There are plenty of ways to explore Arundel, but this one asks you to slow down, look around and experience the town through someone else’s words.
Greening Arundel’s Nature in Art: Art in Nature Poetry Trail brings together 16 original poems by local poets, nature recovery projects and some of the town’s green spaces. Created with Swanbourne Poets and Chichester Stanza, it is a creative way to discover another side of Arundel.
The trail starts and ends at Arundel railway station, encouraging visitors to arrive sustainably and begin exploring from the moment they step off the train. The full route is around 4.5 miles and stays on the flat, with shorter options available.
From the station, the trail stretches towards Swanbourne Lake in one direction and Ford Road Cemetery and the Community Orchard in the other, taking in nature recovery projects and green spaces along the way.
Each of the 16 poems has been inspired by Arundel, its nature, history or community. The collection moves between wildlife, wildflowers and biodiversity, local memories and moments from the town’s past, including reflections on the River Arun and the way it marks the passing of time.
There is no need to rush from one poem to the next. The idea is to wander, notice the spaces around you and see what inspired the poets in each location.
The poetry is only one part of the story. The trail also highlights nature recovery work carried out by Greening Arundel’s Green Team volunteers, drawing attention to spaces such as the Community Orchard, Pollinators’ Garden, bug hotels, wildflowers and planting around the quay.
It turns a walk through town into an opportunity to notice the smaller details that can easily be missed when you are heading straight for Arundel’s best-known landmarks.
Each poem is accompanied by a NaviLens code that can be scanned to hear a recording of the poet reading their work. The feature was introduced to help people with sight loss enjoy the trail, while giving every visitor another way to experience the poems.
A trail map is installed at Arundel railway station, with hand-held copies also available locally, making it easy to choose the full route or a shorter wander.
The Poetry Trail can be an experience in its own right or one part of a wider day in Arundel. Combine it with independent shops and galleries, stop for lunch or coffee, explore the riverside or continue towards some of the town’s other green spaces.
It is a lovely reminder that Arundel is not only somewhere to see its famous landmarks. Sometimes the best way to discover it is simply to walk, look and listen.
