The Monarch's Way footpath
And the 615 mile journey finishes up right here in West Sussex at the port of Shoreham-by-Sea.
The meandering and slightly random path taken by the Monarch’s Way reflects the precarious situation the future King found himself in. His father Charles I had been executed two years earlier and so the journey was a very dangerous one indeed, with every twist and turn potentially a matter of life and death.
He headed South towards Somerset and then Dorset, living off his wits, in various disguises and in search of a cunning plan to get him out of harm’s way.
The Monarch's Way in West Sussex
Charles eventually found a way to flee. His passage through West Sussex and passage to France was masterminded by Colonel Gunter of Racton, west of Chichester who made arrangements for the King to be smuggled to France in a coal ship via the port at Shoreham-by-Sea.King Charles arrived in Sussex near Stansted Park, north of Emsworth. The Way goes from here across Kingley Vale, along the southern slopes of the South Downs around West Dean and the the Lavant Valley, over Trundle Hill (from where the photo above was taken) to Eartham and then down to Arundel.
From Arundel the route passes along the South Downs Way above Storrington, overshoots Shoreham by heading to Steyning and then proceeds towards Brighton, where the King was recognised by an over-excited pub landlord.
From Shoreham to exile
However, Prince Charles escaped just in time. The Monarch’s Way then doubles back towards Shoreham, where Charles II embarked for France narrowly avoiding capture by the Parliamentarians.He returned to England nine years later, having passed his time in exile in France and Holland, being crowned Charles II on 23 April 1661.
You might also like
- Step by step along the South Downs Way in Sussex
- The Monarch's Way National Trail in Sussex
- The Downs Link from Shoreham all the way to Guildford
- A walk along the New Lipchis Way - one of Sussex's newest long distance footpaths
- More resources about good places for walks in West Sussex
- Good places to buy walking boots and other outdoor gear in Sussex
- From Chichester to the beach along Salterns Way
- Bridleways of Sussex
- Arundel
- Bognor Regis
- Burgess Hill
- Chichester
- Crawley
- East Grinstead
- Haywards Heath
- Horsham
- Littlehampton
- Midhurst
- Petworth
- Shoreham-by-Sea
- Steyning
- Worthing
