A Swan at the end of the road

Medical science will puzzle for years how a few sandwiches and some sparkling mineral water can have such a transformative effect. But after leaving Amberely, Anton and I felt entirely reinvigorated. And I felt better than I had done all day.

The afternoon grew hot and there were many more miles to walk. Left the picture perfect village looking at the lichen covered walls and gardens burgeoning with flowers. Uphill, pausing to restock with water, then across cornfields and copses and over streams jewelled with electric blue dragonflies back into the grassy river valley. We rejoined the river Arun after squelching across a marshy field to walk beside it to Pulborough. We were very tired by the time we reached this town, but then had another stretch to go to get to Fittleworth.

Walking along the side of a busy road for a while, I almost stepped on another slow worm. Nearing our destination, we sloped down some beautiful country lanes and were greeted by a large airborne stag beetle whirring in the late afternoon. Towards the end, my stride length had shrunk to that of a Geisha, until at last we rounded the corner onto a road, and through a tunnel of trees was the very welcome sight of The Swan at Fittleworth.

This 14th Century coaching Inn was our berth for the night. We arrived to a cool welcome from the barman however (being hot and sweaty and flecked with mud). Nevertheless we gulped a pint of beer in the bar before going upstairs to our rooms for a welcome rest and shower. The floor of my room turned out to have a very 14th century slope but was nonetheless fine.

The evening spent cheerfully quaffing beers and eating. I had a Sussex smokie, which was a dish of smoked haddock, spinach and melted cheese, Anton going for moules, we both had steaks and I rounded it off with a bread and butter pudding. Went to bed feeling very refreshed and incredibly full.