Downs Link

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.

The route uses Public Rights of Way, including sections of farm tracks and the road network. All the Downs Link is surfaced, although some sections are uneven and include slopes. Users are advised to check the suitability of the route before using it.

The Downs Link connects with other long-distance routes, including the North Downs Way, South Downs Way, Wey South Path, Greensand Way, Sussex Border Path and National Cycle Network routes 2 and 22.

Find information on the Surrey section of the Downs Link.

The Downs Link - 'Connecting communities through walking, cycling and riding' project

This project has helped improve the Downs Link by:

• upgrading the surface to improve access all year round from Rudgwick to Slinfold, Copsale to Partridge Green and Henfield car park
• funding the installation of 10 interpretation boards, 11 wooden mile marker posts and 4 heritage waymarkers.

The project has been part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

To ensure everyone enjoys the Downs Link and the surrounding countryside, please Think of other users, Share rights of way with others and Be Aware of what's around you.

• Respect other users and be courteous.
• Cyclists - please slow down and sound your bell or call out to alert others and give way to walkers, horse riders and wheelchair users.
• Dogs are welcome. Please keep them under effective control and in sight. Always clear up after them. Bag it and bin it - any public bin will do.
• Be aware parts of the Downs Link pass through working farmland.
• Take all litter home with you.

When visiting the countryside and using Public Rights of Way, please be respectful of the needs of others in the countryside and always follow the Countryside Code.

Downs Link route information and closures

There are currently no route closures.

Start/finish points and grid references

• St Martha's Hill (start) - TQ0287 4831
• West Grinstead Old Station (mid-point) - TQ1838 2256
• Shoreham-by-Sea (finish) - TQ2098 0547

Using the grid references stated above, 'copy and paste' or manually enter them into the Grid Reference Finder search box to see the location on a map.

Nearest locations

In West Sussex, the route is accessible at various locations, including:

• Rudgwick
• Slinfold
• Christ’s Hospital
• Southwater
• Copsale
• West Grinstead
• Henfield
• Steyning
• Bramber
• Shoreham-by-Sea.

Latest news

Please keep an eye on our Twitter feed and on-site signage which we will update as any works progress.

West Grinstead Old Station

At West Grinstead Old Station, a railway carriage has been converted into an information centre. Please note: the information centre is currently closed.

To find West Grinstead Old Station, launch our iMap, select 'British National Grid' from the search menu and enter TQ1838 2256 in the search box.

• Downs Link route guide (PDF, 2.4MB)

The route connects a variety of habitats, passing banks of wildflowers, trees, hedges, woodlands, rivers, ponds and streams.

Butterflies, such as fritillaries and admirals, can be seen fluttering in the sunny, sheltered woodland glades, and you can see kingfishers fishing from the railway bridges. Bats can be seen foraging and nightingales heard singing during the summer evenings. Glow worms are an exciting find on warm summer nights.

The landscape is varied as the trail crosses the different layers of rock and soil that lie between the North and South Downs. The acid sandy soils of the greensand ridge at St Martha’s Hill give way to the Low Weald clays at the county border, then in places there are beds of hard sandstone known as ‘Horsham Slab’, much used for roofing in days gone by.

Between Henfield and Steyning, the route enters the River Adur flood plain. The river cuts through the South Downs.

Until the 14th century, the estuary covered a much wider area where there are now arable fields and grassland, surrounded by ‘rifes’ or drainage ditches.

If you are planning an event on the Downs Link, including a charity fund-raiser, please refer to our event guidelines. These have been produced to help you organise a successful event and avoid conflicts with other users and landowners.

• Downs Link event guidelines (PDF, 274KB)

The event organiser is responsible for the safe running of the event and we advise that you should ensure all appropriate permissions are in place, such as:

• marshalling
• first aid cover
• contingencies
• risk assessments
• insurance.

For further information and to check if your event clashes with other events, email countryside@westsussex.gov.uk.