www.westsussex.gov.uk/downslink The steam trains and their tracks have long since gone, but... THE HUNDRED YEARS A WEALDEN HOW WE KEEP THE EYE Spy if you listen carefully, sometimes, RAILWAY WONDERLAND RUNNING . . . just sometimes, you can still Wildlife Points tick box Arrival time hear them puffing away. Visit the Downs Link and you will be part of a This railway line was built in the 1860s. It’s a joint effort between West 4 An ancestor of yours, heading for a day landscape that is around 25 million years old! and Council Councils, Waverley Primrose (winter/spring) out at the seaside, may have taken Borough Council and dedicated WHAT IS THE DOWNS LINK? the train that passed this way. People A large dome rose out of the sea and volunteers. (spring) 3 blue tit BlueBell It is a long distance, off road route, for walkers, wanted day trips to the seaside, to get over millions of years has been washed cyclists and horse riders. It links the in away from the hustle and bustle blackthorn away. All that remains is a large basin For People Wild Garlic (spring) 2 Surrey and the in . Easily of city life. The to Direct shape and you’re in it! The North Downs We carry out repairs to the path and keep it free accessible from local access points and public and South Coast railway on one side and the South Downs on the from obstructions. We put up waymarkers to help transport, the route can be explored in shorter companies made this possible by building other are the rim of this basin! This is the you find your way and build benches so you can Bramble (all year round) 1 sections. bramble a railway on what is today known robin Wealden landscape. sit and ponder. In Surrey you can find the start of the as the Downs Link. Blackthorn (all year round) 2 Downs Link at St Martha’s Hill. Or, for a As you travel along the Downs Link you For Wildlife flatter route, join the Shalford Park cycle Departure time may notice the scenery changing, Since the railway line closed in the 1960s route from Guildford town centre, in So, what happened to this railway? different shapes, different trees and a the embankments and cuttings have Nightingale (spring/summer) 4 easy reach of the station. This will different feel. nightingale mostly grown into woodland. In the 1960s over 4000 miles of railway link up with the Downs Link at wild garlic bullfinch line were closed! And this line was one of Fox (all year round) 4 Broadford Road, Shalford. This change is because of something beneath you. If you had a bird’s-eye view of the Downs them. The closures were recommended by bluebell Under your feet is mud, but under the mud are rocks Link you would see a woodland that Lord Beeching in his infamous Beeching Report. Robin (all year round) 3 WHAT ARE THE DOWNS? of different kinds. was almost 37 miles long! An important habitat, a home for wildlife. They are a range of hills . . . In some places you will see sandstone, which was primrose Blue Tit (all year round) 3 The Downs Link is 37 miles (59km) WHY is it called once the sea bed. In other places you will see We use traditional and modern ways to help

, the remains of prehistoric creatures. And manage this amazing wildlife habitat. long. It follows an old railway line, Bullfinch (all year round) 4 HORSEBACK or

so the route is mostly level. It was then there is the clay, which in some places is over

opened in 1984 by West Sussex the hundred years 300m thick! If you’d like to get involved and become a volunteer BIKE FOOT, on

County Council, Surrey County 100

Years Railway Years If you look out over the Wealden wonderland then please give us a call: Peacock Score Council and Waverley Borough railway? Butterfly Council. It also links two other maybe you will see the landscape change To help in West Sussex: 01243 777620

before your very eyes. Fox /30 long distance routes together - To help in Waverley: 01483 523392 the Discover and Come the and the

South Downs Way. As you travel along the Downs Link you will pass GUIDE ROUTE through the beautiful ancient wooded countryside of Surrey and West Sussex. Then further south you start to smell the sea air and the wooded Silver-washed landscape gives way to the flat Because it lasted for Fritillery butterfly plains of the coast, where you will be greeted by the sights and Use your eyes, ears and nose to find them. Then tick sounds of wading birds. 100 years! the circles and see what your score is. Branch off, discover the sites . . . Running out of steam? Exploring further. . . Delving deeper. . . EYE Spy Getting there . . . Plan your day - discover what the villages have to Who looks after the Downs Link? VISITOR ATTRACTIONS PUBS West Sussex Travel Information West Sussex 01243 777620 offer by looking online. www.westsussex.gov.uk CASTLE www.english-heritage.org.uk THE SEAHORSE, Shalford County Council: www.westsussex.gov.uk Clues Points tick box Bramber tel: 01483 514351 Downs Link www.westsussex.gov.uk/downslink www.theseahorseguildford.co.uk VILLAGE WEBSITE Record Office www.westsussex.gov.uk/recordoffice 3 Traveline: (for all travel information) Tunnel www.traveline.org.uk ARTS tel: 01483 278000 BRAMBER www.aboutbritain.com/towns THE PARROT, Shalford Surrey County 03456 009009 (between Baynards and ) CENTRE Cranleigh www.cranleighartscentre.org /bramber.asp tel: 0871 2002233 tel: 01483 561400 C o u n c i l : www.surreycc.gov.uk Signal 4 www.parrotinn.co.uk/information Be prepared! BRAMLEY www.bramleyparish.co.uk Downs Link www.surreycc.gov.uk/countryside FARMERS’ MARKETS - : 01273 492595 (at West Grinstead)) National Rail Shoreham: 01273 263152, : 01403 215386 THE VILLAGERS, Blackheath Waverley Borough 01483 523333 Platforms 3 www.nationalrail.co.uk • Wear appropriate tel: 01483 561400 CHILWORTH www.aboutbritain.com/towns Council: www.waverley.gov.uk tel: 08457 484950 clothing www.thevillagersinn.co.uk /chilworth-2.asp (various places along the route) GUILDFORD BOAT HOUSE, tel: 01483 504494 • There are a few short Explore local foods Running-in-board 4 sections where the Guildford www.guildfordboats.co.uk THE Jolly Farmer, Bramley www.copsalehall.co.uk great places to eat: www.sussexfoodfinder.co.uk Sussex Information tel: 01483 893355 www.visitsussex.org (between Guildford and West Grinstead) www.visitsussex.org Downs Link follows GUILDFORD MUSEUM AND tel: 01483 444750 www.jollyfarmer.co.uk CRANLEIGH www.cranleighvillage.net www.westsussex.gov.uk/taste Bridge 3 main roads, Please take extra care especially at CASTLE GROUNDS www.guildford.gov.uk seasonality foods: www.eattheseasons.co.uk (various places along the route) Surrey Information junctions THE CRANLEY HOTEL, Cranleigh GUILDFORD www.guildford.org.uk www.farma.org.uk Guildford tel: 01483 272827 Railway Track 5 www.visitsurrey.com • Cyclists: be self sufficient Top Sites for More Information and carry a repair kit HENFIELD MUSEUM tel: 01273 492507 HENFIELD www.henfieldvillage.co.uk/index.aspx (various places along the route) THE THURLOW ARMS, Baynards Surrey Hills Area of 01372 220653 Henfield www.henfield.gov.uk/museum tel: 01403 822459 Gradient Sign 5 www.itchingfieldparishcouncil.org.uk Outstanding Natural www.surreyhills.org (West Grinstead) The information in this leaflet is accurate at the time MARLIPINS MUSEUM tel: 01273 462994/01323 441279 Beauty: THE RED LYON, www.aboutbritain.com/towns/ of writing. Please be aware that it may change. tel: 01403 790339 Level Mark 4 Shoreham www.sussexpast.co.uk/marlipins partridgegreen.asp South Downs National 0300 303 1053 www.theredlyon.co.uk (West Grinstead) The Downs Link has a solid surface and there are Park Authority www.southdowns.gov.uk tel: 01483 211843 www.rudgwick.churchinsight.com Railway Carriage 4 some slopes. It can be bumpy and after rain it will THE BAX CASTLE, Two Mile Ash, Horsham be muddy in places. AND VISITOR CENTRE tel: 01403 730369 North Downs Way and (West Grinstead) SHOREHAM-BY-SEA www.shorehambysea.com near Guildford www.the baxcastle.co.uk : www.nationaltrail.co.uk Railway Buffer 5 For more information, including a free downloadable 6 stage route guide with maps, www.thelocalchannel.co.uk/Slinfold (the Shoreham area) SHALFORD MILL tel: 01483 561389 THE LINTOT, Southwater SLINFOLD A Guide to Surrey and visit www.westsussex.gov.uk/downslink Shalford www.nationaltrust.org.uk tel: 01403 738425 West Sussex Villages: www.thelocalchannel.co.uk www.northsussexcamra.org.uk SOUTHWATER www.horsham.gov.uk Score Surrey Wildlife Trust: SHOREHAM AIRPORT tel: 01273 467373 THE ORCHARD, West Grinstead www.steyningsouthdowns.com 01483 795440 www.surreywildlifetrust.co.uk /40 Shoreham-by-Sea www.shorehamairport.co.uk tel: 01403 865693 WEST GRINSTEAD www.aboutbritain.com/towns/ : STEYNING MUSEUM tel: 01903 813333 THE PARTRIDGE, Partridge Green, west-grinstead.asp 01273 492630 www.sussexwt.org.uk Steyning www.steyningmuseum.org.uk tel: 01403 710391 www.thepartridge.co.uk Tourist Information Centres Sustrans - for information about National Cycle Networks: ST MARY’S HOUSE tel: 01903 816205 0845 1130065 www.sustrans.org.uk CAT AND CANARY, Henfield AND GARDENS www.stmarysbramber.co.uk GUILDFORD tel: 01483 444333 Cyclists’ Touring Club: tel: 01483 893152 www.guildford.gov.uk Bramber www.parrotinn.co.uk 01483 238337 www.ctc.org.uk tel: 01403 211661 HORSHAM British Horse Society: www.bhs.org.uk SOUTHWATER COUNTRY tel: 01403 731218 THE CASTLE INN HOTEL, Bramber www.horsham.gov.uk If a copy of this leaflet is needed in another format, please contact us on 0844 8481666 01243 777620 and we will try to meet your needs. www.horshamdistrictcountryside.org tel: 01903 812102 PARK, Southwater Designed and published by WSCC, Communities and Infrastructure. www.castleinnhotel.co.uk tel: 01903 221066 SHOREHAM-BY-SEA Ramblers Association:: www.ramblers.org.uk www.adur.gov.uk www.westsussex.gov.uk/downslink VISIT SOUTH EAST www.visitsoutheastengland.com 020 7339 8500 THE RED LION, Shoreham PS064 11.10 tel: 01273 453171