This walk will be around another peninsula - the Chidham Peninsula. This is bounded by the Bosham Channel to the east and the Thorney Channel to the west, which both flow into the Chichester Channel. It’s a complicated bit of coastline, the technical term being ‘very squiggly’…
I start back at my finish point from last time. I have decided to follow the road for about one third of a mile to the next public footpath. There is no public right of way along the waterside for this stretch, and last time the mud didn’t look passable!
This section of path is an easy walk with the creek to the left and farmland to the right.
There are even some swans to look at…
Halloween must be coming…
I soon arrive in Chidham, which seems to be the only settlement on the peninsula apart from a couple of farms. They have a pond and an info board…
The coast path heads down this private road…
At the bottom of the road there is a gap in the bushes…
This leads back to the creek and a nice view of Bosham across the water…
I continue for about a mile or so, then the path cuts inland to skirt the Cobnor outdoor activity centre where there are some kids on a boat and others shooting arrows (at targets, obviously - not at the boat!).
Once past the activity centre, the path runs along a causeway to Cobnor Point at the southern tip of the peninsula. It’s a nice walk but a bit breezy!
Since passing the activity centre I have been seeing notices nailed to the footpath signposts warning of path closures ahead. The start date is today - if I had done this walk yesterday I would have been OK! I ignore the notices and continue on anyway. Maybe they haven’t started in any kind of serious way yet? Or maybe I can just bypass the path? Or blag my way through?
So I’m pleased when the causeway ends as I round Cobnor Point and I find that there is a thin strip of beach to walk on. They can’t fence off a bit of tidal beach! I think?
To the left are lines of rotting wooden stakes - apparently the remains of an unsuccessful Victorian land reclamation scheme…
About three-quarters of a mile up the beach from Cobnor Point the public footpath leaves the beach and runs parallel to the coast a few yards inland along a raised bank. It is here that the maintainance is happening. Or rather, not happening! There are a few cones, a ‘closed’ sign that has blown over in the wind, and a couple of shovels!
So, stay on the beach or try the path? I can’t see how passable the beach is ahead so I step over the shovels. A few yards further on are some bushes and a mini digger. On the far side of the bushes is a pickup truck with a couple of blokes wearing hi-viz and drinking tea. They ignore me and I ignore them. Hurray! I’m through!
Potential problem sorted, the path ahead is an easy walk into the distance…
But ten minutes later there is a noise in the air, getting louder! Oh no, the Council have called in helicopter backup…!
Fortunately the chopper crew fail to spot me and I continue along the embankment. Soon afterwards, it rejoins the water’s edge.
A few minutes later the path turns to the west and I leave the Chidham peninsula. I follow the path for nearly a mile more…
…until I reach a small place called Prinsted, my finish point for today!
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