Walking the Downs Link

Holly Worton

Description

This is the first guide to walking the Downs Link, a 37-mile trail that links the North Downs Way to the South Downs Way, continuing beyond to the coast where it ends at Shoreham-by-Sea. The Downs Link is an excellent trail for a long weekend walk, or for walkers seeking to do a first long-distance trail. More than just a walking travelogue or memoirs of a walking holiday, this book contains Holly's reflections on walking the Downs Link, including lessons learned and practical information to help you plan your Downs Link hiking adventure. It includes a suggested packing list, gear recommendations, and other useful tips, such as when to walk the trail, where to stay, and how much you'll need to budget. It also includes tips on how to access the trail, and how to walk it in either direction. This book will not only get you inspired to walk the Downs Link or any other long distance trail, it will encourage you to get outdoors more often.

Informations

• Publié par: Tribal Publishing
• Date de parution: 03 octobre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781911161080
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Walking the Downs Link
Walking the Downs Link
Planning Guide Reflections on Walking
from St. Martha s Hill to Shoreham-by-Sea
Holly Worton
Tribal Publishing
Copyright 2016 by Holly Worton
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN 978-1-911161-07-3 (Mobi)
ISBN 978-1-911161-08-0 (Epub)
Cover design by The Killion Group, Inc .
Ebook formatting by Ebook Partnership
Disclaimer
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
There has been talk for years of re-opening the old railway route, and of opening up a portion of the Downs Link as a bus line. Both initiatives would affect the current use of the trail as a bridleway, and possible funding from the Dunsfold Park project near Cranleigh may make the bus line project a reality in the near future. Before booking your Downs Link walk, be sure to check online for any updates that might affect the trail. Generally, the West Sussex County Council website is the best source of updated information on the trail.
The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper walking and hiking training. Like any sport involving physical exertion, equipment, balance, and environmental factors, long distance walking poses some inherent risk. The author and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and to know their limits. Before practicing the skills described in this book, be sure that your equipment is well maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level.
Ultimately, only you are responsible for your own safety. Keep this in mind, especially when walking alone. Enjoy!
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One - PART 1 PLANNING
What to Expect
Practical Information
Where to Stay
What to Take
Resources
Planning a North to South Walk
Planning a South to North Walk
Chapter Two - PART 2 IMPACT SAFETY
The Countryside Code of 2014
Safety
Chapter Three - PART 3 NORTH TO SOUTH
Highlights
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Chapter Four - PART 4 SOUTH TO NORTH
Highlights
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Chapter Five - PART 5 AFTER THE DOWNS LINK
Lessons Learned
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by this Author
A Request
Prologue
Why the Downs Link
After my 2015 South Downs Way walk, I was no longer sure that I was a long distance walker. My journey was so much more painful and difficult than I had expected it to be, though at the same time it was a truly life-changing experience in the most beautiful way: I learned that I was actually capable of doing a 100-mile walk, even though it wasn t easy. I wasn t sure if I ever wanted to do something like that again, but I knew that it was possible for me.
I wanted to test myself with a shorter walk and see if I was really up to the challenge of another long distance National Trail, and that s how I decided to do the Downs Link. It seemed like the perfect solution: just three days of walking, which makes for a long weekend. It s close to home, and is easily accessible via train on both ends of the journey.
I knew I had walked bits of the Downs Link at some point, because I remembered having seen the signs on one of my day hikes. I relished the thought of being back outdoors on a multiple day walk, and was optimistic about having a shorter goal to complete. Plus, I was looking forward to crossing paths with the South Downs Way for the first time since my 2015 walk. Once I made my decision, I felt that giddy excitement I get when meeting up with an old friend. In this case, the old friend was Nature. I set a date in the calendar, and started planning.
Planning my walk
There were no guidebooks available that detailed the journey, but Rambling Man s Downs Link planner was more than enough information for me to get started. It s a short walk, and there aren t too many options for thru-hiking this trail. You either choose to do it in two long days, or three shorter ones. I decided on three days because I wanted to be able to take my time and enjoy the journey and the experience. I also wanted to test my theory that it would be easier for me to complete a multiple-day walk if I divided it into shorter days.
In the end, I actually walked the Downs Link twice before completing this book. This was not my original plan, but just weeks before the manuscript was finished, I felt inspired to walk the trail once more, this time in the other direction. In this book, I share all the details of my experience walking the Downs Link in each direction, and I include planning details for both directions.
The first time around, I booked my accommodation and planned my journey just two weeks prior to actually doing the walk, which was cutting it close, considering that people seem to plan very far in advance for walks such as this. However, this trail does not seem to be as popular as some of the National Trails, so it was easy to find accommodation at short notice (this is something to keep in mind if you want to book a spontaneous walking weekend). It also helped that I first walked this trail in May, which is not as busy as the summer months.
The second time, I booked all accommodation four weeks in advance, but because it was August, I didn t get my first choice in terms of accommodation. I wanted to split my walk into three almost equal stages by staying at Littleworth for my first night on the trail, but there was no availability in either of the places to stay there, so I had to stay in Henfield instead. This actually ended up being beneficial to the experience, because I realized how much I preferred being able to split the days into three equal stages. If you re planning to walk the Downs Link in the summer months, try to plan as far in advance as possible.
Why this book
Writing a book about my journey is a way of sharing my experience with others: with friends and with readers I may know know personally. I love reading the stories other people s journeys down National Trails or other long distance paths: it helps me to rekindle my love for walking in the winter, when I spend less time outdoors, and it helps me to get to know trails that I may want to walk someday.
It was important for me to write this book in particular, since there are no existing guidebooks on the Downs Link. It s such an easily accessible trail for people who live in southeast England, and it s a great trail for people who want to get a feel for what it s like to complete a multiple day walk and see whether a longer walk is something they might be interested in. The Downs Link is great for people who are new to walking long distance trails: it s mostly one long, straight trail which is wide, flat, and well maintained. It s well sign posted, with the exception of one or two places, and it s generally easy to navigate. In writing this book, I hope to encourage more people to walk the Downs Link.
PART 1: PLANNING
What to Expect
This is a quick overview of what you can expect on the Downs Link, so you can get a feel for what the experience is like. I provide a more in depth explanation of the historical highlights of the trail in Parts 3 and 4, where I share my journey along the trail, from north to south and then the other way around.
If you ve purchased the ebook edition of this book, you may want to download a printable PDF file of Part 1: Planning. You can do so here: http://www.shewalksinnature.com/dl .
Quick facts
Distance : 37 miles / 59.5 km
Difficulty : Very easy, except for the steep northern slope up St. Martha s Hill. The rest of the trail is mostly wide, flat, and well maintained.
Ease of navigation : Mostly easy, though I did manage to get a bit confused at least once each day the first time I walked the trail, and twice the second time I walked it. There are three OS maps that cover the entire length of the Downs Link, and I recommend that walkers carry these maps to avoid getting lost.
Walking time : Two long days or three shorter ones
Ease of access : The Downs Link is easily accessible from London and other points in southeast England, with regular trains near both the northern and southern points.
Start and end points: St. Martha s Hill in the north and Shoreham-by-Sea in the south. You can walk the trail in either direction.
About the Downs Link
The Downs Link is a 37-mile bridleway that opened in 1984, connecting the North Downs Way and the South Downs Way and continuing beyond to the coast. In 1995, the 3 mile (5 km) coastal link from Botolphs (where the Downs Link meets the South Downs Way) was finished, extending the trail down to the coast at Shoreham-by-Sea, which has a rail station conveniently located just minutes from the trail head. A number of other long distance routes cross paths with the Downs Link, including the Wey South Path and the Sussex Border Path. It s a unique path in that it mostly follows the old route of what is now known as the Hundred Years Railway, which is what makes most of the trail so flat and easy to walk.
The northern part of the railway line that went from Guildford to Christ s Hospital was built along the current Downs Link and opened in 1865, and the southern part that went from Itchingfield Junction (near Christ s Hospital) to Shoreham-by-Sea opened in 1861. Trains took 50 minutes to traverse the route, with 6-8 trains a day stopping at Bramley Wonersh, Cranleigh, Baynards, Rudgwick, Slinfold, Christ s Hospital, and Horsham, among ot