London to Southampton Route Question

We have hired a private car for our transfer from London to Southampton this November 1st. The route we are thinking of taking is London to Arundel Castle, to Portsmouth, then Southampton. Will this be a picturesque route? We are hoping to experience the English countryside and perhaps lunch at a village pub.

Any descriptions and information is appreciated. Thank you.

Driving to Southampton from Gatwick airport, via (or near) Arundel & Chichester is an attractive cross-country option, (82 miles/2hrs 08)instead of the boring motorway loop (90 miles/1hr 35).

But from central London, the basic route is much slower (104 miles/2hrs 45 instead of 81 miles/1hr 34), since there is no divided highway until you reach Wimbledon.

And adding Portsmouth and some attractive secondary roads, villages & vistas, as the suggestion below, can push that up to 3hrs 37 - excluding time at Arundel castle, that pub lunch, and other distractions.

Arundel castle is closes for the winter from 4th Nov, so that's good timing.

The Black Rabbit, about a mile beyond the castle is a popular riverside pub.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Trafalgar+Square,+London&daddr=50.86196,-0.5679+to:50.8554,-0.55587+to:50.84129,-0.86903+to:50.78273,-1.06053+to:50.7925439,-1.1088706+to:50.79816,-1.10662+to:50.8567981,-1.0866749+to:50.9003428,-1.1862852+to:W+Quay+Rd%2FA33&hl=en&ll=51.18623,-0.85144&spn=1.222301,2.235718&sll=50.914507,-1.368484&sspn=0.076843,0.139732&geocode=FQvyEQMdJgz-_yEnxonw_UJTGg%3BFYgXCAMdpFX3_ymRx2VWabB1SDH37TdJo2g2Sg%3BFej9BwMdooT3_ymV9I-aCLB1SDEA5cWtLa4OEw%3BFcrGBwMdWr3y_ykJnjvA11F0SDEE0uREljtACw%3BFQriBgMdTtHv_ymPrd12S1x0SDFxf5itLa4OEw%3BFV8IBwMdehTv_ylN6xYVh110SDFg5JetLa4OEw%3BFVAeBwMdRB3v_ym1_kzbgV10SDFjPw9InCl8dQ%3BFV4DCAMdLmvv_ymDiIouwUJ0SDHvJitGcbeoPQ%3BFXatCAMdE-bt_ylxMifFP2l0SDHBOZ-tLa4OEw%3BFa61CAMdfnfq_w&mra=dme&mrsp=9&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8&t=m&z=9

Presuming that you can leave a London hotel by about 8am & need to join a ship no earlier than 2.00pm then it would be an excellent way to turn a boring transfer into a day's leisurely sight-seeing, with mebbe 90 mins at the castle & an hour for lunch.

You'd need to be flexible - for instance google rates the last part of my suggested route, Chichester to Southampton, at 1hour 37. But if time were pressing you could beeline on the main A27 & M27 in 47 minutes.

JB :)

Thank you, John Bull.

We are staying 2 nights in Southampton pre-cruise, so time is not an issue. We are planning on leaving our hotel around 9-10 am and are hoping to spend a bit of time in Portsmouth as well as Arundel on that day.

Lunch by the river sounds great. Thank you for the tip.:)

Thank you, John Bull.

 

We are staying 2 nights in Southampton pre-cruise, so time is not an issue. We are planning on leaving our hotel around 9-10 am and are hoping to spend a bit of time in Portsmouth as well as Arundel on that day.

 

Lunch by the river sounds great. Thank you for the tip.:)

Easy-peasy then :)

Depending on your interests, consider these places close to your route:

http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/ for engineering buffs

http://www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/ But not if its wet. Wide range of genuine historic artisan buildings from around the country, which were in the way of road improvements, reservoirs, etc, so were dismantled & rebuilt here.

http://www.roman-britain.org/places/fishbourne.htm

In Portsmouth, drive the Esplanade overlooking the Solent & Isle of Wight, & mebbe take in

http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/ and alongside it:

http://www.southseacastle.co.uk/

http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/

Then, if it's still light, the suggested country route to Southampton with views over Portsmouth & passing close to Ike's D-Day headquarters at Southwick. But probably unworthy in the dark.

The main motorway to Southampton will have intermittent hold-ups due to commuter traffic, but simpler than the country route in the dark

This is late in the year, it will be dark around 5pm & the attractions (all open that day) will close around the same time.

Should be a good day, fingers crossed for the weather.

JB :)

JB's suggestions are, as always, sound. But don't forget this will be November. At best you might get some sunshine to take the nip out of the air. But in late autumn the possibilities are endless: fog, rain, wind, howling gales, sunshine... Snow isn't very likely (it doesn't snow very often in southern England), but everything else is. Hope for some of that late autumn glow, but plan for worse.

Sunrise will be just before 7am, sunset will be about 4:30, btw.

JB's suggestions are, as always, sound. But don't forget this will be November. At best you might get some sunshine to take the nip out of the air. But in late autumn the possibilities are endless: fog, rain, wind, howling gales, sunshine... Snow isn't very likely (it doesn't snow very often in southern England), but everything else is. Hope for some of that late autumn glow, but plan for worse.

 

Sunrise will be just before 7am, sunset will be about 4:30, btw.

Hi Tom,

Beat you by 2 minutes :p

Hmmmm, guessing you're another insomniac ;)

JB :)

Hi Tom,

 

Beat you by 2 minutes :p

Hmmmm, guessing you're another insomniac ;)

 

JB :)

Not this time. My wife had to hit the road very early this morning - mid-morning meeting about 160 miles away - so I was making very early cuppas.

At best you might get some sunshine to take the nip out of the air. But in late autumn the possibilities are endless: fog, rain, wind, howling gales, sunshine... Snow isn't very likely (it doesn't snow very often in southern England), but everything else is. Hope for some of that late autumn glow, but plan for worse.

Oh no, howling gales? :eek: I was expecting it to be possibly rainy and cool to cold, but didn't think about the wind. I've already started thinking of what layers I will bring, as we are cruising from Southampton to FL via Spain, Portugal, and Bermuda. :confused:

I'll start praying now for that late autumn glow.

LAC2 ~

JB, as always, has provided excellent information and advice, and I have little to add to what he said. But I'll toss in my tuppence-worth anyway.

Reading the questions that come up on these boards day after day, it seems like 99.99% of American tourists are in a hurry to see that famous old castle and that famous older pile of stones on their way to or from Southampton... (What are they called again? It's on the tip of my tongue, but the names just won't come to me...:D:D) But IMO, a route that takes you to, and through, Arundel, Chichester, and Portsmouth (as well the South Downs—see next paragraph) is a more intriguing and individualistic alternative.

To answer your question as to whether this is a picturesque route: The best rural scenery in the area lies immediately to the north of Arundel and Chichester known as the South Downs, a chalky geographic region consisting of rolling hills, open farmland, and small villages:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_Downs

http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/enjoying

(BTW, as you may know, a “National Park” in Britain isn't the same as a National Park in the U.S.; indeed, a British National Park isn't really a park, but rather a particular rural area [which includes private land, homes, farms, villages, etc.] that enjoys a special preservation status.)

Chichester is very compact, and you don't have to walk far from the cathedral to find yourself on the outskirts of town. Daniel Defoe's witticism is still somewhat apt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cathedral_Church_of_the_Holy_Trinity,_Chichester

The cathedral is well worth a visit, of course. Inside, look for the tomb of the 10th Earl of Arundel (d. 1376) & his wife, immortalized in Philip Larkin's poem “An Arundel Tomb”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Arundel_Tomb

The composer Gustav Holst is also interred here.

Arundel too is a fairly small town, presided over by its castle, the seat of the Duke of Norfolk. (Ah, here's another English eccentricity: Why does the Duke of Norfolk live in Sussex? As they say in New York, “Go figure...”) There's a very pleasant walk along the bank of the River Arun, the ideal setting for a gentle stroll before or after your lunch at the Black Rabbit.

There are several impressive English country houses/ stately homes (think Downton Abbey) in the area, including Parham, Petworth, and Goodwood House. Unfortunately, both Parham and Goodwood are closed to the public after October, but you might want to check their websites just in case:

http://www.parhaminsussex.co.uk/

http://www.goodwood.co.uk/goodwood-house/goodwood-house.aspx

Petworth might be open in November. It's a late-17th-century manor house that contains an art collection worthy of any museum, with works by Turner, Van Dyke, and Blake, inter alia, and the grounds were landscaped by the eminently capable Capability Brown, who practically (and quite capably) invented high-end English landscaping. It's located approximately 15 miles inland from the coast and easily accessible by car from either Arundel or Chichchester—or en route to either of these destinations from London, if your driver takes a scenic route through the South Downs.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petworth_House

If you're interested in Roman remains, Fishbourne Roman Villa (just outside of Chichester) might be worth a visit:

http://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/Fishbourne-Roman-Palace

http://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace/your-visit-fbo

Portsmouth, or what I've seen of it apart from the naval base, isn't exactly what you'd call a scenic town. But a pilgrimage to the naval base/museum in general and HMS Victory in particular is absolutely mandatory for anyone who has an interest in British naval history, Lord Nelson, or the Age of Sail.

Finally... Tom is right about the possibility of howling gales. Not what you're used to in perpetually sunny SoCal, but a bracing taste of real weather.:D

Cheers!

Oh no, howling gales? :eek: I was expecting it to be possibly rainy and cool to cold, but didn't think about the wind. I've already started thinking of what layers I will bring, as we are cruising from Southampton to FL via Spain, Portugal, and Bermuda. :confused:

 

I'll start praying now for that late autumn glow.

Without *in any way* making a prediction - have a look at this Wikipedia article about a storm in October 1987. Anybody who's old enough to remember it, won't forget it!

That said, we used to have proper weather back in the 80s: sunny summers, cold winters, and some exciting stuff in between. What seems to be happening these days is more random, chaotic even. For example, after 18 months of very low rainfall over the country, and drought being declared across much of southern England, it's barely stopped raining since the beginning of April. And in recent years we have had a few good autumns; better than some of the summers, in fact. So you might be lucky.

Post Captain and Tom UK -

As always, the information you have provided is very much appreciated.

It does indeed sound as though the route we've chosen is exactly what we were hoping for. I will make use of the links you have provided to educate myself a bit before arriving in the UK.

As for weather, it does seem to be changing everywhere, even here in sunny Southern CA. I guess our plan of layering will be the best, with a rain slicker of some kind.

Truly looking forward to experiencing the English countryside, Arundel Castle, etc.

On our 2nd day we are thinking of perhaps adventuring through New Forest or taking a train to Bath.