Warningcamp, Wepham, Burpham and River Arun

The walk begins in the village of Warningcamp and heads away from the river. Chalk dominates the local landscape, forming the great, rolling hills and outcrops wherever the soil is thin. The area is rich in wild life: chalkland flowers grow on the downs; there are deer in the woodlands as well as foxes, rabbits, sparrowhawks and songbirds; and waders and wildfowl frequent the wetlands by the Arun.

The route descends from the downland into the tiny village of Wepham and continues beyond the settlement on its downhill trend into the slightly larger village of Burpham. It is little more than a line of houses extending east from the Church of St Mary the Virgin.

The church is worth a visit for its 11th and 12th century architectural detail - look for the chevron-cut arch leading to the south transept. Outside, to the right of the church door, is a modest memorial to the celebrated jockey Benjamin Brewster, who died in 1789.

The 'Danish Fort' is an ancient promontory fort which occupies a spur of high land between the River Arun and a tributary stream flowing down the valley by Splash Farm. The fort has virtually disappeared and almost nothing is known of its history, but a glance over the edge of the spur from the path to Jacob's Ladder - a flight of steps down to the water meadows - will convince you of the impregnability of the site.

From the foot of Jacob's Ladder, a path leads to a more modern earthwork, the embankment of the Arun, which prevents the tidal river from flooding the surrounding pastures twice a day. At intervals the embankment is breached by sluice gates, which allows water out of the tributary streams at low tide, draining the low-lying water meadows which flank the river.

On the far bank, beyond the George at Burpham, is a wildfowl reserve, run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Wild ducks, geese and waders fly into the pools, particularly in winter, to join the resident birds.

Overlooking the reserve is Arundel Castle, which is a breathtaking sight, especially in the early morning as it rises out to the mist surrounding the river. If you think it looks too romantic to be true, you are right. The most spectacular parts were built to satisfy the whim of the 15th Duke of Norfolk at the end of the 19th century. Very little of the medieval original remains among the fantasy, just the 11th century gatehouse and the 12th century keep on its artificial mound. Despite this fakery, or perhaps because of it, the castle is well worth a visit, as is the town it dominates.

The walk, however, turns its back on Arundel and the castle and follows the river bank back to Warningcamp and the starting point of the walk.