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No car park or formal spaces, but is a couple of spaces off the road next to the phone box.
Mainly flat, slight hill down from car park. Pathways are quite narrow and muddy at points and not maintained. Several kissing gates and stiles, although if you stick by the river these do have dog gaps - Hank is a fairly big dog and got through fine, but much larger dogs will not get through.
Walk runs alongside the River Arun, but is a deep section with strong current so not suitable for water-loving dogs to swim. At other points there are smaller streams alongside the path.
No bins here.
Suspension bridge was rebuilt by British Army Gurkhas in 2009 after damage from a falling tree. South Stoke church which is nearly 1000 years old can easily be reached.
Having explored around this area recently a lot of the South Downs is very hilly so I fancied a flat walk and headed to the River Arun. The walk takes you through a quaint woodland path that starts just in front of where the cars are parked in my picture, you cross an open field (can be used for grazing), across the unique suspension bridge and back into the woodland path with a stream running beside it, large oak trees and field views and it's a pretty start to the walk. Coming out of the woods and you walk alongside the Arun with far reaching views across the fields and farms. One thing to beware of is that the train track runs closer to the river the further you go round the first meander, and it was close enough that I needed to put Hank on the lead, but other than that it's fairly open for most parts and quite quiet.
As you go round the river and past the bridge there's a sign post for a path off to the left, and I took this. Don't take this! I researched the footpath locations prior and wanted to create a loop back, and it did, but from that point on it is not fun! Once I crossed a small footbridge you come to a section of very narrow, barely discernible paths with overgrown weeds, brambles and nettles often taller than me. It's not unusual to cross small sections like this in countryside walks so I persevered hoping it would open out, but it never did and over half the walk was coming back through this. Stupidly wearing shorts and T shirt I was covered in scratches and stings, and despite there being the odd point of interest such as a stream, or swooping heron it just wasn't worth it, and you'd have to be a proper nature enthusiast with a specific goal to try this, but not a great dog walk and not easy for Hank either. Right at the end as you finally get to a field to come back there is a stile with no dog gap, so having to heave Hank over this was the final straw for my grumpy end to the walk!
Before that point though it is lovely and the path does continue along the river, or you can cross the bridge into South Stoke which is a pretty little Hamlet with historic church - both of which would be better options.
