The Gribble Inn

		Without doubt the Gribble at Oving must surely be one of the most attractive pubs in the county. For many years it was just a private cottage lived in by a Miss Rose Gribble but in 1980 a local farmer was successfully granted a licence, and the inn opened as a free house.

Address: Gribble Lane, Oving, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 2BP Phone: 01243 786893

About the pub

Hall & Woodhouse, the Dorset brewers, have been running this pub since 1987. Throughout this lovely old inn are low, heavily beamed ceilings and timbered bare brick and plastered walls. The main open plan bar is dominated at one end by a large brick inglenook fireplace with a warm log fire set on a raised hearth. A separate, similar dining area also has an open brick fireplace in one corner, wooden settles around the walls and comfortable farmhouse tables and chairs. There is also a skittle alley. A delightful cottage garden has wooden benches and tables on the grass under the apple trees.

A good food menu is served lunchtimes and evenings,seven days a week between 12 noon and 2 p.m. and from 6.30 till 9.30 p.m. and is supplemented daily with blackboard specials. There are the usual pub snacks such as salads, ploughman's freshly cut sandwiches plus several starters which include smoked salmon and tuna parcels and garlic mushrooms, followed by various steaks, gammon, Gribble grill and a selection of home made pies. Daily specials are also available.

Children are welcome in the dining area.

Time at the Bar

Weekday opening times are from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. till 11 p.m. (Mon - Fri), 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. (Saturday), and 12-10.30 p.m. on Sundays.

Telephone: (01243) 786893

The small village of Oving is signed from the A27 east of Chichester and then from the B2144.

The inn has a large car park at the back but you can also park safely in the lane at the front.

The Walk

Approx. distance of walk: 4 miles. OS Map No. 197 SU 902/050

There are few public footpaths in the area surrounding the pub. For this reason it does mean a lot of the walk is along the highway, and whilst most of the lanes are very quiet and peaceful care should be taken for the first half mile; although a minor road it can sometimes be busy. The section across the farm land can be rather overgrown in July and it can take more time than usual to locate the path. Other than that it is an easy, mostly dry level walk.

	Road			Bridge
	Track			Gate
	Undefined Path			Gap in hedge
	Stile			Cattle Grid

Turn left from the inn back to the road junction and left again. After about half a mile take the turning on the right, cross the bridge and turn left at the bottom of the hill towards the level crossing at Woodhorn. Carefully cross the track and just past the entrance to the swelling, go over the stile in the hedge on the right, cross to the farm gate, enter the field and keep straight ahead walking close to the hedge on the right.

Go over the stile in the far corner and still keeping close to the hedge, make your way across the field until you reach the ditch on the far side and then bear left. Keep close to the ditch for a couple of hundred yards looking for a crossing point, it can become very overgrown in summer. Cross into the field and bear left making your way over to the corner where a plank bridge allows easy access to the field ahead.

Walk beside the boundary, past the derelict house on the left and straight ahead into the field in the direction of the finger post. Follow the left-hand boundary until you reach a farm track through a gap in the corner. Cross over and keep straight ahead down the narrow field to the plank bridge, climb the stile and bear left, up and across the field to the stile beside the gate, out into the lane and turn right.

After a short distance turn left at the crossroads on the road to Aldingbourne. Walk through the village forking left at the junction on to the disused airfield. Bear right in the direction of the finger post and then left following the runway. I was last here in 1991 and noticed some areas of concrete were being lifted but have no doubt that the present route of the path will remain and be well signed. Cross another runway and bear left at the next, over to the stile beside the gate, out into the lane and turn right. Keep to the lane for about a mile ignoring the side turnings until the lane eventually bears left back to the pub.

Adapted from the Pub Walks Range of books by Mike Power, Power Publications, 1 Clayford Ave, Ferndown, Dorset. Available from all good bookshops or contact sales@powerpublications.co.uk.

 View all pub walks       Suggest a Pub Walk

General & Trade Enquiries For general or trade related enquiries please select the relevant link below: General Enquiry Form    Trade Enquiry Form