Cycling the Egrets Way all the way into Lewes

Finally you can do it...

1 Attachment

New gate, new surface.

1 Attachment

Getting closer to Lewes.

1 Attachment

Map at Lewes

1 Attachment

Hooking up with Cockshut Road, where you can pick up the new bridleways that are now open, to the south of Lewes.

1 Attachment

Ooh nice, looks like you a possible alternative route for London-Newhaven ferry.

At last 😁 there was a big muddy field section Lewes side of Rodmell last time I was along there. I might run it out and back Sunday morning. I can pick it up at the C7 gate a mile from my house about 1.5 miles East of Southease

There is still that muddy section unfortunately… annd I don’t think that’s going to change due to land ownership.

Although I also did it the other day and it’s totally dry at the moment.

Last time I was there was Easter Bank Holiday so was more swamp than field. Good though if its surfaced along the Swanborough section now.

This is becoming one of my favorite routes to do, for a slow and easy gravel spin.

Also at the current end of egrets way southbound, you can cross the road , go onto a bridle way and ride up a hill into peacehaven. BIG hill tho and lots of blind spots with cars. but then you can head towards undercliff and make it back to Brighton.

I rode some of this yesterday and some of the surfaces have deteriorated. Used to be OK on touring tyres but definitely gravel bike or XC now. The grass sections of the SDW on the way to Eastbourne were running smoother. First pic is Egrets inbetween Piddinghoe and Southease and the second is SDW

2 Attachments

Its fine for a mountain bike ride but absolutely appalling as a usable cycle path.

It’s just that one section, kept rough “at the request of the landowner”, which is a damn cheek and very miserly and unwelcoming, if you ask me. I think that the landowners were granted favours in return for the Way passing through their land. It’s a pity that the Way builders didn’t or couldn’t insist on proper paved path all the way along.

Used to be OK on touring tyres but definitely gravel bike or XC now.

No... that section just north of Southease was always rough.... "at the request of the landowner".

First pic is Egrets inbetween Piddinghoe and Southease

Hmm. I remember between Piddinghoe and Southease being fine, but a certain section that starts a little way up (north) from Southease being the rough, never-paved bit.

I remember this bit as the only bit that's never been surfaced... (and probably never will be).

1 Attachment

My pic is this section. It was fine gravel at Easter

1 Attachment

Blimey. I can’t have noticed. I was on MTB obvs, so it didn’t bother me. Where on earth did all the gravel go?!

That section between Piddinghoe and Southease should be surfaced all the way up… 🤔

And you have to go on the c7 for a short section around piddinghoe.
If this was a proper paved cycle path it would be used by families and commuters. As it is it just feels like a tick box green initiative. Its much quicker (and only option on a road bike) to brave the c7 which is an awful road to ride on. I got clipped by a car riding it a few weeks ago.

You can see there's a hard surface underneath it used to look like this all the way along

2 Attachments

The C7 is my least favourite road locally. Awful in the winter with giant water filled potholes and terrible visabilty in summer for drivers as the trees almost create a strobe effect and not one safe place to cross the centre line to be overtaken as a cyclist. I must check out the Lewes to Polgate A27 cycle lane that actually looks alright

I'm all for better cycling infrastructure but I really love the path Lewes to Rodmell and wouldn't want it paved, or changed, personally. I ride it every few weeks with two kids who also love it, and I'm on a cargo bike. If I was using it for commuting I might feel differently – otherwise I feel like this is a cycle path I'd like to see more of. Each to their own!

I use it quite a bit on my commute, there was a lot of rain and a very high tide earlier in the year that decimated sections of it. Add in a thick layer of sheep poo and it's got like that. I love it but defintely MTB/gravel only now as you say. Such a shame they haven't been able to connect all the way to Newhaven, otherwise it would be perfect for the kids to get up to Lewes.

There's a bridleway you can take by Deans farm to connect with Piddinghoe but it's pretty steep and rutted.

Firle - Eastbourne A27 path is lovely!

I'm hoping to use Egrets way more regularly with kid now she's on two wheels and the undercliff can be really busy. That Hoddern farm to Telscombe road bridle way i bumped into you on a while back was cut back beginning of last week so clear to ride through now as that was nearly waist height nettles for the last 4-6 weeks

I was in agreement with you and a little sad when they paved the Ditchling Road path and Woodingdean - Falmer path. They were such a nice gravel tracks to ride on.

But since then my better half came along on her cargo bike, I took my cargo bike, the kids took bike/scooter and they wouldn't have on the gravel track. There's plenty of fun to be had on the downs and linking places with nice smooth tracks is only going to encourage more cycling.