Hiking the Downs Link - Part 1

The Downs Link is a 37-mile trail connecting the North Downs Way to the South Downs Way in south-east England. Created in 1984, it follows two former railways: the Horsham & Guildford Line (built 1865) and the Steyning Line (1861). Combined, these were known as 'The Hundred Years Railway'. In this video, I hike the first 19 miles from St Martha's Hill, Surrey to Christ's Hospital, Sussex. I then camp in the grounds of an old church for the night (permission camp). This trail reminded me a bit of the Norfolk's Peddars Way (that I did in 2023) - it's a continuous flat straight line pretty much (you can't get lost)! But it's definitely more enjoyable than the Peddars and the railway bits you come across are great. PART 2: (Christ's Hospital - Shoreham-by-Sea) coming soon. Thanks for watching 😎 CHAPTERS: 00:00 The North Downs Way 01:42 Onto the railway 02:20 Bramley & Wonersh old station 03:43 Cranleigh re-fuel 04:57 Something creepy 05:29 16 miles in 06:22 Hiking in rain 06:53 Feet saying stop! 07:33 Christ's Hospital old station 08:09 Lanshan 2 pitched up 10:59 Dinner time! 14:00 Departing & final thoughts KIT USED: Outdoor Research sun hoodie Quechua hiking MH100 fleece Brooks Cascadia 18 trail runners Naturehike carbon fiber trekking poles Rab Downpour rain coat Naturehike Rock 40L+5 rucksack (see my 500-mile review:    • Best Multi-day Hiking Pack on a Budget? | ...  ) Wild Sky Gear DCF Evade chest pack 3F UL Lanshan 2 tent (with footprint) Exped 3R Ultra 3-season sleeping pad Alpkit Pipedream 400 sleeping bag Trekology Aloft 2.0 pillow BRS camping stove Toaks 750ml cook pot CREDITS: Sunlit Depths: Music by Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos License code: P63NMWYSO8MLULEG Steam train image courtesy of Ben Brooksbank https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/227... Steam train sound effect by Pixabay https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/ste... MORE about the Downs Link: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/1... My Peddars Way hike - Part 1 (similar 'straight line' adventure):    • Hiking & Wild Camping - THE PEDDARS WAY - ...   Follow this channel on Instagram:   / benhikescamps