Canal Day on the Arun Valley Line

Sunday 19th April was Canal Day, run in partnership with Martin Alderton from Arundel Historic Tours. The day started with a 4 mile walk along a stretch of the old Portsmouth and Arundel Canal. The walk started at Ford station, and followed the canal route to Barnham station. For most of this route it is possible to see where the canal ran. We then caught a train to Chichester where we took a ride on a stretch of the canal that has been restored, which is run by the Chichester Ship Canal Trust. With perfect weather and all tickets sold, we filled the canal boat and had a really fantastic day, enjoyed by everyone who took part.
At the end of the day waiting for the train home a mother duck with 14 chicks were strolling along the platform. When they decided to cross the tracks, 2 trains were held up while the train crew herded them safely across the tracks and hopefully they reached the canal safely.