Part funded by South Downs Trust, a new section of the Centurion Way walking and cycling trail has now opened to the public.
The latest tranche of the route passes through Wellhanger Copse and provides a link to the Drovers bus stop on the A286 via a permissive path.
A further small section north, alongside a new bridge, is due to be finished in the coming weeks and will extend the route to Littlewood.
It means walkers, runners, and cyclists can travel all the way up from Chichester into the heart of the National Park, with some incredible views and heritage to see along the way.
Image shows part of the new section. Credit SDNPA
The latest tranche of the route passes through Wellhanger Copse and provides a link to the Drovers bus stop on the A286 via a permissive path.
A further small section north, alongside a new bridge, is due to be finished in the coming weeks and will extend the route to Littlewood. It means walkers, runners, and cyclists can travel all the way up from Chichester into the heart of the National
Park, with some incredible views and heritage to see along the way.
Last year the section incorporating the former Singleton Railway Station was unveiled following a huge makeover of the heritage site. Work now continues to further extend the route to meet the 100-mile South Downs Way National Trail at Cocking.
Colin Carré, Project Manager for the National Park Authority, explained:
“We’re currently progressing plans to complete the final sections of the Centurion Way.
“Having opened the southern section of the new route, we’re now focussing on progressing the northern section from Littlewood Farm to Cocking Hill.
“Alongside completing the northern section, we will upgrade the West Dean link from a permissive track to a surfaced, all-season path, so cyclists no longer need to use the road through West Dean.
“Construction is planned to start in 2027 and we hope the whole Centurion Way route will reach the South Downs Way at Cocking Hill by early 2028. This is subject to various planning consents and landowner approvals.”
Colin added:
“Our aim is to have an inclusive, off-road route from Chichester to the South Downs Way, giving everyone much better access to the National Park and its landscapes, biodiversity and heritage.
“This is a complex infrastructure project and we’d like to thank people for their patience and cooperation as we deliver this important improvement to the local access network.”
For the latest information about the Centurion Way visit – Centurion Way – South Downs National Park Authority