking at the modern O.S. Map above if you are in a car there are two places you can park. Immediately west of New Bridge on the A272 there is a small lay-by, or there is parking near the Limeburners Public House on the B2133, a pleasant pub if you are seeking refreshment after your walk. If you park there it is a relatively short walk down to the Wey South Path and from there only a five minute stroll back to Newbridge.
With the opening of the canal in 1787 the land adjacent to it was developed by the company as a site for the receiving and distribution of goods with timber and coal yards as well as lime kilns and with the opening of the Wey and Arun Junction Canal in 1816, thus establishing a direct link to London and the south coast, business expanded further. All this activity was under the control of the wharfinger who was responsible for the loading, unloading, storage and distribution of goods. He also kept records of all goods loaded and unloaded along with the rents paid for the use of the lime kilns and storage yards. He lived in a cottage on site (just under the figure 40 on the map). The wharfinger also kept a beerhouse known as the Limeburners. When the canal closed in 1888 the house became a private dwelling and the pub moved to its present location.
In 1839 traffic on the canal had increased to the point where the company decided to build a warehouse as well. But good things never last and the coming of the railways to this area and the
New Bridge: 1876 Ordnance Survey
competition they provided witnessed a decline in trade. The closure of the Wey and Arun Junction Canal in 1871 saw a further reduction of traffic on the Arun Navigation and by 1874 the business had fallen so dramatically that the company gave up being the wharfinger here although the storage facilities remained open for use at the persons own risk.
After the closure of the canal the warehouse became a farm store and fell into increasing dereliction as can be seen from the top left picture. It was eventually sold and turned into an extremely attractive luxury guest house called The Old Wharf with the canal still running past it as can be seen from the pictures to the right.
Left is one of the very few pictures of a barge on the canal. Pictured are Fred (standing) & Walter Dunkerton whose father George was the last wharfinger here (1868 to 1886).
Newbridge Warehouse: 1979
Newbridge Warehouse: 2011
The Canal at Newbridge: 2009
The Canal at Newbridge: 2011
Looking back to Newbridge:2011
Newbridge to Lordings Lock:
Before proceeding down the footpath have a look down the canal from the bridge. Up until 2009 the canal stretched away and disappeared around a slight bend before reaching the Old Forge Guest House as can be seen in the picture top left. However for quite some time the owners of the guest house had been suffering from periodic flooding, often as a result of the river Arun flooding the old Wey & Arun Junction Canal on the other side of the bridge and the resulting water coming into the Arun Canal and causing it to flood.
So permission was sought, and obtained to create some flood defence work and as part of this work an earth bank (or Bund) was created with a sluice gate in it to help control the flow of water. The centre and right pictures above show this. Also a bank was built close to the east bank of the canal in their grounds as a further defence against the Arun flooding the canal.
If you had proceeded south on the footpath early in 2011 you would have seen further proof of the river Arun busily eroding its banks during times of flood. As can be seen from the picture on the left another winter or two and it would have cut across the path completely and emptied itself into the canal just a few metres away on the right of this picture. So some urgent work was required to rectify this situation and the path was rebuilt and a pipe laid under it to, hopefully, solve this problem.
The footpath has changed quite a lot along this short stretch and further flood defence work has taken place with a earth bank built through the field with the path on top. This runs parallel with the floodbank built by the guest house owners but some distance from it and as you walk along some good views of the guest house and canal can be had but it will be hellishly muddy until vegetation has grown up and the earth bank compacted.
It is not long before this bank ends and the path of the canal is bisected by a earth causeway which divides the ‘in water’ section from the dry and overgrown part with an overflow pipe connecting them. The two pictures a little further up neatly illustrate this. Having crossed a small bridge the footpath enters quite a large field and initial
Looking South from the Bund: Feb 2011
Erosion of the Footpath: Feb 2011
The Restored Footpath: Sept 2011
View of Guesthouse from Footpath:Sept 2011
Looking from Path North: Sept 2011
Looking from Path South: Sept 2011
The Bed of the Canal: Sept 2011
The Bed of the Canal: Sept 2011
The Bed of the Canal: Sept 2011
The Bed of the Canal: Sept 2011
impressions would seem to indicate that the canal no longer exists at this point. But that is incorrect. The line of trees and bushes on the right indicate the path of the canal and a little way along they thin out and you can find the dry bed. Over the last 220 years it has slowly filled up and in places is almost level with the surrounding fields whilst in others it is still quite an obvious depression and the change in vegetation also marks its course. This is a lot more apparent when you are walking than in the pictures above and below. Having crossed the field the path enters a short stretch of woodland via a stile.
The Bed of the Canal: Sept 2011
Entering the Woods: Sept 2011
Canal in the Woods: Sept 2011
Canal in the Woods: Sept 2011
The River Arun: Sept 2011
Emerging from the Woods: Sept 2011
The Bed of the Canal: Sept 2011
Short Stretch South: Sept 2011
The Path Just Before Lordings: Sept 2011
Filled in Section of the Canal: Sept 2011
As the footpath enters this short stretch of woodland a sign proclaiming it to be private property and prohibiting any canal clearance betrays the present owners sentiments toward canal restoration and as a result the canal is extremely overgrown and littered with fallen trees, although it is in many ways quite a picturesque stretch with the river Arun close by on the left (it never is very far away on this walk).
Emerging from the wood there is a very short stretch before you enter another field where the canal has been filled in completely. The footpath runs along what would have been the towpath for some distance before entering a strip of woodland that leads to Lordings Lock and Orfold Aqueduct and back on to another beautiful section of the old canal.
Seeing the filled in canal I initially felt quite disheartened but as an old hand pointed out to me it is actually easier to dig a new canal
than restore an old one, so when circumstances eventually change and this section is able to be restored the landowner may have actually unintentionally done the restorers a favour by filling it in!
Aqueduct and Lock: 2009
Aqueduct and Lock: Sept 2011
The New Waterwheel in Action: Sept 2011
The Arun at Lordings: Sept 2011
Orfold Aqueduct and Lordings Lock:
Back on friendly territory we come across one of the three locks built on the canal and quite an interesting site it is as well. Here the canal crosses the path of the river Arun via an aqueduct before entering the lock itself. The first two pictures show this. Originally there was a lock cottage here, the foundations of which were discovered during restoration work and by the side of the lock cottage was a waterwheel, installed to maintain the water level above Lordings Lock. Although no original plans of the wheel exist, through some deductive thinking and creativity construction a working version of the wheel was made. For a plan of the lock and waterwheel click here.
The first one installed eventually wore out and a new replacement was made and officially opened by the Rt. Hon. Nick Herbert M.P. on 11.09.2011, a small boat rally being held the same day on the restored stretch of canal just to the south of here. To see pictures of what turned out to be a very enjoyable day follow this link.
In the 1950’s a new course for the river Arun was dug to help relieve flooding in the area which has the lock off from the rest of the canal although the river still also flows under the aqueduct as well. To the left is the view south taken from the footbridge crossing the new cut and on the right looking north back to the new cut.
Barge Just Below Newbridge: c. 1885
Newbridge Warehouse: 2011
Looking Across River to the Canal: Sept 2011
Looking Back Towards Lordings: Sept 2011
Lordings Floodgates:
Having crossed the river dividing the lock from the rest of the canal you quickly rejoin the footpath running along the old towpath and it is but a short walk down to Lordings Floodgates. The only turf sided lock on the navigation it was not actually built when the canal was, but opened in 1823 to provide a ‘one foot lock’ that made it easier for barges to enter Lording Lock just upstream. This lock formed part of a series of improvements made between 1822 and 1823 to the navigation in anticipation of an increase in trade with the opening of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal in 1823. Before these were done barges over 30 tons could not come down from the Thames and into the Arun due to lack of draught. But afterwards barges up to 40 tons could make the journey.
The lock also acted as a defence against flooding, often a problem in this area. Flood waters entering the canal would flow toward the bridge and gates and having got behind them forced them to close and as the gates were mitred the force of water held them shut. The backed up waters would eventually rise sufficiently to overtop a weir some distance back from the bridge and run via a culvert into the Arun. Having fallen into dereliction the lock and accommodation bridge going over it were restored in 2002 by volunteers of the Wey and Arun Canal Trust. A picnic area was also created.
From Lordings Lock southward to the site of Harsfold Bridge the canal has been dredged and re-profiled and usually has plenty of water in it. Volunteers from the trust keep the paths and banks tidy and recently carried out some major clearances, with the help of a reed cutter, in preparation for the Small Boat Rally mentioned above. The restoration of the bridge and the work done on the canal could not have taken place without the kind permission of the landowners to who a debt of gratitude is owed.
If you decide to finish your walk here and want to visit the Limeburners Inn return to Lordings Lock but instead of crossing the bridge to it take the footpath to your right. After some distance there is another path on the left taking you through some woods and along the shore of a really beautiful lake near Streele Farm. If you look at the O.S. Map at the top of the page the route back to the Limburners is obvious. Otherwise on to Harsfold.
Looking North from the Bridge: June 2009
Looking Through the Bridge: Sept 2011
Looking North from the Bridge: Sept 2011
Heading South: Sept 2011
Heading South: Sept 2011
In June 2009 This Section Was Very Overgrown
Approaching The Dam : Sept 2011
Looking North from the Dam: Sept 2011
To Harsfold:
South of the bridge there is quite a long stretch leading down to the dam on the site of Harsfold Bridge. Once again there are some lovely all round views with barely a building in site but the spire of Wisborough Green church can be seen from the bridge itself. As you walk down this stretch you will see a developing hazel hedge which has been planted between two barbed wire fences. The reason for the fences are to protect the hedge as it develops and when it has grown sufficiently to be stock proof they will be
removed. When I first walked this section in June 2009 the canal was very overgrown and the water chocked with reeds and other vegetation, so much so that at some points it was barely visible and the picture on the left below shows this. Now it looks so much better and plans are afoot to keep it that way. After a while the dam comes into view marking the end of the restored section of the canal for the time being.
River Arun Near Harsfold: Sept 2011
Looking South from the Dam: Sept 2011
Bed of Canal: June 2009
Bed of Canal: Sept 2011
Bed of Canal: Sept 2011
The Sharp Bend: Sept 2011
Curious Horse: Sept 2011
South of the Bend: Sept 2011
Harsfold to Haybarn:
The footpath now enters a stretch of woodland but before continuing on your journey it is worth making a small detour to have a look at the river Arun. As previously mentioned the river is never far away and if you walk a short distance along the path to your right there is a bridge across it that affords a good view upstream and down. All along this walk the river varies greatly over very short distances. One minute it can be quite wide and unhindered and then a short distance later become a narrow choked channel barely visible through the vegetation. Kingfishers have been seen around here so if you stand quietly you may get lucky.
Continuing the walk along the path through the woods the bed of the canal is alternately densely overgrown, quite bare and in some places ‘in water’ after rain. There are high banks on the far side and not long after entering the woods the river curves back to run parallel to the path just a few feet away. A little distance along the path is a wooden bridge that crosses a small breach in the banks of the canal that carry water from a spring that enters the canal back into the river.
Unfortunately the bank of the canal which is very close to the river here is being undermined by the spring and although the willows that were planted here some years ago have now matured and are supporting the bank very well there is signs of slippage beyond them so more work will be required to further stabilize the bank.
This section is rich in wildlife and wildflowers in the summer. It is not long before you arrive at a right angled bend in the canal which widens considerable at this point to allow barges to take the turn. From here it is approximately 500 yards down the path to the swing bridge at Haybarn.
Canal Bed and Footpath: Sept 2011
View Across the Fields: Sept 2011
Approaching Haybarn: Sept 2011
This section of the footpath affords some nice views to the west and you will also come across some magnificent horses in the adjacent fields which are kept by the local landowner. The bed of the canal here is very overgrown as are its banks.The path is cut quite regularly by volunteers of the W.A.C.T. but can get quite overgrown between trims. Once again there are hopes that it will not be too long before some work on tidying the banks and bed is undertaken. Meanwhile shortly after you pass a fallen tree laying across the canal (pictured below) the swing bridge across the canal appears.
The Swing Bridge: July 2010
Testing the Swing Bridge: August 2010
Testing the Swing Bridge: August 2010
Testing the Swing Bridge: August 2010
River Arun at Haybarn: August 2010
River Arun at Haybarn: August 2010
Around Haybarn:
If you just happen to be walking this section on a Monday morning you may well come across one of the Wey and Arun Canal Trust’s working parties beavering away at keeping the area immediately surrounding the bridge neat and tidy.
This is a particularly remote and beautiful spot. There is an info post here and if you stand by it and look slightly to the right there is, almost on the skyline, a cottage called Brinkwells that was lived in by the famous composer Edward Elgar between 1917 and 1920. The peace and tranquility around here inspired him to compose a violin sonata in E; a String Quartet in E minor op.83; a Piano Quintet in A minor op. 84 and a cello concerto all of which were published between 1918 - 19. Further to the right is the Mens, a tract of ancient woodland.
In winter the Toat Monument can also be seen on the skyline from here as the trees are not hiding it. Once described as a folly it is actually a monument to Samuel Drinkald, a London tea merchant killed in a riding accident and erected by his two sons. An inscription now worn away read “In memory of Samuel Drinkald 1823”
The swing bridge is a curiosity in itself. No such bridge was ever built on the Arun Canal but plenty were on the Portsmouth and
Arundel Canal only one of which now survives just south of Chichester Basin and is known as the Poyntz Swing Bridge, named after W.S. Poyntz of Cowdray who was a prominent shareholder in the canal company, a friend of 3rd Earl of Egremont and M.P. for Chichester in 1826. This particular bridge on the Arun Canal was originally situated on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Bar Lane, Keighley and after becoming redundant was kindly donated by British Waterways. The bridge was relocated to a corner of a nearby farm where the extensive restoration work that was needed in order to make it safe to use in its new position was carried out and all concerned were immensely grateful to the farmer for allowing them the use of this area. A crane was used to lift it onto a low loader which carried it to its new position where it was then lifted and lowered carefully into position. The bridge was officially opened by the Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Maud M.P. For Horsham on 16th July 2005. It is hoped that permission can be obtained for the rebuilding of Haresfold Bridge and the clearance of the canal down to this point which would make a very useful extension to the canal down from Lordings Lock.
The Wey South Path crosses the bridge, leaving the Arun Canal behind, but before leaving it is worth walking over the bridge to your right (known locally as the Chinese Bridge) for a look at the river which looks absolutely charming at the right time of year and is also a popular spot for fishing.
Before crossing the bridge you will see there is a path that continues to run along the side of the canal but this is not a public path. A while ago the landowner erected a fence and the Trust planted a hazel hedge along it and we maintain the path which runs down to Lee Farm Causeway as a courtesy and a thank you for all the kind co-operation we receive from this owner. It is a another attractive stretch although the banks and the canal are much overgrown as the three pictures below show. However if you wish to walk along it you will have to join the Volunteer Working Party which keeps this stretch tidy (in this case the Monday Group a.k.a. Mrs Bucket ). Visit the Trust’s Website for more information.
Private Section between Haybarn and Lee Farm Causeway
Sept 2011
Sept 2011
Private Section between Haybarn and Lee Farm Causeway
Sept 2011
Sept 2011
Private Section between Haybarn and Lee Farm Causeway
Sept 2011
Sept 2011
Canal Looking North: Feb 2010
Canal Looking South: Feb 2010
River Arun: June 2009
River Arun: Feb 2010
Path to Lee Farm Lock: August 2010
Path to Lee Farm Lock: August 2010
Lee Farm Lock: May 1979
Lee Farm Lock: Feb 2010
The Canal Beyond the Lock: Feb 2010
Down to Lee Farm Causeway:
Having finally crossed the swing bridge the path heads through a yard with some large barns in it, hence the name given to this area I suspect, and down a lane toward the site of Lee Farm Bridge, long since disappeared and replaced by a causeway. In summer the bed of the canal is quite obscured by undergrowth but, as can be seen from the pictures left and right it is most visible in winter.
Having crossed the causeway it is only a few steps before crossing a bridge over the river Arun and this is the last you will see of the canal and river for some distance because, as previously mentioned, the path is forced to take a long detour at this point. The two pictures illustrate the changing nature of the river.
As you crossed the causeway dividing the canal you will notice gates north and south leading to the paths which follow the old towpath. The one on the right leads back to Haybarn, as mentioned above and the path to the right runs a short distance down to Lee Farm Lock. Another private path flanked by a hazel hedge planted and maintained by the WACT.
It is only a short walk down to the lock itself which was restored by the Trust in 1992 and marks the boundary between landowners. The lock now appears very overgrown as since its
restoration a change in ownership in the land as resulted in access problems regarding the western side of the lock and has lead to the ridiculous situation of being able to clear one side but not the other. Hopefully this will be resolved so at least the lock can be cleared properly. Beyond here the canal curves gently away heading toward Pallingham Bridge and Lock but access is denied to the public and the Trust for the rest of its course by the present landowners.
It is hoped that one day the path from Haybarn to Lee Farm Causeway and Lock will be opened to walkers as the existing landowner has co-operated with the WACT regarding work and access on other parts of their land, which is greatly appreciated by all concerned. But the prospect beyond this point does not look good at present, a great shame indeed.
You are now faced with the choice of taking the very long detour round to Pallingham Bridge or leaving this final part of the canal for another day.
Pallingham Lock: 1952
Pallingham Lock and Cottage: c. 1918
Pallingham Lock: March 2010
Pallingham Lock: March 2010
Pallingham Lock
The lock marks the end of the tidal section of the river Arun and the start of the Arun Canal and is where the first lock on the Arun Canal was built.
Pallingham lock was originally a single lock but fully laden barges often had problems entering it due to lack of draft, so in 1822 as part of general improvements to the river and canal in preparation for the opening of the Portsmouth and Arundel Canal a lower lock was built, increasing the depth of water over the cill by 18 inches. This allowed it to admit barges of up to 68 feet 3 inches long and with a beam of eleven feet nine inches. It was also one of the deepest locks between Littlehampton and Weybridge, having a rise and fall of between 7 and 9 feet depending on the tide and amount of water in the river.
Pallingham Lock Cottage was built when the canal opened and the tolls were collected by five members of the Stone family from the time of its opening in 1787 to its closure in 1888. The last lock keeper, Benjamin Stone lived here from 1871, when he was appointed lock keeper, and continued to live here after the closure of the canal until his death in August 1935. He can be seen sitting by the lock in the 1918 picture above. The cottage at one time had a bakery and grocer’s shop as well as living quarters. There was also a small wharf with storehouses. The cottage does not look much different today but the extensions either side of the main building were re-modelled in the late 1930’s.
At some point after 1952 the lock was entirely filled in but the present owners had it partially excavated as can be seen here. It really is a lovely spot with some wonderful views of the Arun Valley. But it does suffer from the lock cottagers curse of being prone to inundation in times of flood. The present owners have built a modern wooden building on higher ground behind the cottage to which they can decamp when the rising waters threaten.
The Arun at Pallingham Lock: March 2010
Pallingham Lock: March 2010
Pallingham Lock Cottage: March 2010
Getting to Pallingham Bridge:
Getting to Pallingham is no easy task if you are on foot. The nearest train station is Pulborough and it is a long walk, though by no means an unpleasant one. It is described in the Stopham Bridge to Newbridge Walk previously mentioned on this page.
Alternatively, if you are in a car it is possible to park a lot nearer at the points indicated on the O.S. Map on the left. If you take the path in that runs past Pallingham Lock Farm you pass very close to Pallingham Lock and Cottage. Although it is now a private dwelling and not open to the public I ran into the owners who could not have been nicer and they kindly gave me permission to have a look round. So before proceeding onto the bridge a little about the lock itself.
Pallingham Bridge:
Thie first bridge over the canal just up from the lock was rebuilt by the WACT, and although there is no access to the canal here as it is on private property the owners are good enough to allow the WACT to keep the bridge tidy and prevent it disappearing under a tangle of ivy and brambles as these two pictures taken in June 2009 and the two below taken early in 2011 illustrate.
Early in 2011a visit was arranged and four members of the trust carefully tidied the bridge and a short stretch either side of it. The bottom two pictures on the left and right show the results whilst the centre picture is looking north up the bed of the canal.
The path crosses the bridge heading toward the river Arun which runs in two channels
A Little History
Looking around the area now it is difficult to imagine that it was once bustling with activity and has a history extending back long before the building of the Arun Canal.
Looking at the 1875 ordnance survey map on the left three things of interest can be seen, Pallingham Lock, the wharf and wharf field beside Pallingham Quay Farm and Pallingham Quay and Docks, just below Pallingham Bridge.
Long before the Arun Canal was opened in 1787, in the last half of the 16th century, Henry Fitzalan, who had succeeded as the Earl of Arundel in 1644, set about, over the next 30 years, improving the navigability of the river Arun and by 1575 the river had been
made navigable for the movement of timber by barge from Pallingham to Arundel. So a thriving quay and storage area sprang up to deal with this. The Arun briefly divides into two channels here and the centre picture below was taken from the first bridge across the river looking toward what was the wharf field, with the farm cottage hidden behind the right hand bush and the right hand photo is taken from the second bridge and shows Pallingham Quay Farm as it is today (June 2009). Sadly since the closing of the canal all signs of this wharf field and storage area have disappeared.
With the opening of the Arun Canal new opportunities arose and a barge building and repair yard was built and opened in 1804 just below Pallingham Bridge with a carpenters shop, built of timber and thatch, just to the south. Once again almost all of this has disappeared and what remains is hidden under dense thickets. The B&W photo bottom left, taken in 1952, shows the entrance to the barge building and repair yard which was barely visible then. Don’t go looking for any remains now though as they are on private property.
here which it crosses via two bridges (unsurprisingly!) and heads off towards some woods on its long detour before arriving back at Lee Farm Causeway. A lot of activity once took place around here which you can read about below.
In Closing:
So this is the end of my bit about the old Arun Canal and the countryside it went through. Although much of its length is open it is my hope that I live long enough to at least see the last sections opened up to walkers so that everybody can enjoy the beauty around them and not just a lucky few. As to the restoration of the canal itself, I believe that it will happen one day but am not confident that it will be in my lifetime, a great sadness for me and, no doubt for other people who have and will pass on before this goal is achieved.
Acknowledgements
The colour pictures on this page were taken by me on my walks.The photographs of Lee Farm Lock and the 1979 picture of Newbridge Warehouse are from West Sussex Past Pictures, the official database of heritage photographs, prints, drawings and paintings provided by local museums and the County Library Service. The black and white pictures and sketches are from P. A. L. Vines pictorial history, The Arun Navigation, available from the Wey and Arun Canal Trust’s Store. Other information has been gleaned from various publications including pamphlets published by the WACT, London’s Lost Route to the Sea, and from just talking to people. London’s Lost Route to the Sea is unfortunately out of print. Second hand copies are available from the Amazon online store however (checked on 4/9/2011).