Amberley, South Downs
Amberley Brooks, Greatham and Rackham
An easy six-mile loop across the Amberley Brooks water meadows to Greatham and Rackham, starting and finishing at the Black Horse in Amberley.
Photo: Brian Gillman (cropped), CC BY 3.0
- Distance
- 5.9 miles (9.5 km)
- Time
- About 2½–3 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Start
- The Black Horse, Amberley (start and finish)
Parking: On-street parking along East Street, Amberley.
Amberley is one of the prettiest villages in West Sussex, and the Brooks below it are a wide expanse of wet meadow that floods in winter and fills with birdlife. This route heads out across the Brooks to Greatham, swings round through Rackham and back up into Amberley.
It's flat for the most part and graded easy, which makes it a good choice for older dogs or a gentler weekend walk. Expect it to be wet underfoot in winter.
Terrain
- Mostly level paths across water meadows and farmland.
- Wet and muddy in winter; the Brooks are prone to flooding.
With your dog
- A popular dog walk, but cattle graze some of the fields. Walkers have reported trouble getting past cows with a dog, so keep yours on a lead and give the herd space.
- If cattle come towards you with your dog, let go of the lead and get yourself to safety: your dog will outrun them.
- Carry a map as well as the route notes.
The pub at the end
The Black Horse
The Black Horse has a dog-friendly walled garden, and dogs can stay in several of its rooms.
See The Black Horse and more in AmberleyFull route
For turn-by-turn directions and a map, use the published route from Discover Sussex. Take a map or app with you as well.
Open the Discover Sussex route