Walks from The Crown Inn

The Crown is one of only two pubs on the Knepp footpath network. Knepp's own waymarked routes start from their car park at Swallows Farm on Worthing Road — blue (~2km), yellow (~3km), orange (~5km, takes in the castle ruin) and red (~10km, through Shipley village). All the walks below start and finish at our door.

The Knepp circular — 5 miles, 2 hours

Head east from the pub down Worthing Road, pick up the Knepp footpath at Swallows Farm, and follow the orange route past the stork colony and Kneppmill Pond, then back via the Honeypools bridge to Dial Post. Flat and dog-friendly (off-lead most of the year; on-lead through Knepp March–August for ground-nesting birds). A heads-up on mud: only about 6 of Knepp's 16 miles of paths are hard-standing, so after rain it's wellies. Knepp's own footpath maps are the best reference.

Shipley Windmill loop — 7–9 miles, 3–4 hours

A longer loop north of Dial Post on Knepp's red route through Shipley village, taking in the largest smock mill in Sussex — visible from the footpath but closed to the public (it stopped working in 1926 and the building is on the Heritage at Risk register).

West Grinstead & the Downs Link — 7 miles, 3 hours

Head east-northeast from the pub through Knepp parkland up to West Grinstead and the old church. Pick up the Downs Link at the former West Grinstead station, follow it south for a couple of miles, then peel off west on lanes back to Dial Post. Historic route, good birdwatching, mostly flat.

The Downs Link

The Downs Link is a 37-mile walking, cycling and horse-riding trail along the route of two old Sussex railways — from St Martha's Hill near Guildford, across the Weald, down to the sea at Shoreham. It passes about a mile from the pub. The best nearby sections are West Grinstead to Partridge Green (flat, shaded Weald), Partridge Green to Henfield (open farmland, lovely in spring), and the southern stretch from Bramber to Shoreham. Thru-walkers are welcome to book a room for the night.