Fishbourne and Bosham Circular Walk

Fishbourne and Bosham Circular Walk is a 6.2 mile loop trail located near Chichester, West Sussex, England that offers scenic views and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking and walking.

Length6.2 miElevation gain314 ftRoute typeLoop

Description

Waypoints (6)

Getting There

This is a loop route taking in the meadows, mud flats, reed beds, farmland and quay around Fishbourne and Bosham, within the Chichester Harbour AONB. IMPORTANT NOTE: Spring high tides can flood some of the estuary paths so please check the Bosham tide times and time your walk to AVOID HIGH TIDES. The walk is virtually flat throughout with just a couple of very gentle slopes. The paths through the water meadows and fields can be very boggy and muddy so good boots are a must. Three of the fields you cross, the Fishbourne Meadows, are used to graze cattle so take particular care with dogs. You will need to negotiate a few steps, kissing gates and footbridges but there are no stiles on route. There are a couple of sections of walking on quiet lanes and you will need to cross an A-road a couple of times, so take care at these points. Allow 3 hours.

Start to Fishbourne Meadows

Leave Fishbourne station to reach the road and turn right along the pavement. When you reach the pedestrian crossing, cross over to continue along the left-hand pavement and then take the first left turn into Roman Way. Continue past the school on your left and at the end of the road you will reach the entrance for Fishbourne Roman Palace ahead. The exterior appearance of this site belies its importance. The 1960s style buildings actually house the remains of a 1st Century Roman Palace. In size, it is approximately equivalent to Nero's Golden House in Rome (larger than Buckingham Palace) and is by far the largest known Roman residence north of the Alps. It is thought that there were mosaic floors in at least 100 of the rooms and on display within the museum is the largest collection of Roman mosaics in Britain, including one depicting Cupid riding a dolphin. Admission charges apply if you would like to visit. Standing facing the vehicle entrance gate, fork left to join the fenced footpath running to the left of the museum's entrance road (make sure you are on the separate footpath, NOT the pavement within the museum site itself). Beyond the palace site you will come to a fingerpost and kissing gate. Follow the main tarmac path which swings right and then, when the path swings left, go straight ahead to pass through the gate to reach the road. Cross over with good care (it can be busy and there is a pedestrian crossing a few hundred yards to the right if you need it) and go straight ahead through the kissing gate (signed as a public footpath). Follow the tarmac path which leads you over a stream and on to reach a kissing gate ahead, at the edge of Fishbourne Meadows.

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Fishbourne Meadows to Inland Path

NOTE: You may come across cattle grazing within Fishbourne Meadows (these were once part of the Roman harbour linked to the palace). Pass through the gate to enter the first meadow and walk diagonally right (between 2 and 3 o'clock) to reach the gate at the furthest right corner of the field. Pass though the kissing gate and walk diagonally right, following the sleepers and then continuing with a fence and stream on your right. As you reach the field corner, go ahead across a large footbridge over the stream, walk ahead for a few paces to reach the raised sleeper path and then turn right along this. In the corner, go through the metal kissing gate and keep ahead on the stone path between properties, with the stream running on your right. Pass through the next gate and go ahead, passing The Old Mill on the left and the old millpond on your right. Beyond the millpond, the path swings left and then leads you between tall impressive reed beds, crossing three footbridges to reach a fingerpost. Stay on the signed footpath, to the left, following an embankment with fields to your right and the reed beds within Fishbourne Channel on the left. Soon the reed beds on the left give way to salt marshes and mudflats. With the tide out, the wading birds and stranded boats are the only clues that these mud flats disappear under the sea twice a day. Behind to your left you will have a good view of the spire of Chichester Cathedral in the distance. Further along, the path leaves the embankment and winds along the edge of the mudflats, leading you through some pretty old oak trees. Continue over a sleeper bridge and beyond this the path bears right, leading you inland.

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Inland Path to Park Lane

The path leads you through a section of dense hedgerow, packed with hawthorn and blackthorn. Beyond the hedgerows, continue straight ahead on the grass track with an open crop field to the right. At the end of the first field you will come to a T-junction, turn right and follow the grass track between two crop fields. When the crop field on the left ends, turn left and follow the fenced path with a line of tall trees running on your right. At the end of this footpath, you will come to a junction with a quiet country lane, Park Lane.

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Park Lane to Bosham Channel

Cross over with care and go straight ahead passing through the low staggered barrier to join the next fenced section of footpath. Simply stay ahead on this path which eventually bends left to pass a single property on the right. Beyond the house, continue along the grass verge ahead and merge with the access drive for the house. Follow the access drive and, where it bends left, do NOT follow it, instead walk ahead through the gap in the hedge, turn right over a bridge and then turn left over a second bridge. Keep directly ahead on the grass path which leads you through the centre of a crop field. At the end of the field, go down the steps, cross the quiet road and go straight ahead into the gravel driveway (passing a house on your left and its garage on your right). Walk ahead to join the narrow path between fences. At the end of this path, cross over the quiet lane, walk directly ahead over the grass verge and you will come to the edge of Bosham Channel. Turn right along the tarmac path which leads you along the edge of the estuary.

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Bosham Channel to Beach Path

Simply stay on the tarmac path, following the line of the sea wall on your left. The road below this wall floods at high tide and catches out many tourists! Eventually the path leads you between houses and you will emerge to the junction with Bosham Lane, with the Old Town Hall on your left. Go straight ahead on the small lane, leading you into the heart of the village to reach the pub, Anchor Bleu, on the left, an ideal lunch stop. Stay on the same lane which leads you past the village church on your right. Follow the lane over the stream and you will come to a T-junction with Quay Meadow ahead. Turn right along the lane and, just as it is about to swing right, turn left alongside a wooden gate (marked as Private Carriageway), if you look carefully you will notice the public footpath sign hidden in the privet hedge here. Follow the gravel driveway, swinging right to pass between two properties, then bear left and follow the path down to reach the back of the beach. (NOTE: If the tide is too high to use this path, retrace your steps back to the Old Town Hall, turn left along Bosham Lane and follow it to the junction with Moreton Road, where you can pick up the main route once again).

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Frenchams to End

Simply keep ahead on this grass path, passing a crop field on your left and then a large glasshouse complex also on your left. Beyond this complex, ignore the path on the left, simply keep ahead on the main grass path. At the end of the field, go straight ahead onto the tree-lined track. The track soon opens out to follow a beautiful line of tall ivy-clad trees on your right and an open crop field on your left. Follow this track all the way to its end where it meets a junction with a road. Keep straight ahead along the quiet residential lane and soon it will lead you to a T-junction with the main road. Turn right along the pavement and continue along the road until you reach Bosham Dental Clinic on your right. Here you will find a designated crossing point which allows you to swap to the left-hand pavement. Continue past the bus stop and then turn left into the side road, signed to the Roman Palace and Fishbourne Station. Follow Salthill Road for 0.25 miles to reach the station where the walk began.

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The walk starts and finishes at Fishbourne rail station, which is served by trains running between Littlehampton and Portsmouth. If you are coming by car, there is street parking nearby including on Roman Way. Approximate post code PO19 3QN.

Weather

UV Index

Daylight

Reviews (37)

Photos (44)

Activities (30)

Completed (78)

Kirstie Linzey

February 14, 2021

WalkingMuddy

Lovely first half great views but boring on way back. Very muddy but everywhere is right now.

AllTrails User

January 17, 2021

HikingFloodedMuddyWashed out

Great walk , however just too muddy at this time of year . With lockdown maybe the mud too dangerous think I’d leave until it dries out a bit , maybe early spring

Ted Symonds

January 17, 2021

Hiking

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anna m

December 4, 2020

Hiking

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Polly Artwhistle

November 22, 2020

WalkingMuddy

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Gregory Leicester

November 22, 2020

WalkingMuddy

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Paul Paul

November 21, 2020

WalkingMuddy

Lovely country walk, despite it being quite muddy some of the way round. Very well described until get to the shore in Bosham when it seems there might even be a section of the description missing. We also took a slight detour from the described route at the end to avoid walking too far on a main road. At the point of crossing the main road by Bosham Dental Studio, pick up the signs to Roman Castle which is a footpath which brings you out right by the crossing at the start of the walk

Marian Schneider

October 18, 2020

HikingGreat!

Jessica Bell

October 11, 2020

Hiking

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Charlotte User

September 28, 2020

Walking

Really lovely and easy walk. Shame about the road walking at the end but next time wil try the detour suggested by another user below.

Matthew Halloran

September 25, 2020

Hiking

A pleasant walk, you’ll need the map if the tide is out for waypoint 5 and not a lot of direction until waypoint 6. A little ‘roady’ between waypoint 5 and 6. We found an alternative for the end of the route, instead of Turing right after crossing over the road by the dentist, we went left then right onto legionaries walk, it’s a little quieter because you’re away from the road and brings you out by the crossing from the start of the walk.

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Sarah Sarah

September 19, 2020

Hiking

Lovely autumn walk with an ice cream in the middle.

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Valerie Crookes

August 28, 2020

Hiking

This walk was absolutely beautiful with a great mix of coast and countryside and we thoroughly enjoyed it until we reached Bosham where there appeared to be a chunk of directions missing and the waypoints didn’t match with the map. We walked an extra 2 miles retracing our steps trying to find the route. Hence 4 stars instead of 5. Frenchman’s, on a bend on Bosham Lane, was easily missed. Still we had a lovely day, a great lunch in Bosham, and the highlights were sloe and blackberry picking and a hare running across our path!

Mitchell Sneddon

August 22, 2020

HikingGreat!

This was one of the best walks that we have completed. It had everything that the family could want. Coastal and Rural paths, lovely village life and abundant wild life. We parked close by the 2000 year old Roman Palace in Fishbourne as the trail runs around it on 2 sides. The trail route can be confusing in this area, so my advice is to keep your AllTrails app close to hand as there are multiple tracks converging in the area beyond the palace. The trail is a mix of all surfaces so in the winter it could be muddy in sections. Part of the trail / path as stated in the description are impassable at high tide, so heed the advice to check the tides and go when the tide is falling! This trail is excellent for all ages of family. Chichester Harbour Tide times for 7 days are available for free on the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables/8/68). The trail starts coastal and quickly switches to rural farmland before becoming coastal again at Bosham. Bosham is a beautiful little village and we stopped at the Shoreside Cafe for a refreshing drink and delicious and reasonably price pastry. The cafe has views out across Bosham Harbour and the staff in the cafe were very friendly and a fantastic source of local walking information. The trail as shown on the App is now incorrect as part of the area around Bosham Harbour is now sign posted as Private Access. As you arrive into Bosham on the southern route (clockwise), you follow a paved pathway adjacent to Shore Road which brings you out at Bosham lane opposite the Shoreside Cafe. If you follow the app onwards down Hight Street, the trail takes you past the quaint Anchor Bleu pub and local Church bringing you out at the photographic Bosham Quay (worth a visit). From here the trail stops as it is now blocked by private roads to local housing) and you have to retrace your steps back down the High Street to the Shoreside cafe and take a left down Bosham Lane where you will rejoin the App trail about 200 metres further along the lane. From here there is long section of road which is fairly quiet but with wide pavements. Quickly as you leave Bosham, the trail goes to public paths and rural farmland until you reach Fishbourne where the trail connects with the busy Fishbourne Main Road which you have to cross but again has good quality pavement and verge.

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Matt Perkins

August 8, 2020

Hiking

Generally a good walk. However, if the tide is in at Bosham you can’t actually complete the first section of the walk, which is a real shame. And if you’re not that keen on walking past many fields then it may not be for you!