- Leader: Sandy Arpino
- Date: 13th May 2026
- Distance: 9.5 miles approx.
Petersfield Ramblers finish the New Lipchis Way in very mixed weather
Thirteen keen members of Petersfield Ramblers awoke on Wednesday to very mixed weather reviews. Bother! It was the final day walking the New Lipchis Way – ending on the beach at West Wittering – so everyone had been hoping for sunshine. Instead we drove to Wittering through quite heavy rain showers. Thankfully the clouds had cleared – indeed a little sunshine was breaking through – by the time we grouped in the car park and headed back to start our walk from a convenient layby beside Birdham’s St James church. Having the week before noted the exorbitant parking fees in Chichester Marina – the intended starting point for our day’s walking – our leader had found a cheaper option only half a mile away.
We heartily welcomed back into our troop a cheerful absentee from our previous three walks; she had been laid low by an injury. Suitably clothed and booted – with rainwear at the ready – we set off along a country lane towards the marina. Bright ox-eye daisies lined the verges. We entered the marina by crossing Chichester Canal over a small swing bridge, providing extensive views along the waterway that we have followed for much of the previous walk. We debated whether homes on the canal bank should be called barges when they were clearly built on solid concrete foundations!
After diverting briefly off our route to take in the views of yachts, we came upon a swan’s nest on the canal side. No cygnets were observed, so we agreed that it was later than the nest we’d viewed the week before. Continuing on, we recrossed the canal on top of its final lock, leading waters into the sea – but not before wondering why there was a stone head lying in the grass nearby and what were those huge flower spikes (Giant viper’s bugloss).
We walked through shipyards and passed more yacht moorings, keeping an eye on the worsening weather conditions. Crossing fields we reached a gravelled track – then an access road – that revealed distinctive large coastal homes set in perfectly manicured gardens.
Leaden skies turned to rain. We tucked under trees to pull on waterproof trousers and cover our rucksacks. The downpour didn’t last long, soon we were romping along the seashore.
Magnificent in one garden we spotted an impressive sculpture – Cloister Conspiracy – by Philip Jackson. The internet told us that the sculpture was crafted “to catch the quiet and subtle movement of the body revealing the secret thoughts and intentions of the figures”.
Pondering that thought we entered West Itchenor, passing picturesque cottages in pastel shades with climbing roses. Time for a coffee break. A row of convenient benches – overlooking the ferry run to Bosham across the water channel – offered us a rest until fresh showers drove us on.
The next mile and a half were an absolute delight; our path, lined with oak trees newly in leaf, followed the shoreline. Glimpses through the branches gave vignettes of brightness creeping up the waters.
The weather was all over the place: blue and sunny in one direction, grey and dull in another. One consistent element though was the worsening wind. We reached West Wittering beach – the end of the New Lipchis Way – but our leader had plans for more trekking before celebrating. Chancing her luck with the weather warnings, she made an ill-advised decision to circle the sand dunes. Halfway round she attempted to cut short the excursion by crossing the dunes and heading east. The wind was having none of this – it set up a veritable sandstorm! As we retreated, we were bombarded with painful hailstones. Horribly exposed, the only option was to tuck in a ball and scuttle for cover.
Alas, any protection from weather was some distance away and we took a heavy pounding. As we approached the beach café our buffeting eased, as the meteorological conditions improved, and we sat down in the dry to eat our lunches. The calm didn’t last long, it was a quick break as a shower descended again. We hurried off, seeking shelter behind hedges and beach huts – and some beautiful clumps of tamarix. The rain was short lived, so we moved onto the damp sands for our final mile or so to our waiting cars. Our leader reflected that the Witterings were not much brighter when she undertook a recce with the two ladies who – through holiday plans – had been absent from this walk.
By 14:30 our walk – in fact the whole Lipchis Way walk – was done; the weather ensured a quick pace. Reuniting with our cars in East Wittering, we headed to the White Horse in Chilgrove, collecting cars left in Birdham on the way. It was a joy to celebrate with tea, coffee and doughnuts in the welcome warmth of the pub. Another year, another long-distance walk completed.
Author: Sandy Arpino
Photography: Sandy Arpino