Jeanette and I recently did an all-day cycle from near Guildford to Brighton, using the “Downs Link” cycle route.
The Downs Link is a long-distance route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists which follows two disused railway lines. It crosses the Surrey Hills, the Low Weald, the South Downs and the Coastal Plain. Since the trains departed in the 1960s, the embankments and cuttings have become a green corridor for wildlife and people.
We found the route to be very well marked, flat or near flat for almost the entire distance and with enough spots to stop for a rest and refreshment to make this a very pleasant day out.
We took electric bikes, Jeanette on her trusty Facepainting bike and me on her electric Brompton. For most of the day however, the electricity was off and we just cruised along the well made track under foot power alone.
Pints were taken at two stops, The Old Railway (above) and the Bax Castle, plus lunch in the Wild & Green cafe in Cranleigh.
There a few sections on public roads and it was quite a shock to be back amongst the traffic and the country lane drivers.
The final section from Shoreham to Brighton & Hove is about 25 minutes on public roads.
For anyone thinking of doing the route, I’d highly recommend starting at Shalford, not Guildford, to avoid the town centre traffic – it’s a short one stop journey on a local (hourly) train. You might need your phone maps to get from Shalford to the obvious start of the route but after that it’s pretty straightforward- remember you’re following old railways so the route is almost always straight or gently curving, rising or falling.