Climping and Littlehampton West Beach walk

Climping and Littlehampton West Beach is an undeveloped, largely undiscovered section of West Sussex and one of the strategic rural gaps. Arun District Council has a guided walk of 4.5 miles, perfect if you are in the area and want to get away from it all for a couple of hours. Alternatively, grab an OS Explorer series 121 – Arundel and Pulborough map and plan your route or just park and explore.

This is a pebble beach backed by sand dunes and is a Site of Nature Conservation (SNCI ) because of the important vegetated shingle habitat, a great place for wildlife: Oystercatchers, Mermaid’s Purse, Sea Kayle, Yellow Horned-Poppy, Ringed Plover, Common Lizards.

The dunes area of the beach is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is part of the West Beach Local Nature Reserve. The Littlehampton end of the dunes has been fenced to protect some rare plants which are sensitive to trampling. There are areas of unfenced dunes closer to Climping.

This stretch of the coast has two parking points, Climping Beach and Littlehampton West Beach, but the guided walk starts at West Beach. In the summer, although the beach is never busy the Climping car park is a lot bigger than the Littlehampton end, although you can park in Littlehampton itself and cross the Arun River by bridge.

You have a cafe and toilets at both ends, Littlehampton West beach cafe and the Climping cafe.