Distance 4 miles (6.4km)
Classification Easy
Duration 2 hours
Begins Petworth Park car park
OS grid reference SU966238
Walk in a nutshell
A tour round a Capability Brown landscaped park, which contains one of England’s largest herds of fallow deer. Petworth is especially famous as the subject of many Turner paintings, some of which can be viewed inside the house. The terrain is steep in places and can be muddy. You are welcome to bring dogs but do keep them under close control. In the summer you’ll also need to prevent them from swimming in the ponds, which contain blue-green algae.
Why it’s special
This is a wonderful combination for art and nature lovers. The walk starts amid the landscape and woodland that Turner made famous then, about halfway around the circuit, you reach the magnificence of Petworth House, where 20 of Turner’s paintings are on display as part of a dazzling collection that also includes works by Van Dyck and William Blake, carvings by Grinling Gibbons and statuary by John Flaxman and John Edward Carew.