The upper tidal stretch of the Arun is a favourite of mine . I went just above the tidal limit a couple of weeks ago in my skin on frame canoe . The official tidal limit is around the Pallingham Lock and Quay area.This is about twenty miles from the sea. Above this point and for the last section up to it the reeds and overhanging branches will be joining you in the canoe !.
I pushed up as far as I dare with regard to the canvas skin of my craft and managed a little way above the metal footbridge .A couple of lads in a hard-shell did'nt go much further and if they had they would have run against a little weir . Any more than a couple of considerate canoeists on this stretch is definatly a crowd as passing places are at a premium .
In the days when the river was a commercial concern the Arun Navigation Company maintained the river from Houghton Bridge to Pallingham but was not allowed to charge tolls on this section as it was tidal and therefore open to free usage by Royal Charter. Above Pallingham navigation was by payment of tolls on the man-made Arun Navigation which ran roughly parrallel with the river rather than the river itself which has always been famous for its erratic course and flow .
If you are after a couple of days or more on the river you could do worse than starting from the public slipway at Swan bridge Pulborough or from the White Hart at Stopham Bridge (Very canoe friendly-only fair to buy a pint and basket of chips ! ). I'd run up on the last couple of hours of the rising tide to Pallingham and come back down on the ebb. From there its up to you how far down you want to go . As you go downstream the importance of reckoning the tidal pattern becomes more important if you are after a relaxed paddle and to be honest the Arundel to Littlehampton stretch can be a bit bleak if the weather is'nt playing ball . You get lovely view of Ford prison though .
I'm probably going to be bobbing about on the Arun over the next Bank holiday .
Top picture - Still room for passing.
Middle picture - Canvas canoe ,spikey branches -I didnt risk the gap. I was well above the limit anyway so changed ends and came down with the flow .
Bottom picture - A short paddle above Stopham Bridge .
Quite a variation in character over a relatively short distance . When the tide turns and flows -out things become really interesting !.
