Come to Chichester and you’ll likely visit Chichester Cathedral, Bishops Palace Gardens and Pallant Gallery. You’ll browse the shops, cafes and restaurants that line the town centre’s traffic-free, cobbled streets. But did you know about the peaceful canal that starts a stone’s throw from Chichester station? Follow my guide to Chichester Canal and enjoy anything from a short stroll to an 8 mile walk along its tranquil waters.
Home to swans, coots, moorhens, mallards, heron and cormorants, Chichester Canal offers a tranquil space for walking and contemplation. It is also conveniently divided into 3 sections so you can easily decide how long a walk you want.
Section 1
Canal Basin to Hunston (4.26km/2.6miles there and back)
Start at the canal basin at the corner of Stockbridge Road and Basin Road. There is a wide tarmac path along this section of the canal, so fine for pushchairs. In Spring and Summer look out for the swans and their cygnets that usually hang around at the start of the canal, waiting to be fed by passers by. If you’re there in Spring you’ll probably catch the whiff of the wild garlic that grows along the path side of the canal at its start. Enjoy the beautiful trees on the far side of the bank as well as the two enormous lime trees that arch over the path towards the end of the section. Canoeists, paddle boarders and a small tourist narrowboat are often seen cruising up and down to complete the air of holiday relaxation. The section ends at the small wooden bridge that crosses the canal at Hunston. Stand on the bridge to look back along the canal to catch the famous view captured by the English Romantic artist J.M.W. Turner of the canal, set in pretty water meadows with the cathedral in the distance.
Section 2
Hunston to A286 (5.72km/3.5 miles there and back. (In total 9.98km/6.1miles)
The canal here does a 45 degree bend. Turn right along the road as you come off the bridge, take a couple of steps and you will see the canal on your right. The path here is more narrow and is no longer tarmac and gets muddy in sections after rain. As you move further away from Chichester the path becomes less used, so if it’s solitude you want, keep walking! A feature of this section are the beautiful reeds that line the canal and the huge sycamores that bend over into the water. You will soon reach a road. Take care crossing as the traffic can whizz along. The canal continues directly opposite, under the gigantic willow tree. On this last section you may find that you are totally alone on the path. The path itself narrows again and is a bit rutted in places from bicycles. If it’s high summer I would advise trousers – nettles abound and rarely get cut back. This is however the prettiest part of the walk. There are a couple of benches set into the path and it’s well worth just sitting and taking in the calm waters of the canal, the lush vegetation and the birdlife.
Section 3
A286 to Chichester Marina (2.96 km/1.8 miles there and back. (In total 12.94km/7.9 miles)
Again taking care crossing the road you will find that you can’t walk along the canal for very long. Instead you must walk alongside the access road to Chichester Marina. A boring part of the walk but worth doing to see the lovely houseboats at the end of the canal as well as the many sailing yachts in Chichester Marina. Also there is the lovely Boathouse Cafe where you can get anything from a coffee to lunch and a glass of wine.
Don’t feel like walking back? Go back to where the access road meets the A 286. Look left and you will see the bus stop for the 53 or 52 bus that will take you back to Chichester.