HIKE 20km Chichester - Coastal paths, Estuaries, Bosham Village & Ferry ride
About the event
📏 Key Info: • Distance: 12 miles (20km) • Grading: [Intermediate](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/HikeGradings.pdf) • Ascent: 20m • Hiking time: 5 to 6 hours • Cost: £36 (includes guided hike + ferry + return train) • Refunds: Payments are non-refundable and non-transferable. If you follow our [[Resale Process](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/FAQ.pdf)] and your place is rebooked, we’ll issue a refund. • Toilet Breaks: On the train, at the mid-afternoon stop, and at the end pub
📍 Meeting Point • Location: Victoria station. Meet between WHSmith (no 34) and Nero Express (no 29) - [MAP](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/StationPhotos/Victoria.jpg) & [PHOTO](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/StationPhotos/VictoriaPhoto.jpg) • Time: Meet 8:30am, leave 8:50am for the 9:05am train • Return: 7:15pm arrival back in London (you’re committed until then)
🌟 Highlights • Explore Chichester Harbour — a 3,700-hectare estuary and designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, teeming with wildlife • Take a ferry ride across the historic Chichester Channel, famously painted by J.M.W. Turner • Stroll through Chichester Marina, one of the South Coast’s most vibrant harbours with over 1,000 boats • Visit Chichester, an ancient Roman city fortified after AD 43 • Enjoy peaceful coastal scenery, wildflower meadows, and serene waterways
🥾 Hike Description Our adventure begins in the historic Roman city of Chichester, whose roots stretch back nearly 2,000 years. From here, we set out toward Chichester Harbour, the largest natural estuary in South East England and a protected wildlife sanctuary. The harbour’s expansive tidal waters and saltmarshes are alive with birdlife, making it one of the UK’s richest coastal habitats.
We follow a scenic trail past the Bosham Channel, a picturesque stretch of water that has inspired painters, poets, and writers for centuries. Soon we reach the Chichester Channel, once used as a wartime shipping passage and immortalised in a painting by J.M.W. Turner. Here we cross by the traditional ferry, a unique highlight of the day and a chance to admire the waterway up close.
Arriving in the old village of West Itchenor, our route continues to the bustling Chichester Marina, home to more than 1,000 boats and one of the South Coast’s most vibrant harbours. From here, our path meanders past ancient villages, coastal meadows, and historic sites before concluding with a refreshing visit to a local pub — the perfect way to end this coastal journey. This is a very flat coastal route and much of the hike follows paved paths, promenades and quiet lanes rather than rough countryside trails. It is less rural than most of our hikes.
🧭 Guide: • Leader: [BEA](https://www.outdooraholics.co.uk/MeetTheOutdooraholics.pdf) • Contact (hike day only): 07345 241215
🍽️ Food: • Bring a packed lunch • Pub visit after the hike (drinks optional)
🎒What to Bring • Hiking boots/shoes • Water (2 litres minimum) • Packed lunch • Waterproofs (jacket and trousers) • Hat and gloves if cold • Train tickets are arranged – just meet us at the meeting point
⚠️ Safety Your guide is a trained hike leader and Outdoor Activity First Aider
❓ Want to Know More? • [New to Our Trips?](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/new_to_our_day_hikes.pdf) (perfect for first-timers, answers “what to expect”) • [About Us](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/about_us.pdf) (who Outdooraholics are, credibility, history) • [FAQs](https://outdooraholics.co.uk/FAQ.pdf) (covers common queries)
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