Wednesday 14th October 2020
We had a short bus ride from outside the Premier Inn Chichester to Bosham and were back en route once more.
We had a short walk along the main road before turning down the side of another peninsula projecting into Chichester Harbour, this time Cobnor. The peninsula is similar to Bosham but narrower. At Eastfield Farm there was field of winter vegetables growing. Unlike the vast monoculture fields of the Lincolnshire fens this was mixed field and it was interesting to see just how many varieties they were growing – and there are several more we did not photograph.
Looking across to Old Bosham, the harbour was now full of water as high tide was due in one hour.
Bosham Channel now full of water
Coffee at Cobnor Point
On the way to Cobnor Point the path follows the top of a seawall between the harbour and a connected lagoon.
The sea wall to Cobnor Point
From Cobnor Point we walked up the side of Thorney Channel and around the top. A short way beyond Marsh Farm is the remains of an old causway that once went across to the bay to where Prinsted Marina now is. The timbers that formed the causeway are well preserved and Google Satellite pictures shows the old causeway quite clearly.
The old causeway to Thorney Island
It was nice sunny day and we were enjoying our walk and so it was only when we reached the Prinsted Marina that I realised we should have gone straight ahead at Prinsted. We had decided that we would not walk around Thorney Island because it is an island even if it has three bridges connecting it to the mainland. It is also an MOD restricted area. As we approached Emsworth, we came through a marina complete with boating chalets build on stilts but on dry land. They looked rather like shipping containers. Then we walked up a narrow path which divides the Slipper Mill pond into two longitudinally. We were just getting to the end of it having passed a few people on the way when a self-important woman remonstrated with us that it was a “one-way” path because of Covid and we were going the wrong way. I avoided arguing with her. We walked up into the village, bought some things for lunch and then followed the path round another mill pond until we found a suitable bench for lunch.
Emswoth 
The path around the mill pond at Emsworth
After lunch we continued round the edge of the harbour until we came to Langstone Bridge.
Langstone Bridge 
The old causway to Langstone Island. 
Langstone (the nice bit)
The old part of the village was quite attractive, clustered around the causeway and bridge.
Then we had a short walk around the top of Langstone Harbour before turning inland to Brockhampton Station which is on a direct line back to Chichester. We walked back to the car and drove to Botley where my brother and his wife live. They were going to host us for the rest of this section of the walk. There is a good bus and train network in this area and my brother had kindly offered to give us some lifts when we couldn’t use public transport.
Just Coasting 