Downs Link

File:Rudgwick double bridge, Cranleigh line, West Sussex.jpg on the upper deck of the double bridge south of Rudgwick station]]

File:Plaque, with logo of Downs Link and year of path opening, and brick pillar at Baynards station, Surrey - April 2025 - 01.jpg with the logo of the Downs Link and the year of opening, 1984]]

The Downs Link is a {{convert|36.7|mi|adj=on}} path and bridleway in South East England. It runs from the North Downs Way at St Martha's Hill in Surrey to Shoreham-by-Sea on the English Channel in West Sussex.{{cite web |last= Custard |first= Ben |date= 12 June 2017 |title= Britain's best rail-to-trail cycling and hiking routes |publisher= BBC Countryfile |url= https://www.countryfile.com/go-outdoors/get-active/britains-best-rail-to-trail-cycling-and-hiking-routes |access-date= 7 February 2025 }} It is accessible for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Much of the route runs along the track beds of two former railway lines, which were closed in the mid-1960s.{{cite web |title= Downs Link |publisher= West Sussex County Council |url= https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/walking-horse-riding-and-cycling/downs-link/ |access-date= 7 February 2025 }} The official emblem of the Downs Link, which appears on direction signs and publicity material, is a stylised version of the Rudgwick double bridge, completed in 1865.{{cite news |last= Fox |first= Thomas |date= 22 August 2022 |title= Rudgwick's bizarre two-tiered bridge found along abandoned West Sussex railway line walk |work= Sussex Live |url= https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/news/sussex-news/rudgwick-sussex-guildford-double-bridge-7494508 |access-date= 19 January 2025 }}{{sfn|Vinter|1990|p=123}}{{efn|When the Cranleigh Line opened on 2 October 1865, the Board of Trade inspector insisted that Rudgwick station should remain closed until the 1 in 80 gradient to the south was eased.{{cite magazine |title= A Surrey–Sussex line: Horsham to Guildford – Part 2 |date= Winter 2023 |magazine= Southern Times |issue= 4 |pages=29–39 |publisher= Transport Treasury |location= High Wycombe |isbn= 978-1-91-325135-2}} The remedial work included the raising of embankments and a second bridge deck was added {{cvt|10|ft}} above the original brick arch over the River Arun, reducing the gradient to 1 in 130.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1984|loc= Fig. 38}} Rudgwick station opened on 1 November 1865, one month later than the other stations.{{cite news |title= The Horsham and Guildford Railway |date= 31 Oct 1865 |work= Sussex Advertiser |page= 6 }}}}

Unlike the National Trails, which are supported by the UK government through Natural England,{{cite web |title= The new deal: Management of National Trails in England from April 2013 |year= 2013 |publisher= Natural England |pages= 3, 5, 6 |url= https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/6315301 |access-date= 7 February 2025 }} the Downs Link is a collaborative project between Surrey County Council (SCC), West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and Waverley Borough Council.{{cite news |title= New Downs link for Sussex |date= 13 July 1984 |work= Adur Herald |issue= 3345 |page= 11 }}{{cite news |title= Downs Link takes place of defunct railway |date= 21 July 1984 |work= Cranleigh Times |issue= 8917 |page= 1}} The path was originally opened in 1984 as a link between the North Downs Way at St Martha's Hill and the South Downs Way at St Botolph's near Steyning, but was extended southwards to Shoreham-by-Sea in 1993.{{cite news |title= New link in the route of beauty |date= 8 October 1993 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= S6 }} It intersects other long-distance routes, including the Greensand Way, Wey South Path and Sussex Border Path.{{cite web |title= Greensand Way - Part 4: Gatestreet Farm, Grafham to Pitch Hill, Ewhurst |date= 2 January 2025 |publisher= Surrey County Council |url= https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/countryside/what-can-you-do/walking/long-walks/greensand-way/gatestreet-to-pitch-hill |access-date= 10 February 2025 }} It also forms part of National Route 223 of the National Cycle Network, which runs from the River Thames at Chertsey to the English Channel.{{cite web |title= Cycle network |date= 17 April 2023 |publisher= Surrey County Council |url= https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/cycling-and-walking/cycle-network |access-date= 7 February 2025 }}

The northern trailhead, St Martha's Hill, is on the Greensand Ridge, a prominent sandstone escarpment that runs parallel to and south of the North Downs.{{sfn|Gallois|1965|p=70}}{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|p=113}}{{cite web |title= Surrey Landscape Character Assessment: Guildford Borough |date= April 2015 |publisher= Hankinson Duckett Associates |pages= 68–69 |url= https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/82269/Surrey-LCA-2015-GUILDFORD-Report.pdf |access-date= 16 February 2025 }} The well-drained, sandy soils support oak woodland, with an abundance of hazel, holly and hawthorn. South of the River Tillingbourne, the land is marshier and plant species such as alder, poplar and willow can be found.{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|p=113}}{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=The Wealden Landscape}} The acidic, sandy soils in the Blackheath and Chinthurst Hill areas support birch, broom and pine, as well as gorse and heather.{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=The Wealden Landscape}}{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|pp=115-117}}{{sfn|"Surrey Landscape Character Assessment: Waverley Borough"|2015|pp= 32-33}} Between Bramley and Bramber, the Downs Link runs across Weald Clay and the landscape is dominated by open farmland and mature woodland.{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=The Wealden Landscape}}{{sfn|"Surrey Landscape Character Assessment: Waverley Borough"|2015|pp= 100-101, 138-139}}{{unbulleted list citebundle | {{cite web |title= Low Weald Hills |series= The West Sussex landscape: Land management guidelines |publisher= West Sussex County Council |url= http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/environment/LW4.pdf |access-date= 16 February 2025 }} | {{cite web |title= Central Low Weald |series= The West Sussex landscape: Land management guidelines |publisher= West Sussex County Council |url= http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/environment/wscp/LW6.pdf |access-date= 16 February 2025 }} | {{cite web |title= Upper Adur Valley |series= The West Sussex landscape: Land management guidelines |publisher= West Sussex County Council |url= http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/environment/wscp/LW9_Upper_Adur_Valley.pdf |access-date= 16 February 2025 }} }} The southernmost part of the route runs along the broad valley cut through the South Downs by the tidal River Adur.{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=The Wealden Landscape}}{{cite web |title= Downland Adur Valley |series= The West Sussex landscape: Land management guidelines |publisher= West Sussex County Council |url= http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/environment/heritage/SD5_DownlandAdurV.pdf |access-date= 16 February 2025 }} Part of the Adur Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and provides a habitat for bird species such as lapwing, ringed plover, dunlin and redshank.{{cite web |title= Adur Estuary |publisher= British Trust for Ornithology |url= https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u18/downloads/publications/wituk200405_9.pdf |access-date= 27 February 2025 }}

Since so much of the Downs Link runs along closed railway lines, the path is mostly gently graded.{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|p=113}} The steepest sections of the route, north of Chinthurst Hill and south of {{rws|Baynards}}, were not part of the original track bed.{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|pp=115-117}}{{sfn|Cotton|Rogers|2022|p=26}} There are short on-road sections at {{rws|Christ's Hospital}},{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 3}} Partridge Green and Henfield,{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 4}}{{sfn|Cotton|Rogers|2022|p=27}} and the path crosses the busy A281 at Rudgwick.{{sfn|Cotton|Rogers|2022|p=26}}{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 3}} The off-road surface varies between compacted earth, gravel and asphalt, and several guidebooks report that the unpaved sections can be muddy after wet weather.{{sfn|Vinter|1990|p=120}}{{sfn|Evans|1995|p=96}}{{cite web |title= The Downs Link |date= 10 September 2024 |publisher= Surrey County Council |url= https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/countryside/what-can-you-do/walking/easy-walks/the-downslink |access-date= 20 February 2025 }}

File:Christ’s Hospital station disused platforms 22 11 35 880000.jpeg platforms at Christ's Hospital station]]

From the northern trailhead on St Martha's Hill, {{cvt|175|m}} above ordnance datum, the Downs Link descends into the valley of the River Tillingbourne, before swinging west towards Chinthurst Hill.{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|p=114}}{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 1}} At Tannery Lane Bridge it is joined by the link from Guildford town centre, opened in 2006.{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 1}}{{cite news |title= Bridge over River Wey |date= 14 July 2006 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 15784 |page= 7 }} From there, it runs along the alignment of the former Cranleigh Line, passing through the former Bramley & Wonersh station, where the platforms were restored between 2003 and 2005.{{sfn|Vinter|1990|pp=125-127}}{{cite news |title= Making tracks back to the past |date= 3 July 2013 |orig-date= 18 February 2005 |work= Surrey Live |url= https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/making-tracks-back-past-4847308 |access-date= 30 January 2025 }} Between Tannery Lane and the hamlet of Rowly, the disused Wey and Arun Canal is visible in several places, and the path runs parallel to the Cranleigh Waters, a tributary stream of the River Wey.{{sfn|Vinter|1990|pp=125-127}}

At Cranleigh, a shopping centre development forces the Downs Link to the south of the original railway alignment, but the route returns to the original track bed at the south end of Snoxhall Fields.{{sfn|Vinter|1990|pp=125-127}}{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|pp=120-121}}{{cite news |title= Opposition to plan for rail line |date= 30 Jan 1981 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 9}} Although much of Baynards station survives, it is a private residence and is not accessible to public.{{sfn|Reynolds|1989|pp=120-121}}{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 2}} From Baynards station, the Downs Link deviates from the course of the Cranleigh Line to climb over the hill above the inaccessible Baynards Tunnel.{{sfn|Vinter|1990|pp=128-129}} No trace remains of Rudgwick station,{{sfn|d'Enno|2016|pp=11-12}} and the bridge over the A281 has also been dismantled.{{cite news |title= Bridge under fire |date= 5 May 1967 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 21}}{{cite news |title= Dead, but it won't lie down |date= 17 November 1967 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}} The path crosses the River Arun on the top deck of the double bridge, completed in 1865. Although Slinfold station was completely demolished after the closure of the railway,{{sfn|d'Enno|2016|pp=11-12}} the Cranleigh Line platforms at Christ's Hospital were restored in 2000.{{cite news |last= Lock |first= Rose |date= 19 September 2020 |title= Missing section of the Downs Link restored with help from Christ's Hospital School |work= The Argus |url= https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18732935.missing-section-downs-link-restored-help-christs-hospital-school/ |access-date= 23 January 2025 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201002004737/https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18732935.missing-section-downs-link-restored-help-christs-hospital-school/ |archive-date= 2 October 2020 |url-status= live }}{{cite web |title= 'Missing' section of Downs Link restored |date= 24 September 2020 |publisher= Christ’s Hospital |url= https://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/missing-section-of-downs-link-restored/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220123150857/https://www.christs-hospital.org.uk/missing-section-of-downs-link-restored/ |archive-date= 23 January 2022 |url-status= live }}

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File:Proceed_semaphore_signal_at_West_Grinstead_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2627581.jpg]]

Between Christ's Hospital and Shoreham-by-Sea, the Downs Link mostly follows the route of the former Steyning Line. The path runs through the site of Southwater station, where only short sections of the platforms survive.{{sfn|d'Enno|2016|pp=9-10}} After passing Southwater Country Park, opened in 1985 on the site of a former brickworks,{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 4}}{{cite news |title= Park launch is proud day |date= 7 June 1985 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 5 }}{{efn|The original Steyning Line bridge over Cripplegate Lane, Southwater, was demolished in August 1986, requiring the Downs Link to descend from the railway embankment to cross the road.{{cite news |title= Farewell to slice of village history |date= 15 August 1986 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 3}}}} it continues under the A24, before reaching West Grinstead station.{{cite news |last= Mather |first= Rachel |date= 7 March 2022 |title= The Downs Link: The fascinating walk along disused railway lines between West Grinstead and Southwater |work= Sussex Live |url= https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/downs-link-fascinating-walk-along-6761387 |access-date= 10 February 2025 }} The platforms at this station are mostly intact, and a railway signal and a replica station sign have been installed by the local parish council.{{sfn|d'Enno|2016|pp=9-10}} A Mark 1 railway carriage acts as an information point for walkers,{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 4}}{{cite news |title= Information point for Downs Link walkers |date= 2 July 1998 |work= West Sussex Gazette |issue= 7471 |page= 6 }}{{cite news |title= Plea for more volunteers |date= 19 July 2002 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 20 }} and the old stationmaster's house is now a base for the WSCC Low Weald Countryside Rangers.{{cite news |title= The station where leaves on the line are never a problem |date= 23 September 2004 |work= West Sussex Gazette |issue= 7797 |page= S5 }} At the south end of West Grinstead station, the path runs beneath the A272 in an underpass tunnel, built in 1987 as part of a road improvement scheme.{{cite news |title= Work on bridge |date= 31 October 1986 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 13}}{{cite news |title= Work to lower bridge |date= 20 Feb 1987 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 19}}

There are no traces of the stations at {{rws|Partridge Green}} and {{rws|Henfield}}, and the Downs Link briefly leaves the railway alignment at both locations to avoid subsequent development.{{sfn|d'Enno|2016|pp=7-8}} The path crosses the River Adur at Betley Bridge and Stretham Bridge, to the north and south of Henfield respectively.{{cite news |last= Armour-Milne |first= Jimmie |date= 7 July 1978 |title= Dream of railtrack pathway ends in dots and dashes |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 12}}{{cite news |last= Shaw |first= Robert |date= 8 March 1996 |title= Tracking down the line |work= West Sussex County Times |pages= S1, S6 }} Between Stretham Bridge and Bramber Castle, it diverges from the route of the Steyning Line to avoid sections of the former track bed in private ownership.{{sfn|Vinter|1990|p=132}}{{efn|An alternative walking route for pedestrians only is available along the bank of the River Adur between Stretham Bridge and St Botolph's near Bramber.{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 5}} }} The original railway bridge at Beeding was dismantled after the Steyning Line closed,{{sfn|Vinter|1990|p=134}} and so the Downs Link crosses the River Adur for the third time via Bramber Bridge, which it shares with the South Downs Way.{{cite news |title= Bridge link in South Downs Way |date= 26 April 1974 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 21}} The path then follows the east bank of the river for the remaining {{cvt|2.7|mi}} to Shoreham-by-Sea, passing to the west of Shoreham cement works, where it rejoins the former track bed. The Downs Link remains on the former railway alignment to its southern terminus, close to Shoreham-by-Sea station.{{sfn|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019|loc=Stage 6}}

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File:Cranleigh Station, with Guildford - Horsham train - geograph.org.uk - 2272117.jpg in 1957]]

For much of its route, the Downs Link follows the course of two dismantled railways: the Cranleigh Line, which ran from Peasmarsh Junction near Guildford to Christ's Hospital station, and the Steyning Line, which ran from Christ's Hospital to {{rws|Shoreham-by-Sea}}. Both were listed for closure in the 1963 Beeching report,{{sfn|Beeching|1963a|pp=107, 109-112, 114, 117-121}}{{sfn|Beeching|1963b|loc= Map 9}} and passenger services were withdrawn from

14 June 1965 (Cranleigh Line){{cite news |title= Guildford rail link ends |date= 18 June 1965 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}} and 7 March 1966 (Steyning Line).{{cite news |title= No reprieve for Steyning Line |date= 4 March 1966 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}}{{cite news |title= They went there and back on final Flyer |date= 11 March 1966 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 21}} Freight services continued to operate on the southernmost section of the Steyning Line, between the cement works at Beeding and Shoreham-by-Sea, until 1981.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1984|loc=Fig. 114}}{{sfn|Buckman|2002|p=28}}

Following a failed proposal to run a private train service over the Cranleigh Line, the track was lifted in April 1966,{{cite news |title= End of a railway |date= 30 April 1966 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 12446 |page= 1 }} and dismantling work on the Steyning Line began that October.{{cite news |title= Demolition of rail line dashes reprieve hopes |date= 14 October 1966 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1984|loc=Fig. 115}} In December 1966, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) agreed to buy the track beds of the lines south of the border with Surrey, for £165,000 (equivalent to £{{inflation|UK|0.165|1966|r=2}} million in {{Inflation/year|UK}}), with the intention of converting parts of the routes into roads.{{cite news |title= Railway line as route of new by-pass |date= 9 December 1966 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}} In April 1970, much of the route north of Baynards Tunnel was bought by Surrey County Council (SCC) and Hambledon Rural District Council.{{cite news |last= Dewhurst |first= Ernest |date= 13 February 1969 |title= Turning railways into roads |work= The Guardian |page= 6 }}{{cite web |title=Downs Link Management Plan |date=June 2004 |publisher= Waverley Borough Council |url =http://www.geocities.com/link2parts/DownsLink.htm |access-date = 3 January 2009 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20091026055108/http://www.geocities.com/link2parts/DownsLink.htm |archive-date= 26 October 2009 |url-status= dead }}

File:Baynards Tunnel, south portal - April 2025 - 02.jpg

A year after the Cranleigh Line closed, Hambledon Rural District Council suggested that the track bed should be turned into a "walking freeway".{{cite news |title= Plan for walking freeway |date= 6 May 1966 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 22}} In 1973, it signed a seven-year lease on the part of the railway that had been purchased by SCC with the intention of creating a "greenway" between Gosden, north of Bramley, and the border with West Sussex.{{cite news |title= Council votes to sign for old line |date= 6 April 1973 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue=12808 |page= 1 }}{{efn|On 1 April 1974, Hambledon Rural District became part of Waverley District,{{cite news |title= Waverley welds historic towns in a new unity |date= 1 April 1974 |work= Surrey Advertiser |page= S2 |issue= 12950}} which became the Borough of Waverley on 21 February 1984.{{cite news |last= Harlow |first= Amanda |date= 6 January 1984 |title= Borough plan approved by the Queen |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 14609 |page= 1 }}{{cite news |date= 17 February 1984 |title= Waverley collects its borough charter |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 14615 |page= 5 }}}} The works included sealing the entrances to Baynards Tunnel with concrete blocks and filling the cutting on the northern approach with inert waste to create a ramped access to Cox Green Road.{{cite news |title= Hambledon Rural District Council |date= 14 August 1970 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 12670 |page= 10 }} A strip of land was purchased to enable the path to reach the county boundary, and drainage, fencing and landscaping works were also undertaken. The total cost of £15,000 (equivalent to £{{inflation|UK|15000|1973|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}) was funded from the sale of Baynards station.{{cite news |title= £15,000 scheme for old railway line |date= 5 October 1973 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 12834 |page= 1 }}

In West Sussex, WSCC began to sell off and infill sections of the railway lines. In 1968, it authorised the filling of cuttings with domestic waste at Southwater and north of Steyning.{{cite news |title= County backs most plans for disused rail line |date= 21 November 1968 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}} Rudgwick and Slinfold stations were demolished and their sites were used for a health centre and caravan park respectively.{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|p=48}}{{cite news |title= Station site for caravans |date= 21 July 1972 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 4}}{{cite news |title= Slinfold-on-Sea is becoming very popular |date= 31 August 1973 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 21}} Similarly, the station sites at Partridge Green and Henfield were sold for development.{{cite news |last= Armour-Milne |first= Jimmie |date= 7 July 1978 |title= Dream of railtrack pathway ends in dots and dashes |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 12}} Construction of the Steyning bypass, which runs along part of the former railway line, began in summer 1978{{cite news |title= Work begins on long-awaited bypass scheme |date= 18 August 1978 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 21}} and was completed in July 1981.{{cite news |title= Bypass is open |date= 10 July 1981 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 1}}

File:Downs Link at the north end of the Wappingthorne Estate, West Sussex - April 2025 - 02.jpg

Plans for a unified long-distance pathway along the courses of the old railways began to emerge in the early 1970s. A report for Hambledon Rural District Council, published in 1971, recommended the development of a route from Bramley to Shoreham-by-Sea, and assessed the cost of infrastructure works to be around £500 per mile (equivalent to £{{inflation|UK|500|1971|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}) with an estimated annual maintenance cost of £100 per mile.{{cite news |title= A greenway scheme for the old rail track |date= 28 May 1971 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 12711 |page= 1 }}{{cite news |title= Initial cost of greenway could be £500 a mile |date= 25 June 1971 |work= Surrey Advertiser |issue= 12715 |page= 4 }} Work to create the new path began at the end of that decade. In 1978, new bridleways were designated north of Steyning, bypassing a section of the railway that had been bought by the Wappingthorne estate.{{cite news |title= Paths plan to forge new links |date= 29 September 1978 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 21}}{{cite news |title= Hikers to get £20,000 link with Downs |date= 15 December 1978 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 6 }}{{efn| The total cost of the pathway works in West Sussex was £40,000 (equivalent to £{{inflation|UK|40000|1980|r=-3|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|UK}}), part of which was funded by a grant of £8,600 awarded by the Countryside Commission in May 1980.{{cite news |title= Country walk repairs shock for county |date= 23 May 1980 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 13}}}} At Cranleigh, a diversion from the railway route was required to bypass the Stocklund Square development, but the Bonham Trust initially refused permission to create a new bridleway through Snoxhall Fields, which it owned.

The Downs Link, connecting the North Downs Way at St Martha's Hill to the South Downs Way at St Botolph's near Steyning, was formally opened on 9 July 1984 with ceremonies at Baynards station and at the southern terminus of the new route. The path was a joint project between SCC, WSCC and Waverley Borough Council. The Downs Link received a commendation in the 1985 National Conservation Award Scheme jointly organised by The Times newspaper and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.{{cite newspaper The Times |title= Councils capture conservation awards |date= 8 October 1985 |issue= 62263 |page= 4 }} That December, Waverley Borough Council and the Bonham Trust concluded a Path Creation Order Agreement, allowing the route through Cranleigh to be finalised. The underpass tunnel beneath the A272, at the south end of the former West Grinstead station, was built in 1987, when the original humpback road bridge was replaced by the current structure. The Downs Link extension from the South Downs Way at St Botolph's to Shoreham-by-Sea, also known as the Coastal Link, opened on 4 October 1993.

File:Downs Link Bridge across the River Wey - geograph.org.uk - 2067657.jpg]]

In the early 21st century, two separate projects allowed the path to be extended over additional sections of the former Cranleigh Line. Firstly, the demolished railway bridge over the River Wey was rebuilt in July 2006, allowing easier access to the Downs Link from Guildford town centre. Secondly, the {{cvt|1.4|km|mi|order=flip|adj=on}} section of the track bed east of Slinfold became part of the route in September 2020. The project, which was funded as a collaboration between Christ's Hospital school and WSCC, included the restoration of the Cranleigh Line platforms at Christ's Hospital station. It was made possible through the creation of a new right-of-way between Baystone Bridge and the station in December 2004.{{cite news |title= Downs Link campaign is step nearer to reality |date= 3 December 2004 |work= West Sussex County Times |page= 7 }}{{efn|The 2004 Definitive Map Modification Order that created a right-of-way along the southernmost part of the former Cranleigh Line, between Baystone Bridge and Christ's Hospital station, was unsuccessfully challenged at an inquiry held in December 2006.{{cite web |title=Order Decision |date=4 May 2007 |publisher= Planning Inspectorate |url= http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/row_order_advertising/councils/documents/fps_p3800_7_41m.pdf |access-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910141616/http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/row_order_advertising/councils/documents/fps_p3800_7_41m.pdf |archive-date=10 September 2008 |url-status=dead }}}}

File:A281 crossing on the Downs Link - approach from the south - April 2025 - 02.jpg

In July 2020, a fatal accident occurred near Rudgwick, in which a cyclist was killed at the intersection between the Downs Link and the A281.{{cite news |last= Dixon-French |first= Sam |date= 6 August 2020 |title= Fatal crash sparks call for safety measures |work= Sussex Live |url= https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/fatal-crash-near-horsham-sparks-call-for-new-safety-measures-2932403 |access-date= 4 February 2025 }}{{efn|The original railway bridge over the A281 at Rudgwick, known as Swaynes Bridge, was demolished in November 1967 by West Sussex County Council.}} At the inquest into the death the following year, the coroner criticised the signage on the approach to the junction from the Downs Link as "inadequate".{{cite news |last= Page |first= Sarah |date= 3 June 2021 |title= Death of young cyclist leads to criticism of 'inadequate' warning signs at A281 junction |work= Sussex Live |url= https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/death-of-young-cyclist-leads-to-criticism-of-inadequate-warning-signs-at-a281-junction-3260234 |access-date= 4 February 2025 }} A campaign by local residents and the family of the victim called for the replacement of the crossing with a bridge. However, a study by WSCC estimated that the cost would be around £2 million and instead proposed the installation of a pegasus crossing, with traffic lights, which would be significantly cheaper.{{cite news |last= Page |first= Sarah |date= 14 April 2022 |title= Study dashes hopes of a bridge over lethal A281 crossing |work= Sussex Live |url= https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/study-dashes-hopes-of-a-bridge-over-lethal-a281-crossing-3655122 |access-date= 4 February 2025 }}{{cite news |last= Page |first= Sarah |date= 25 July 2022 |title= Call for A281 bridge to be named after young cyclist killed on charity ride |work= Sussex Live |url= https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/call-for-a281-bridge-to-be-named-after-young-cyclist-killed-on-charity-ride-3780428 |access-date= 4 February 2025 }} A horse was hit by a car at the same crossing in May 2023.{{cite news |last= Graves |first= Kevin |date= 18 May 2023 |title= Horse on Downs Link 'stung by wasp' then hit by car at 'lethal' crossing |work= Surrey Live |url= https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/horse-downs-link-stung-wasp-26932177 |access-date= 6 February 2025 }}

• Cuckoo Trail
• Forest Way
• Worth Way
• List of rail trails

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• {{cite book |last=Beeching |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Beeching |title=The Reshaping of British Railways Part 1: Report |url= http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=13 |access-date=7 December 2009 |date= 27 March 1963a |publisher= HMSO |location= London }}
• {{cite book |last=Beeching |first=Richard |title=The Reshaping of British Railways Part 2: Maps |url= http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docSummary.php?docID=35 |access-date=7 December 2009 |date= 27 March 1963b |publisher= HMSO |location= London }}
• {{cite book |last= Buckman |first= James |year= 2002 |title= The Steyning Line |publisher= SB Publications |location= Seaford |isbn= 978-1-85-770254-5 }}
• {{cite book |last= Budgen |first= Christopher |year= 2008 |title= Cranleigh: A History |publisher= Phillimore |location= Chichester |isbn= 978-1-86-077503-1 }}
• {{cite book |last1= Cotton |first1= Nick |last2= Rogers |first2= Kathy |year= 2022 |title= Traffic-free Cycle Trails: South East England |publisher= Vertebrate Publishing |location= Sheffield |isbn= 978-1-83-981164-7 }}
• {{cite book |last= d'Enno |first= Douglas |year= 2016 |title= Sussex Railway Stations through time |publisher= Amberley Publishing |location= Stroud |isbn= 978-1-44-564876-7 }}
• {{cite book |last= Evans |first= Jeremy |year= 1995 |title= Great Cycle Routes: The North and South Downs |publisher= Crowood Press |location= Marlborough |isbn= 978-1-85-223850-6 }}
• {{cite book |last=Gallois |first=R.W. |year=1965 |title=The Wealden District |series=British Regional Geology |publisher=British Geological Survey |location= Keyworth |isbn=978-0-11-884078-1}}
• {{cite book |last1= Mitchell |first1= Vic |last2= Smith |first2= Keith |year= 1984 |orig-year= 1982 |title= Branch Lines to Horsham |publisher= Middleton Press |location= Midhurst |isbn= 978-0-90-652002-4 }}
• {{cite book |last= Oppitz |first= Leslie |year= 1987 |title= Sussex Railways Remembered |publisher= Countryside Books |location= Newbury |isbn= 978-0-90-539299-8 |url= https://archive.org/details/sussexrailwaysre0000oppi |access-date= 19 May 2025 |url-access= registration }}
• {{cite book |last= Oppitz |first= Leslie |year= 1988 |title= Surrey Railways Remembered |publisher= Countryside Books |location= Newbury |isbn= 978-1-85-306005-2 |url= https://archive.org/details/surreyrailwaysre0000oppi |access-date= 19 May 2025 |url-access= registration }}
• {{cite book |last= Reynolds |first= Kev |year= 1989 |title= The South Downs Way & the Downs Link |publisher= Cicerone Press |location= Milnethorpe |isbn= 978-1-85-284023-5 }}
• {{cite book |last= Vinter |first= Jeff |year= 1990 |title= Railway Walks: GWR & SR |publisher= Alan Sutton Publishing |location= Gloucester |isbn= 978-0-86-299722-9 |url= https://archive.org/details/railwaywalksgwrs0000vint |access-date= 19 May 2025 |url-access= registration }}
• {{cite web |title= Surrey Landscape Character Assessment: Waverley Borough |date= April 2015 |publisher= Hankinson Duckett Associates |url= https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/82248/Surrey-LCA-2015-WAVERLEY-Report.pdf|access-date= 16 February 2025 |ref= {{harvid|"Surrey Landscape Character Assessment: Waverley Borough"|2015}} }}
• {{cite web |title= Downs Link: Six Stage Route Guide |date= 31 October 2019 |publisher= West Sussex County Council |location= Chichester |url= https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/13439/downs_link_6_stage_route_guide.pdf |access-date= 10 February 2025 |ref= {{harvid|"Six Stage Route Guide"|2019}} }}

{{refend}}

{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/walking-horse-riding-and-cycling/downs-link/# West Sussex County Council page]
• [https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/countryside/what-can-you-do/walking/easy-walks/the-downslink Surrey County Council page]

{{Surrey Hills AONB}}

{{Transport in Surrey}}

Category:Rail trails in England

Category:Long-distance footpaths in England

Category:Footpaths in Surrey

Category:Footpaths in West Sussex