Linked, the Downs Link

Some thoughts on former railways and one in particular.

A way marker on the Downs Link

Say what you will about the Victorians, but they built a shed-load of railways.
Some were very useful and remain, some were less useful and are now heritage railways. Many of the rest are now cycle ways.
We should certainly be grateful that the old guys in top hats were so greedy and set on building tracks throughout the countryside because the result is that we now have some excellent routes linking towns and villages, often enabling people to safely commute to work or school.
As someone who likes to cycle longer distances I do have a love/hate relationship with the old railway lines I often ride along. They can be a bit, well, boring. The sides of the former lines are often banks covered in trees, so you only get occasional views; the railways tended to pass the edges of settlements, so you don't often coast through a lovely village; the routes are mainly level so you don't get much opportunity to vary your pace or effort; the surfaces tend to be similar - a little rough so you don't always get the smooth, fast ride that would be nice.
But, but..the reason for this chain of thought is that I have just returned to the Downs Link, a cycleway/former railway line that I have ridden many times since it was opened in the mid eighties. There have been times I have hated it, the effort of slowly slogging up a railway gradient, the banks and trees that can sometimes make you forget where you have got - all the things I have listed above apply to the Downs Link, and some more. I don't need to use it, it isn't on the way to anywhere I need to get to, but yet I keep coming back.
The map I use is an old leaflet from decades ago that I covered in sticky-back plastic to preserve it, and when I see it and the route as it is now I get a little nostalgic, I see other cyclist pass me by and think 'you don't know'. for a long flat route through some trees a lot has changed. Of course you don't really need a map on a route like this, you won't get lost, but keeping track of how far you've come is always good when all you have seen for a few miles is trees.
It does pass near to some villages, so leaving the route to get supplies is an advantage at Cranleigh, Rudgwick and Henfield. As well as this old railway architecture; platforms, bridges and bits of track side ironware.
At Christ's Hospital the route has changed in very welcome way, it did come out on  a corner of a fast road and require a slog up a couple of roads with cars whizzing by. But in the last year it has been extended all the way to Christ's Hospital station, where it passes under the railway line before joining quieter roads the short distance before joining the old route.
At Southwater the changes are massive, what used to be a track across a field now passes through a housing estate, further along a crossing is used to navigate a busy road that didn't exist a few years ago.
The biggest and most welcome change is the improvement to the surface of the route, places that were muddy, or covered in very uneven stone are now smoother and easier to ride on.
The path used to link the North Downs Way and the South Downs Way, hence its name, and its southern end was a few miles short of Shoreham, but a few years ago it was extended along the river Adur to Shoreham and this track has been improved as well make the Link possible from station to station.

Starting at Shalford means most of the route can be station to station

In the end, for all the moans I have about them, former railways provide good long route. They require little planning, are easy to follow and so allow you to concentrate on cycling, for families and beginners they make a safe place to get on two wheels.
So they aren't perfect, but they are there, and for having a good day out they are often the best option.

Avenue Verte: Clapham to Gatwick

A good longer route for beginners - for a video guide scroll to the bottom.

Even in London there are riverside views like this.

This route mostly follows the first thirty and a bit miles of the Avenue Verte, though to make life easier I skipped the first short section through central London.

The Avenue Verte, for those who don't know, is a cycle route that goes from London to Paris, using mostly country lanes and off road cycle trails.  The going is good on this portion, and mostly on smooth tarmac, so any bike will work if you want to attempt all or some of the route. Some sections are busier than others, if you want to take kids its worth getting the guidebook and working out which parts are best for you.

Most of the route is pretty clearly signed.

From Clapham the ride will take you 31 miles to Gatwick, through backstreets, riverside paths, parks and on cycle ways along Sustrans National Cycle routes 20 and 21. Two parks on the London side of the North Downs provide good stopping places for a cafe meal and a comfort break, both Morden and Oaks Park make excellent stop off points. You atre also never too far from shops,or a railway station should you need supplies or want to call it a day. After a long stretch of fairly level going the route climbs upwards across the North Downs at Farthing Down, a beautiful wild hill top park. After that it is a dip down on the southern side of the downs and the going flattens out again.

Crossing the bridge over the M25 and then quickly under the M23 isn't as noisy as you would expect and you soon forget the traffic rumble as you zig-zag along country tracks towards Redhill.

From Redhill its a short blast along backstreets and tracks to Horley, where you pass under the railway, dismounting to use the underpass. Apparently the Cure wrote a song about this subway, an unofficial blue plaque says so. Another tells you the distance you are from London(46km) and from Paris(458km), that's just under 285 miles to go if you fancy keeping going. Alternatively it really is just half an hour to Gatwick where you could get a flight to Paris if you fancied.

But if you are sensible, or a little tired the best thing to do is get the lift, which is right next to the cycle path, up to the station and catch a train home.

The Mark 3 at Clapham Junction station.

The route is mostly very clear and signs show NCN 20 through London and NCN 21 once across the M25, also the Avenue Verte symbol appears on lots of signs. Between Earlsfield and Carshalton the route also follows the River Wandle and signs for the Wandle Trail will also help you find your way. But relying on signs alone may be a dangerous sign, in some places where a sign would help there isn't one, in a few places a finger post has been twisted round to point on the wrong direction. In order to avoid getting lost a copy of the Sustrans official guide to the Avenue Verte is helpful, it has clear maps and a step by step discription. Find it >here <. Alternatively the Ordnance Survey Maps (Landranger 176 and 187) have the cycle ways marked with a green dotted line so can be a useful way to keep track of where you are.

A video of this route:

More cycling films are on my Youtube Channel