The Downs Link follows two historic railway lines through the beautiful and ancient wooded countryside of Surrey to the golden coastline of West Sussex. For most of its length it follows former railway lines and is popular with cyclists wanting to stay off-road on a well-surfaced track. Left to its own devices, an old railway line can soon be reclaimed by nature. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. The route is a straightforward "double" that can be completed in a day, following the Down's Link route from St Martha's Hill, near Guildford, to Shoreham. When the track divides, leave the bridleway and go on down a public footpath that will eventually bring you out at St Martha-on-the-Hill church. The southern end of the tunnel was more noticeable; a bricked up tunnel mouth with a solitary door set in the middle to keep people away from the colony of bats who had taken up residence after the railway tracks were lifted. One such item was outside the village of Bramley; a children’s playground featured a replica of a train, ideal for the younger generation to run around and clamber over excitedly. The 23 mile canal which connected with the Wey and Arun rivers was never a commercial success and was officially abandoned in 1871 just 55 years after it opened. near Guildford is 175m above sea level. Not that I was particularly surprised. The Downslink Ultra is a 38-mile point to point race from St Martha’s Hill, Surrey to Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex using the Downslink footpath and bridleway. Whether it was the weather or not, I couldn’t tell, but the Downs Link was now deserted. Suggested joining points:  Guildford, Bramley or Cranleigh. I'd recommend missing out St. Martha's Hill, instead going from Guildford station south along the banks of the Wey, picking up the Wey south path just south of Shalford. As I approached the village of Rudgwick fellow walkers also began to appear again; usually togged up to the nines in waterproofs and wellies whilst a large dog ran around, enthusiastically jumping in puddles. St Martha’s Priory (another ecclesiastical clue) was derelict for many years but has now been converted into a prestigious house. And less rain. I had fond memories, especially of the South Downs, and I was intrigued to see how the landscape would change as I travelled between the two. Things began to change again as housing re-appeared and the Downs Link made its way into the heart of Cranleigh. The canal bed lasted substantially longer, only being filled in in 1972. A network of concrete culverts did, at least, keep the worst of the water off the footpath but such had been the downpour, that they were struggling to cope with the demand. The 37 mile (59km) shared route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists linking the North Downs Way with the South Downs Way. Routes on this trail. 6 From St Martha's Hill the sandy path descends and crosses the Downs Link, a path linking the North Downs Way with the South Downs Way. Quite why Downs Link starts at the top of St Martha’s Hill isn’t particularly clear. Find out more here. After passing Childworth Railway Station turn left into Guildford Lane. The route was opened in 1984 to link the North Downs Way and the South Downs Way. Alternatively, the more accessible option (DLA) bypasses this in favour of a more relaxed walk, free from obstacles and sharp climbs. Beginning of cycle ride along the Downs Link to Shoreham: psburgess: 16/05/2020: NDW Westhumble to Guildford: jedthehumanoid: 24/01/2020: Day 1 walking the North Downs Way: fosal29: 29/04/2019: Boxing Day walk with John & Simon: ornithopod: 26/12/2018 Downs Link - Via St Martha's Hill. 5 With the church behind you, looking down over the Tillingbourne Valley, you will see a path ahead of you. :). The former station had been demolished, replaced by a shopping and housing development, with a large car park next to it. Instead it starts a short distance away at a junction of sandy paths; a small stone cairn marking the official start, before heading straight back down hill again. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. may actually be a beer...). You then follow the North Downs Way to the high point and the 19th century church of St Martha's. I’d like to say it was planned, but that would imply too much credit on my part. Once the church had been an important staging post on a busy route, but when the era of the motorcar arrived, the roads remained at the foot of the hill. Despite that, an active band of volunteers have been hard at work, attempting to re-open the canal so it can be navigated once more. The path then descends to the road and runs next to the road for a while, passing White Lane Farm. At the end, turn left on a broad track. That and the fact that St Martha’s Hill is a bit of a local landmark, thanks to its isolated church, parts of which date from the 12th century. Unlike its neighbour, Cranleigh had little to commemorate the railway. “There’s not a day I pass through here that I don’t wish the railway was still open,” said an elderly woman as she passed me by on the former platform of Bramley and Wonersh station. Not surprisingly the bus appeared right on time. Recent rain had paid its toll on the footpaths as I slipped around on a path that had become a veritable quagmire at parts. The old station building had been converted to a house, but the station canopies and platforms remained, maintained lovingly by its owners. For 37 miles it steams down the south of England, from St Martha's Hill near Guildford, to Shoreham-by-Sea on the south coast. And in Baynards’ case, there would be rubbish to clear as well. Post code for finish point: High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5DE The houses and streets sat clustered close to the former railway tracks. To build your own Itinerary, click to add an item to your Itinerary basket. The route crosses the Surrey Hills and the South Downs through predominantly wood areas with views across adjoining fields, but also includes small meadow areas and wetland features. It is named after the original Norman Parish Church built on this site. Sat a short distance from the trail, with a slight platform effect in front of it, it almost looked like the Thurlow Arms had been a station, but the former Baynard’s station stood opposite. Again, now a private house, Baynard’s is the only station on the route to have remained pretty much intact. Last Updated: 4 January 2019. The Downslink footpath and bridleway links the North Downs Way at St Martha's Hill, Surrey with the South Downs Way near Steyning, West Sussex. If the bus was early, the first I’d know would be when it went sailing straight past me. The Downs Link connects with other long-distance routes, such as the North Downs Way, South Downs Way, Wey South Path, Greensand Way, Sussex Border Path and National Cycle Network routes 2 and 22. The distance shouldn’t have been a problem but the muddy paths had made going slower than I’d expected, and the damp weather had left me with stiff and aching legs. The small village of Rudgwick would be the last place where I knew I’d be able to get a bus; an hourly service connecting to either Guildford or Horsham. In 10m, ignore the wide path on the right and continue for another 50m. And then, a little further on, was something that left the walker in no doubt of the local history. The 37-mile (59-kilometer) route begins on St Martha’s Hill, near Guildford, and travels south to finish in the historic seaside town of Shoreham-by-Sea. And with that she bade me farewell, leaving me on the platform wondering about what once was. Bramley and Wonersh may have lost its service, but parts of the station still remained, lovingly restored by local groups. The resulting car growth over the decades was paying its toll on the area, and a report in 1994 for Surrey County Council concluded that partly re-opening the line down from Guildford, through Bramley and Wonersh and on to the town of Cranleigh, would take 500 car users off the road each day. The northern entrance at Baynards has been mostly buried under soil and undergrowth, meaning the Downs Link heads off instead along a selection of increasingly muddy paths in a wood above the tunnel, crossing the border into West Sussex in the process. The hill summit stands at 574 feet (175 m) and commands wonderful views of the surrounding area. Why not just fill it with local waste? As far as Cranleigh was concerned, the railway was gone and would never be back. This proved to be the former Thurlow Arms pub in Baynards, now converted into a private residence; the pub’s Les Routiers sign still affixed to the front door. Perched on the top of the hill on the North Downs Way National Trail, the building is accessible only by foot.It is the only church in Surrey to be on the Pilgrims’ Way and featured briefly in the 1944 film A Canterbury Tale. With an eye on the clock, I sighed and prepared to leave the trail just before the remnants of Rudgwick station and went in hunt of the village bus stop, and somewhere to shelter until the bus came. Naturally Downs Link followed the same theme, but every now and then there’s a a clue to the former life. The line only gets two passenger trains an hour in each direction. I’d got to the top of St Martha’s Hill having set off from Chilworth station in the valley below,, and now I was heading back to it. This joins the downs link just a bit further east, and avoids the sandy ground around St. Martha's. Which is why I started walking Downs Link, panting for breath, cursing the fact that I was rather out of shape on the hill climbing front. Others had been living on borrowed time for years after passenger and freight trade had either failed to show up, or had simply disappeared. Enjoy this site? From St Martha's Hill the sandy path descends and crosses the Downs Link, a path linking the North Downs Way with the South Downs Way. This route option visits St Martha’s Hill, a fabulous viewpoint standing 175m above sea level and the official starting point of the Downs Link path. As the Downs Link rejoined the old line, I glanced at the tunnel entrance through the rain, pondering a detour before decided that really, heading off down a muddy track just to see a padlocked wooden door, probably wasn’t worth it. St Martha on the Hill and the Silent Pool A Pilgrimage ... fingerpost, avoid a left fork, marked as the Downs Link, and continue, always uphill. If I stopped, I’d end up having to spend two more days walking the trail. the “Downs Link” that runs all the way from St Martha’s to the South Downs Way and ultimately to the sea. The beautiful St Martha’s Church (also known as St Martha-on-the-Hill) is a listed grade II Historic building. I knew I’d made a mistake not putting my waterproof trousers on. St Martha’s is now supposedly the only church still remaining on the entire Pilgrim’s Way, and it is only accessible on foot. Linking the North Downs Way at St. Martha's Hill in Surrey with the South Down's Way near Steyning, the Downs Link route itself follows the course of two dismantled railway lines - the Cranleigh Line & the Steyning Line - both of which were closed in the 1960's as a result of the Beeching Axe. I peered over the sides of the railway bridge – built up high to stop people from dropping things on the tracks – but there were no trains. But putting footpaths through them means maintaining the infrastructure to a higher standard, plus lighting to install, health and safety hazards to assess. A large, modern white sign – the kind you expect on a road as you ever a town – made sure walkers knew there were in Cranleigh. Or perhaps, more accurately, along the A281 road which ran closely by. But in the 1960s the attitude was that the car would solve all our problems!” I replied with perhaps a hint of regret that can come from someone who has never owned a car, and who relies on public transport to get around. There’s something about the moody dramatic lighting; the water dripping down the brick walls. Well why not? “It would have taken a lot of this traffic off the road, for a start,” she carried on, pointing to the car-filled road nearby, where the local traffic was barely moving. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. The notion of starting a walking trail at the top of a hill is – on paper – an appealing one view. The railway went through his land and the opening of a station to serve the estate was made a condition of sale, despite the fact that no one actually lived there. The Downs Link follows a disused railway line forming part of the long-distance route linking St Martha's Hill, near Guildford, to near Shoreham on the south coast. If I passed on through, I’d be committing myself for the whole thing. It also passes the Surrey heathland of Blackheath, with its impressive War Memorial atop Rosemary Hill. Only a narrow ledge of grass on the side of the path provided any safety at all, and I gently manoeuvred as best I could in order to prevent myself from falling in it head first. Shortly after, the North Downs Way (NDW) joins you from ... St Martha’s was built in 1850 on the site of a much older Saxon church. Downs Link Stage 1: St Martha’s Hill to Rudgwick, Downs Link Stage 3: Henfield to Shoreham-by-Sea. For starters you can give the people walking it a fantastic view on which to start their journey. St Martha's Hill is a landmark in St Martha in Surrey, England between the town of Guildford and village of Chilworth.It is the 18th highest hill in the county and on the Greensand Ridge, in this case at the closest point to the North Downs, commencing to the immediate north at the Guildown-Merrow Down in the parishes of Guildford and Merrow. Next time: we return to Rudgwick for the start of a two day extravaganza. “Aye,” she nodded, looking at the platform a little wistfully. Whilst walking the Ridgeway a few years earlier I’d walked on a bridge over an old railway cutting which was now so densely overgrown that it was impossible to imagine it had ever been any different. The people walking it a fantastic view on which to start their journey may even have been element. 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