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village sign turning back on yourself. If because it seems to go simply from the this is full, you can drive up to the basin in through to Chichester roundabout, turn left and park in the Marina. Parish Council car park on the right hand side down Foxbridge drive.

If you are using a wheelchair or have a pushchair, you can only go as far as the basin in Chichester, and will have to return the way you came. This is still a very pleasant walk.

Leaving the western end of the car park, cross over Hunston Bridge to take the towpath on the far side.

The canal is very rich in wildlife, and there is an unusual mix of land and seabirds living along the canal. If you are lucky, you may see a Grey Heron fishing, or Common Terns diving for fish in the canal.

Chichester Canal Follow the towpath north until you reach the close to the centre of This walk starts at Hunston Bridge car Chichester. There is a cafe here run by the park. From Emsworth follow either the Chichester Ship Canal Trust. A259 or A27 to Chichester. At the first roundabout on the Chichester bypass, The Trust runs canal boats down the canal follow the A27 East, and again at the next as far as Hunston Bridge, and depending roundabout. on which you take, you can get a cream tea on the trip. At the third roundabout, turn right onto the B2145 signposted to Hunston. Follow If you are using a wheelchair, at this point the road south to a mini roundabout you needs to retrace your route back to where you turn right towards Hunston. Hunston Bridge. Approaching Hunston there is another roundabout, and the car park is on the Chichester canal seems strange to any visitors familiar with inland waterways, right hand side just before the Hunston In fact what remains today is only a small Emsworth Walks.org © part of the original Portsmouth and the island off. It was not until three years You are aiming to the diagonally opposite Arundel canal, designed to create an later that the bridge was built. corner of this space, so turn right and inland water route from Portsmouth walk around the open space along Hay Harbour through to London. The canal from Chichester Marina to Road. Arundel was completed in 1823, but In reality, it was a bit of a disaster from because of all the problems was never In the south east corner of the space, you the outset, and never achieved the successful, and the arrival of the railway will see a footpath leading off southeast, objective of its builders. doomed the canal as a functional which quickly comes to a high wall where navigation. It was abandoned in 1855. you turn right and walk down to the A27. The first part of the canal in Portsmouth, which is still in evidence, failed almost as Where you are walking is the link from the You now need to cross the A27 Chichester soon as it came into existence, the salt canal to the centre of Chichester. The by-pass, over the new footbridge. water polluting the wells on Portsea Island. Ford to Hunston section closing in 1847. The other side of the road take the Very quickly, the operators were forced to Pass round the basin to its northern side footpath, which heads south east, but close the canal on Portsea Island, although and take Basin Road north. At the Police after about 30 metres, turn onto a the line of the canal can still be traced Headquarters, turn right into Kingsham footpath that heads SSW between some through Southsea. Road and head east along this road. fields.

The next section was through Langstone The Police Headquarters buildings are a As you walk south, look out to the left Harbour, to the north of Hayling island fascinating example of Art Deco design, hand side of the path and you will see a and then down to the built in 1937, in the same year that the group of gothic styled buildings that used canal entrance in what is now Chichester by-pass was opened, it also has to be a Carmelite Convent, but which is Marina. accommodation dating back to the period. now being converted into a business centre. This was similarly blighted. On the Continue on until you pass Herald Drive on opening of the route, the Mayor of the right hand side. Just beyond the Keep on this footpath until you reach the Portsmouth travelled on a barge to join a turning you will find a footpath on the edge of a field where the path turns left celebration at Langstone, only to be right hand side heading south. then immediately right back onto a SSW stranded when the barge ended up on a heading. sandbank until the next tide. Take the second footpath off to the left from this footpath, which leads you past Keep on this footpath until it leads you Incredibly, the only road access to Hayling som garages and onto Exton Road. Turn back to the eastern end of the car park Island at the time, a wadeway across the left into Exton Road and follow it round to where your started. channel south of Langstone (it can still be Hay Road, where you come across an open seen at low water) was cut through to space between the houses. allow barges to pass, effectively cutting