Downs Link Upper Reaches: St Martha's to Shalford

As described in this post, the Downs Link is a popular route providing cyclists with a traffic free ride to the coast at Shoreham. Most cyclists probably join it direct from central Guildford using the NCN22 (shown on map in light blue) or the River Wey towpath to reach the disused railway path near Shalford. However, the official start of the Downs Link is on the Eastern flank of St Martha's Hill: the concept of the route being that, as its name suggests, it would link the North Downs Way here with the South Downs Way at the Shoreham Gap. On this ride, I rode the 4 miles or so of the Downs Link (the blue track on this map) from St Martha's to its junction with the disused railway path. I returned a different way (red track) to make a circular ride.


The first mile and a half of the route is not well suited for ordinary cyclists: the path descending into the Tillingbourne Valley and climbing to Blackheath on the other side is variously sandy, rutted and stony (often a combination of all three, plus lots of horse poo). I had to walk it, though experienced mountain bikers could probably cope. The going improves once you reach the Blackheath 'plateau', and I managed to cycle it from there on. On the way back, I stopped for a tea break at the Snooty Fox cafe in Shalford, before returning on the bridleway through Manor Farm on the Western slope of St Martha's Hill, which I climbed (ie walked up) to take in the great view from the church.

St Martha's Guildford Lane car park for start of Downs Link

Stone marking the official start of the Downs Link

The Downs Link descending St Martha's Hill is very sandy.....

....and rutted as well in parts, very difficult for all but experienced mountain bikers

View 

The route emerges onto Blackheath: the cycling gets easier, but still quite sandy

Blackheath war memorial

This is easier to cycle

Path flanking Chinthurst Hill 

The path joining the Downs Link railway track was badly overgrown......

....I should have crossed the footbridge instead

Old-looking barn structure at Manor Farm on the return leg

Manor Farm bridleway

Bridleway crosses western flank of St Martha's Hill (St Martha's church just visible on the skyline)

St Martha's church

St Martha's churchyard is a great viewpoint

There is a firmer path descending through the woods on the Eastern flank of St Matha's Hill (the regular path is another sand dune)

Old pill box