Waverley Borough Council
Downs Link Management Plan
Countryside Section
Environment and Leisure Department
Waverley Borough Council
The Burys
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 1HR
Telephone 01483 523394
Fax 01483 523643
June 2004
Introduction
The Downs Link comprises mainly of a disused railway line formerly linking Guildford to Shoreham via other lines. It is now part of a public bridleway linking St Martha’s Hill, near Chilworth, Surrey with St. Botolphs, near Steyning, West Sussex, and to Shoreham via a 3 mile extension. Thus it links two National Trails, the North Downs Way and South Downs Way, and hence its name: “Downs Link”.
In Waverley it is popular with local residents, walkers, horseriders and cyclists for countryside journeys around Bramley, Cranleigh and Baynards, as well as long-distance travellers. It forms an important green corridor, linking a number of semi-natural woodlands, commons and wetland habitats. There are many points of access, most of which are statutory bridleways and footpaths which join the Downs Link, including other long distance routes, such as the Wey South Path, Greensand Way and Sussex Border Path.
Hambledon Rural District Council (now amalgamated into Waverley Borough Council (WBC)) and Surrey County Council (SCC) purchased the disused Guildford to Horsham railway track from British Rail after its closure in 1965. The stretch of line considered in this management plan commences at 200m south of Tanyard Lane, Bramley, where the Downs Link crosses the south section of the river Wey, and passes through Bramley and Cranleigh to the county boundary at Baynards Tunnel, near Rudgwick, a distance of 14.7km (8.95 miles).
The original railway line was opened on 2nd October 1865. It attracted considerable commuter trade but sadly profits were not as high as expected. Even the considerable trade established by Fuller’s Earthworks in 1962 was not enough to compensate for the more attractive offer of motorised transport. After the line’s closure in 1965, sleepers and track ballast were lifted when it was acquired by Surrey County Council and Hambledon Rural District Council (the latter since amalgamated into Waverley Borough Council) in 1970.
There are many indicators of the Downs Link’s former railway use - 13 bridges, 2 stations, 2 signals, 4 signs and a tunnel. Baynards Station is well restored, though privately owned, many of the bridges are in good condition and bear the smoke stains from steam train passage. The landscape seen along the route is mainly wooded with agricultural views, but small open meadow areas and numerous wetland features add variety.
The Downs Link is biologically diverse; recorded species include 304 plants,140 fungi, 74 birds, 22 butterflies, 16 mammals, 5 amphibians and 4 reptiles. Nationally rare species include dormouse, great crested newt, purple emperor butterfly, Dyers greenweed, and various helleborines.
The Downs Link should continue to be actively managed to achieve a good balance between benefits for recreation and conservation, whilst retaining its railway history character. Management must be flexible enough to respond swiftly and positively to any changes in circumstance, especially those perceived as threats. This will ensure that the rich heritage and rural beauty of the Downs Link may continue to be enjoyed by many further generations of plants, animals and humans.
Management Plan -
Contents
SECTION 1 -
DESCRIPTION
Chapter 1.1 General Information
1.1.1 Site Information
1.1.2 Location
1.1.3 Access
1.1.4 Land Tenure
1.1.5 Management Infrastructure
1.1.6 Map Coverage
1.1.7 Photographic Coverage
1.1.8 Compartments
Chapter 1.2 Environmental Information
1.2.1 Physical
1.2.2 Biological
1.2.3 Cultural
1.2.4 Environmental Relationship
SECTION 2 -
EVALUATION AND OBJECTIVES
Chapter 2.1 Evaluation of Features
2.1.1 Evaluation
2.1.2 Summary of Important Features
Chapter 2.2 Ideal Management Objectives
2.2.1 Objectives
Chapter 2.3 Factors Influencing Management Objectives
2.3.1 Internal Natural Factors
2.3.2 Internal Man Induced Factors
2.3.3 External Factors
2.3.4 Factors Arising from Legislation or Tradition
2.3.5 Physical / Seasonal Constraints
2.3.6 Availability of Resources
2.3.7 Summary of Factors Influencing the Achievement of Long Term Objectives
Chapter 2.4 Operational Objectives and Management Options
SECTION 3 - ACTION
PLANS
Chapter 3.1 Outline Prescription
SECTION 4 -
APPENDICES
Appendix A Geographical Location Map Appendix F Birds
Appendix B Map of Compartments Appendix G Reptiles and Amphibians
Appendix C Hydrology map Appendix H Butterflies + other Inverts.
Appendix D Geology map Appendix I Flora
Appendix E Mammals Appendix J Fungi
SECTION 1 -
DESCRIPTION
1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1.1 Site Information
Site Name Downs Link
Site Status Disused Railway Line, Public Open Space, Public Bridleway, Subject to planning policies; Long-distance footpath LT11, Snoxhall cutting is a Regionally Important Geological Site (policy C10), part of South Wood at Baynards is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (policy C10), the whole site is subject to the Guildford to Cranleigh movement corridor policy M8, Snoxhall playing fields are an Area of Strategic Visual Importance (Policy IC2) and a Cycle route policy (M7) applies just north of Elmbridge Road, Cranleigh. In Cranleigh, south of Brackenwood, a Tree Preservation Order applies, also just south from Fortune Drive, Cranleigh. Part is green belt and part is land beyond the green belt, policy C2. Parts of the site are Area of Great Landscape Value only, policy C3. At Bramley, the former Bramley and Wonersh Station platform is included in the village’s Conservation Area.
County Surrey
OS Grid Ref TQ037404
OS Sheet no. 186 + 187
Total Area 28.4ha (70.18acres)
Ownership Waverley Borough Council, Surrey
County Council, Private
Waverley Borough Council, The Burys, Godalming, Surrey,
GU7 1HS, 01483 861111
Surrey County Council, County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2DT, 0181 541 9015
Privately owned section - c/o Weller Eggar Land and Estate Agents, Cattle Market, Slyfield Green, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1SG,
01483 573386
Site Ranger Ian Baldwin, 01483 423081 (tel/fax), 07768 856612 (mobile)
Parliamentary Surrey South West
Constituecy
Members of Virginia Bottomley MP, Nick St. Aubyn MP
Parliament
Councils Surrey County Council
Waverley Borough Council
Bramley Parish Council, Wonersh PC, Cranleigh PC.
Waverley Ward Councillors - c/o Waverley Borough Council 01483 861111
Parish Councillors - c/o Bramley Parish Council, 01483 894138
Wonersh Parish Council, 01483 893754
Cranleigh Parish Council,01483 272311
Statutory Undertakers
Water Thames Water Utilities, Water Divisions Operations, Records Group, Network Services Business Centre, PO Box 83, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 0EE, 0181 568 2777
Electricity Seeboard plc, 329 Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex, EN3 5FU
01293 562299
Gas British Gas plc, Transco, Boundary Road, Black Rock, Brighton,
East Sussex, BN2 5TY, 01273 693588, fax 01273 696115
Telephone British Telecom, PP G03, Clarendon House, Clarendon Road, Cambridge, CB2 2BA, 01223 344497, fax 01223 313973
Cable TV Cabel Tel UK, Cabeltel House, Guildford Business Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 5AD, 01483 254000
National Grid / (Fibreoptic Cable) Brook Mead House, Guildford Business Park,
Energis Middleton Road, Guildford, Surrey, 01483 642000
1.1.2 Location
The Downs Link starts in the South West of Surrey, near Guildford at St. Marthas Hill and finishes 56km (35 miles) away at St. Botolphs, near Steyning, West Sussex. The section managed by Waverley Borough Council is13.7km (8.5 miles) long, running from the A281 / Trunley Heath Road junction at Shalford to approximately 600m south of Cox Green Road, Baynards, near Rudgwick. The Downs Link is bounded by numerous residences, farms, roads and commons.
The most convenient access points within Waverley are at:
Bramley Business Centre, Station Road, Bramley;
Snoxhall Playing Fields, Knowle Lane, Cranleigh;
Thurlow Arms Public House, Cox Green Road, Baynards, nr. Rudgwick.
Unless otherwise stated, the “Downs Link” referred to in this management plan shall be defined as the section managed by Waverley Borough Council.
See Appendix A – Geographical Location Map.
1.1.3 Access
There are numerous pedestrian, cyclist and equestrian accesses onto the Downs Link. It is crossed by 11 statutory footpaths and 8 statutory bridleways. In Surrey the whole of the land between the concrete and wire fence is dedicated highway, bridleway 566, designated under the Definitive Map Modification Order on 5th December 1990.
1.1.3.1 On Foot
Footpath 478 Located near Eastwood Road, Bramley, running adjacent to the Downs Link. Grass/stone surface.
Footpath 323 Crosses at Run Common, 400m south of Guildford-Cranleigh Road.
Access via 2 kissing gates. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 351 Crosses 300m northeast of Rowly Farm, Rowly. Access via 2 stiles. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 353 Crosses 150m west of Norther Farm, Rowly. Access via 2 stiles and several steps. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 355 Crosses 400m northwest of Elmbridge Road. 2 stiles. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 460 Crosses 50m south of Elmbridge Road, Cranleigh at Cranleigh Common. No gates or stiles. Tarmac surface.
Footpath 378 Runs alongside for 400m at Snoxhall Playing Fields, Knowle Lane, Cranleigh, and for 800m to East of Snoxhall Farm, Knowle Lane. Tarmac surface at playing fields, grass/stone soil surface at Farm. Footpath 379 Crosses 20m west of Southern end of Northdowns, Cranleigh. One stile on west side. Grass/soil surface to west, gravel to east.
Footpath 380 Crosses over at 400m northeast of Snoxhall Farm, Knowle Lane. 2 flights of steps lead up to Downs Link. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 381 Joins Downs Link 400m southeast of Snoxhall Farm, Knowle Lane, on western side. Stile present. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 385 Crosses Downs Link 50m North of lawns Cottages, Baynards. Stile access on eastern side. Grass/soil surface.
Footpath 389 Pedestrian Route of Downs Link to South of Cox Green Road, Baynards to Sussex Border. 1 flight of steps, stone/soil surface.
1.1.3.2 Horse/bicycle
Bridleway 261 Located adjacent to the “Beaver 84” garden centre, Birtley Road, Birtley Green, passes under the Downs Link, with two access links.
Bridleway 270 Crosses over the Downs Link 200m east of Rooks Hill Farm, Birtley Road, Birtley Green. There is a pedestrian link via a flight of steps, and BW270 lies on the route of the Greensand Way. Stone surface.
Bridleway 330 Crosses over the Downs Link 200m east of Rushett Common, junction of Birtley Road and Guildford-Cranleigh Road, Grafham. There is an equestrian access ramp linking here. Stone surface.
Bridleway 377 Crosses under Downs Link 400m Northeast of Hammer Farm, Knowle Lane. No official equestrian access. Pedestrian access via flight of steps on eastern side. Concrete surface.
Bridleway 383 Crosses Downs Link 200m east of Newhouse Farm, Knowle Lane. Stone/soil surface.
Bridleway 382 Crosses Downs Link 100m southeast of Pollingfold House, nr. Withybush, Knowle Lane. Also runs parallel to west of Downs Link for 800m behind Redland Brickworks, Knowle Lane. Soil/stone surface. Accesses to Downs Link 250m and 700m south of crossing point.
Bridleway 366 The equestrian / cyclist route of the Downs Link to the south of Cox Green Road, bypassing tunnel to reach Sussex Border. Stone surface.
Bridleway 566 The railway bed of the Downs Link itself is Bridleway 566, running from 200m south of Tanyard Road, Bramley to Cox Green Road, Baynards. Stone/soil surface.
1.1.3.3 Vehicles
There are car parks at: Capacity Grid reference
Bramley Business Centre, Station Rd, Bramley 8 cars, 2 coaches TQ009451
Stocklund Square, High Street, Cranleigh 200 cars TQ055392
Cranleigh Leisure Centre, High Street, Cranleigh 150 cars TQ059390
Snoxhall Playing Fields, Knowle Lane, Cranleigh 50 cars TQ059387
Thurlow Arms Public House, Baynards 30 cars TQ076351
Maintenance
and emergency vehicle accesses: Grid
references
a) North end of Eastwood Road, Bramley TQ 008453
b) South of Station Road, Bramley TQ 010451
c) Through Rushett Farm, Rushett Common TQ 029422
d) Opposite Cricket Ground, Cranleigh Common TQ 049393
e) Through Snoxhall Playing Fields, Cranleigh TQ 058387
f) Along Bridleway 383, Newhouse Farm TQ 065364
g) Adjacent to Baynards Station, Northwards TQ 076352
h) Adjacent to Baynards Station, Southwards TQ 077351
i) South of Cox Green Road, along Bridleway 566 TQ 078348
1.1.3.4 Train
Shalford station is 1 km north of the Downs Link at A281 / Trunley Heath Road.
Chilworth Station is 3km northwest of the Downs Link at Bramley.
1.1.3.5 Buses
The Downs Link is served by numerous bus routes:
Chilworth - nos. 21, 22, 25, 29, 31, 32, 503
Blackheath - nos. 29,503
Bramley - nos. 23,24,84,73,83, 503
Birtley Road - nos. 23, 24, 84
Cranleigh - nos. 23,24,25,33,42,44,50,84, 73, 83, 448, 559, TB20
A281, near Sussex border - no. 54 from Horsham.
1.1.4 Land Tenure
This is not a legal document. Please refer to the original tenure documents before taking any decision or any action which may have legal implications.
1.1.4.1 Site Ownership
The majority of the line is owned by Waverley Borough Council. Full details of ownership are stored in a deed packet and associated clearly marked brown envelope in storage at Waverley Borough Council offices. 0n 01/09/90 the value of the Downs Link was assessed at £50,000. Hambledon Rural District Council and Surrey County Council obtained the land from the British Railways Board on 02/04/70. The fee for the 20.60 ha (50.91 acre) section acquired by HDRC was £5,040. Baynards Tunnel was conveyed to West Sussex CC and the structure of Elm Bridge, Cranleigh was excluded from the sale and conveyed to SCC.
Most of land was passed from HRDC to WBC under the Local Government Act 1972.
Other sections of the line listed below are owned by Surrey County Council (obtained under the SCC Act 1931 and the Local Authorities (Land) Act 1963) and leased to Waverley Borough Council (lease date 17/09/80, annual cost 5 pence):
a/ Southeast from the A281 at Gosden Common, Bramley through Bramley to Wooden Bridge at Birtley Green.
b/ From a point 30m Northwest of Run Common road bridge Southeast to a point due West of Navvy’s Hole, Run Common.
c/ From a point due North of Elmbridge Play Area, Eastwards to Stocklund Square car park (17.09.80).
A small section of the Downs Link was obtained by a Path Creation Order Agreement with the Bonham Trust on 5th December 1985. WBC erected the fences here in 1986, repaired in 2000. The Bonham Trust land is administered by:
Weller Eggar Land and Estate Agents, Cattle Market, Slyfield Green, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1SG, 01483 573386.
(Stocklund Square, adjacent, is managed by P.J. Broomhall and Partners, Chartered Surveyors, 61 Petty France, Westminster, London, SW1H 9EZ, 0171 222 1324).
A small section at South Wood, Baynards, SY425907 was purchased for £50 on 12/02/73 under the Local Government Act 1933 from Edith Gallagher, Rose Cottage, Claremont Avenue, Esher, Surrey. The conveyance contains a fencing covenant affecting the northern boundary. An adjacent section of land to the south of Cox Green Road was acquired under the Local Government Act 1933 on 12/02/73 for the sum of 50 pounds. A section of path south and east of this (formally part of Park Farm) was obtained on 12/01/76 for the sum of 265 pounds.
Land at Baynards Station contains covenants with regard to construction and maintenance of brick wall and fence, 04/02/74.
1.1.4.2 Wayleaves, Licences and Easements
Full updated details of owned and leased sections of the Downs Link are kept by Property Department, Waverley Borough Council. An accurate copy as at 18.11.97 is detailed below.
Electricity
SEEBoard, 1965, pipe 100 yards south of Birtley Rise, Bramley
SEEBoard, 1971, pipe south of B2130 road bridge.
SEEBoard, 1971, pipe opposite Birtley Rise, Bramley
SEEBoard, 1971, pipe in Bramley Station
SEEBoard, 1971, pipe south of Bramley Station.
SEEBoard plc, 1990, right to retain, lay + maintain electric lines and communications cables under a 1.5m strip of land to the southwest of Warrens Yard,Cranleigh
SEEBoard plc, 06.09.90, deed of grant to lay underground cable from rear of John
Wiskar Drive garages east to stream at Snoxhall Playing Fields.
Water
Cranleigh and Chiddingfold Water Co.Ltd., 1934, pipe north of B2130 road bridge.
Rook’s Hill farm, 1946, 3/4 inch pipe and rights to serve farm.
Guildford, Godalming and District Water Board, 1962, water main to cross Birtley Road, Bramley
Ms. Worthington, 1973, Fanesbridge Cottage, Bramley, right for water pipe.
Thames Water pumping station, between Baynards Station and Cox Green Road
- no formal agreement as managed until March 1997 by WBC Engineers.
Sewerage
Sir and Lady Edwards-Moss, 1984, surface water sewer
STC Pension Trust Ltd., 1991, John Wiskar Drive, right for surface water sewer to connect to existing storm drain in Knowle Lane.
Gas
British Gas Co., no date, 6 m strip for gas main at Run Common, Shamley Green
The Guildford Gas Co., 1896, Gas main crossing Stones Bridge, Shalford.
S.E. Gas Board, 1965, right for gas main at rear of Birtley Road, Bramley.
British Gas plc, 1990, gas main and rights over 6m wide strip, hammer lane to Lodge Copse, Cranleigh
Telephone
British Telecommunications plc, 1990, pvc ducts etc. adj. John Wiskar Drive
2 agreements - 2 locations
Drainage
“Kilmory”, Cranleigh, 1945, agreement granting right of drainage into railway ditch. There are obligations on both parties.
Other
Esso Petroleum Co.Ltd., 1981, pipe near Bridgeham Farm.
Esso Petroleum Co.Ltd., 1981, pipeline+ancillary rights adj. Shipley Manor, Wonersh.
National Grid / Energis, 1997, fibroptic cable from A281 (Shalford) to Birtley Green.
“Cultivate land as garden” agreements
6 Birtley Road, Bramley, 1940, north of Bramley Station
9 Council Cottages, Shamley Green, 1942, north of Bramley Station
Surrendered, 1980, garden at rear of 3-6 Brambles Park, Bramley
21-26 Windrush Close, 1982, embankment behind Windrush Close, Bramley.
These licences may be terminated by 3 months’ notice.
Surrey County Council have issued licences to garden to numbers 3,4 and 5 Brambles Park, Bramley.
1.1.4.3 Leases
Surrey County Coucil lease their sections of the Downs Link to Waverley BC for the sum of 1 shilling, the last 7 year lease expired on 16th May 1994. Waverley are now holding over annually on the former lease agreement. Clause 4 of the Lease requires that Waverley give notice of their continued interest in the land 6-12 months prior to the expiry date. One SCC-owned section includes land within Guildford Borough, from A281 / Trunley Heath Road to the crossing of the River Wey south of Tannery Lane. Land to the rear of 3-6 Brambles Park, Bramley, was surrendered for garden purposes in 1979. See Appendix ??? for full details.
Under a duty passed from the railway’s time, Waverley has an undertaking to maintain two white wooden gates, fencing and path surface crossing the old canal approximately 400m north of the crossing of Cranleigh Water, 20m west of the Downs Link. The structure is owned by Adrian Elliott of Whipley Manor Farm.
A lease dated 6th June 1967 between Stocklund Property Ltd. (latterly Baring Brothers and co.) and the Rural District Council of Hambledon continues to apply, referring to fencing at the rear of Cranleigh Sainsburys.
Waverley BC signed a deed with Cranleigh Parish Council in March 1974 to maintain the part of the Snoxhall Playing Fields access track on which the Downs Link travels.
As part of the condition of sale of Baynards Station, Waverley BC shall continue to maintain its water courses, drains, pipes and catchpits, until the year 2053.
The land to the South of Cox Green Road, east of the tunnel area ( 0.90ha, 2.22 acres) was sold for 50 pounds to WBC on 12/2/73 under the Local Government Act 1933.
1.1.4.4 Legal Right of Access
The Downs Link is a public open space, contains a definitive public bridleway throughout its entirety and is crossed or met by 19 public rights of way (see section 1.1.3.)
Most of the following access agreements to the Downs Link were made under condition of yearly renewal for a nominal sum. As the majority of them have not been renewed, it is unclear as to whether they still stand.
13 Lawns Cottages, Baynards, 1981, access from garden.
Concrete Securities, Cranleigh, 1977, right of access to cross line at Knowle Lane.
East Whipley Farm, Shamley Green, 1971, vehicular access.
Newhouse Farm, Cranleigh, 1971, vehicular access.
Rushett Farm, Cranleigh, 1971, vehicular access.
Ruffold Farm, Cranleigh, 1971, vehicular access.
Alan Thomas, 15 Northdowns, Cranleigh, 1970, access from gardens
Anthony Fox, 21 Northdowns, Cranleigh, 1970, access from gardens.
Mr. Prowse, Baynards Manor Hall, 1970, Consent to use gate at Baynards Level crossing.
Ms. Sewell, East Whipley Farm, Rowley and Rye Farms, 1971, agreement for vehicular access
Mr. Lyon, Rushett Farm, 1971, agreement for vehicular and animal access to Rushett Farm. Cross-grant of rights, 1986, which give Waverley BC right to access the Downs Link through the farm.
Sir John Edwards-Moss, 1971, vehicular access to Ruffold Farm.
Ms. St. John Barry, 1988, right on foot to rear of Little Vachery, Baynards.
All houses on the Downs Link side of Linersh Wood, Bramley, access from gardens.
A number of annual access licences were granted to some properties which have pedestrian access onto the Downs Link. In 1996 these were nos. 1,3, 21 and 37 Northdowns, Cranleigh. Numbers 1 and 3 currently have no accesses.
1.1.4.5 Common
Rights
None exist, though the Sayers family have been grazing horses on the Downs Link near Rushett Farm continuously from 1967 to 1999, but not in 1996. Susan Sayers of Rushett Farm was granted license to graze horses on the Downs Link in 1972.
1.1.4.6 Byelaws
None exist.
1.1.4.7 Agreed Management Policy
Certain conditions exist within the lease agreement from Surrey County Council, held at Waverley Borough Council Offices. The Guildford to Cranleigh section is recognised as an important current and future movement corridor and is protected through the statutory planning process.
1.1.5 Management Infrastructure
1.1.5.1 Staff
Council:The site is managed by Waverley Borough Council’s Countryside Section of the Environment and Leisure Department. One Ranger is responsible for the management of the Downs Link but can also call on the assistance of the other three members of the Ranger staff if required. Externally-organised recreational events are administered by the Council’s Countryside and Landscape Section.
Other: 1 Voluntary Ranger regularly patrols the Downs Link South of Cranleigh, noting damage and removing litter, as do a number of local dog walkers along other sections. The Voluntary Ranger also assists with practical tasks, either independently or in conjunction with the Ranger. Placement students from colleges, work experience placements and Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers also assist in site management.
1.1.5.2 Equipment -
(access to)
One 4x4 vehicle
Chainsaws
Brushcutters
Walking tractor with rotivator, flail and cutter bar.
Spray equipment
Boat
Ladder
Selection of hand tools.
1.1.5.3 Buildings
and Structures Grid
ref.
Gosden Common Aqueduct and Bridge remains TQ006457
A dismembered railway river bridge (the steel was taken away
to be reused), the remains of an aqueduct (now the Downs Link)
and canal beside the river. Nearby was Tanyard lock on the Wey
and Arun Canal and a tannery adjacent to the main river at Gosden
Common.
Bramley Station TQ010451
The remainder of a platform, signal and signs.
Wooden bridge, Birtley Green TQ018435
The original iron bridge span no longer exists, replaced by a
wooden footbridge. The brickwork either side still stands in
reasonable condition. It crosses a bridleway.
Rooks Hill bridge TQ023427
An arched brick bridge in reasonable condition, that carries a
bridleway (part of the Greensand Way) over the line.
Rushett Farm bridge TQ027423
Arched brick bridge supports, with span replaced by concrete
and metal structure, crossing a farm track.
Run Common bridge TQ032419
An arched brick bridge in good condition, carrying the Guildford-
Cranleigh Road
Wey and Arun Junction Canal crossing, Run
Common TQ034413
A brickwork parapet built over the canal in 1872 (when this section of canal closed)
to replace the original viaduct.
Cranleigh Water bridge TQ035407
A simple flat brick bridge over the river, in quite good condition.
Metal railings
Norther Farm milk churn stand TQ037405
The remains of a milk churn stand, made from railway track and sleepers.
Linesman’s Hut, Ruffold Farm TQ038403
The brick outline and rubble of a linesman’s hut are west of the
bridleway between Ruffold and Norther Farms.
Ruffold Farm Signal TQ045395
An old signal on the east of the bridleway. Used to regulate traffic
into and out of Cranleigh goods yard. Its arm is missing.
Elmbridge Road bridge TQ047394
An arched brick bridge that carries the B2130 over the line. It may
be structurally unsound and traffic is currently limited to alternate lane.
Snoxhall Signal TQ060384
An old signal to the west of the bridleway. The signal-maker’s name
can be seen at the base of the signal. Most of the arm is intact.
Snoxhall Farm bridge TQ061379
An arched brick bridge in reasonable condition that carries the
Downs Link over a small feeder stream to the river Wey.
Hammer Lane bridge TQ063371
An arched bridge over a bridleway and farm track. Some damage
occurred in summer 1996. Temporary repairs are in place. The bridge
may be structurally unsound.
Vachery Stream bridge TQ064369
A narrow high arched brick bridge over a stream. There is major
cracking in the brickwork.
Newhouse Farm Cutting milk churn stand TQ065364
The remains of a milk churn stand, made from railway track and
sleepers. Newhouse Farm arboretum nearby was a former orchard.
Lodge Copse bridge TQ068359
An arched brick bridge in good condition that carries a bridleway
over the Downs Link. A well also exists in Lodge Copse.
Cranleigh Brickworks TQ069355
The site of the former Baynards Fuller’s Earth Co. and the original Baynards
Brick and Tile Works which made use of local clay. The site was
home to Berks Chemical Works (Steetly) during the 1980’s.
Baynards Station TQ077351
Sold to private ownership in 1973, this includes the
stationmasters house, 2 waiting rooms, covered platforms,
store sheds, booking hall, porch and a large goods shed.
Baynards Lane bridge TQ078349
An arched brick bridge in good condition that carries Cox Green Road over the Downs Link.
Baynards Tunnel TQ079347
A concrete ventilator shaft marks the tunnel’s northern entrance,
buried by landfill after the railway closed by Hambledon Rural
District Council. The refuse was covered with clay and topsoil,
rapidly colonised by plants. The tunnel is currently a bat roost
monitored by Sussex Bat Group, and is the highest point on the
route at 250ft above sea level.
John Hill Memorial Seat TQ079345
John Hill was a founder member of Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers. Installed on 28th July 1991, this seat marks one of his favourite viewpoints on the Surrey/Sussex border.
The bridges, culverts and other structures on the Downs Link are the responsibility of Bridge Maintenance Section, Structures Division, Surrey County Council, Highway House, 21 Chessington Road, West Ewell, Surrey, KT17 1TT, 0208 541 7358.
1.1.6 Map coverage
1.1.6.1 Current maps
1:50,000 Ordnance Survey Sheet 186 +187, 1988 - Landranger Series
1:25,000 Ordnance Survey Sheet TQ03 + TQ04 - Pathfinder series
1:10,000, 1:2,500 and 1:1250 Ordnance Survey maps also available.
1.1.6.2 Historical
maps
Maps prior to 1865 show the land to be divided into sections of woodland, agricultural land, tracks and private grounds. Maps dated between 1865 and 1965 show the railway and its accompanying structures.
1.1.7 Photographic Coverage
Surrey County Council have some aerial photographs of the Downs Link including the County’s Photographic Survey of 16/11/88. WBC rangers have a limited number of ground shots and some on slide film.
1.1.8 Compartments
It is very hard to describe or consider the management of large complex sites unless they are divided into a series of compartments. The Downs Link has been segregated into 29 compartments based upon differing habitats, adjacent land use and man-made boundaries.
Compartment number Limits of compartment
1 River Wey bridge - Eastwood Road
2 Bramley Station
3 Station Road - Foresters Farm
4 Foresters Farm - Wooden bridge, Birtley
5 Wooden bridge, Birtley - Brock Cutting
6 Brock cutting
7 South of Brock Cutting - North of Rooks Hill Cutting
8 North of Rooks Hill Cutting - Rooks Hill bridge
9 Rooks Hill bridge - Rushett Common
10 Rushett Common - Run Common bridge
11 Run Common Bridge - Footpath 323
12 Footpath 323 - Wey and Arun Canal crossing
13 Wey and Arun canal crossing - Cranleigh Water bridge
14 Cranleigh Water bridge - Footpath 353, Norther Farm
15 Footpath 353, Norther Farm - Cranleigh Common (west)
16 Cranleigh Common (west) - Stocklund Square
17 Stocklund Square - Knowle Lane
18 Knowle Lane - Snoxhall Playing Fields
19 Snoxhall Playing Fields - Cameron Close
20 Cameron Close - Snoxhall Cutting (north)
21 Snoxhall Cutting
22 Snoxhall Cutting (south) - Newhouse Farm
23 Newhouse Farm - Lodge Copse bridge
24 Lodge Copse bridge - Footpath 385
25 Footpath 385 - Baynards Station
26 Baynards Station - Cox Green Road
27 Covered Tunnel glade
28 South Wood bridleway
29 Wood to east of tunnel glade and footpath 389.
See
Appendix B – Map of compartments
1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION
1.2.1 Physical Information
1.2.1.1 Climate
The average annual rainfall for the area is 783mm but this varies considerably from year to year. Temperatures are typical of southern England.
1.2.1.2 Hydrology
Running near to the Downs Link for much of its length is Cranleigh Waters, a tributary of the River Wey. It starts south of Cranleigh, where Thornhurst Brook, Cobblers Brook and the outlet from Vachery Pond converge. It flows under the line travelling west for about 1.5 miles until it changes to a northerly direction. At this point the disused Wey and Arun Junction Canal runs next to it. The canal follows the river valley as it is the most level route, with only a slight fall as it travels northwards. Hence the continual meandering of the river. Two miles northwest of Cranleigh, both river and empty canal go under the Downs Link. They stay very close to it right up to Shalford, where they both join the Wey Navigation.
When the railway line was opened in 1865 the Wey and Arun Junction Canal was unable to compete with its new rival and an Act of Parliament requiring the canal to close was introduced by 1867. The majority of this canal is dry now, but some sections have been restored by the Wey and Arun Canal Trust (set up in 1970) and local angling societies.
About 1.5 miles southeast of Cranleigh is Vachery pond, a large elongated stillwater, previously used as a reservoir for the Wey and Arun Canal. It is 200 yards east of the line at the stream bridge. There are several other stillwaters close to the line that feed into the river; Scrubbins Pond, Bramley Mill Pond, Eastwater and Snowdenham ponds. 11 small streams flow under the line, some through pipes, some under bridges. There are a number of small pools and ponds located adjacent to the railway, and a series of drainage ditches which hold water well into the summer.
There are areas along the Downs Link that are very wet and in winter flooding has occurred at: Rooks Hill cutting, shallow cutting at Run Common,, shallow cutting at Norther Farm, Snoxhall cutting, north end of Lodge Copse cutting, Baynards Station and south to Cox Green Road.
See
Appendix C – Hydrology map
1.2.1.3 Geology
In the vicinity of Bramley, the Hythe Beds mix with the silty Atherfield clays which are succeeded by the weathered Weald Clay mudstones. Topley (1875) wrote a paper on this area, in particular about the then new exposures cut into solid Weald clay created from several railway cuttings on the Guildford-Horsham railway line.
Atherfield Clay (made in marine conditions) is found to the north of Rushett Common, north of Rooks Hill Bridge and at Badgers Copse, Birtley Green. It is 6m thick of blue-grey silts, obscured by sandy downwash, and has produced many fossils including ammonites, bivalves and coral.
Pleistocene or Recent deposits can be divided into 4 types found in slopes, terraces and river beds. All the deposits are of local origin. Loam is the only one not present along the Downs Link. Head deposits such as those found at Whipley are composed of river gravels transported to terraces. The Bramley Wey has older and younger head deposits passing into river gravels of 2nd and 1st river terraces, such as at Rowly and Cranleigh respectively. Gravels of the Bramley Wey tend to be subangular chert and cherty sandstone. Also siltstone and clay ironstone from the Weald clay is present. These gravels have been cemented by ferric oxide to various degrees of hardness because of the impermeability of the soil. This explains why some sections, such as near Run Common bridge have ferric coloured water in the drainage ditches.
The embankment south from Snoxhall Playing Fields is built from chalk excavated from a Guildford quarry, though a band of Weald clay sandstone is marked by the railway signal at TQ 060384. Paludina limestone is visible outcropping in the stream immediately south of Fortune Drive.
Landslips occur at Snoxhall cutting, caused by water seepage along clay/sand bedding planes. At Snoxhall cutting, Topley found clay, shale with ostracods and nodules of ironstone, overlain by gravels. This section now shows slipscars with grey shaly clay overlain by gravel, and is now designated a Regionally Important Geological Site. In order to stabilise the sides of the cutting, large lumps of chalk were placed in the banks, some still visible.
In the cutting east of Newhouse Farm, the geologist Topley found sand and sandstone with red clay around 1860. Towards its south was clay with beds of sand, some decomposing sandstone and a 2.5cm layer of lignite. South of Newhouse Farm, a 3m deep cutting was recorded to be nearly all sand.
A draft geological trail, containing more detailed information is held by the ranger.
See
Appendix D – Geology map.
1.2.1.4 Geomorphology
The Downs Link is a linear tract of land running mainly north/south, consisting for the most part of embankment or cutting which previously accommodated a mainly single-track railway. Where stations, goods yards or other railway-related uses were sited there are larger areas of open recreation land adjacent to the main route.
1.2.1.5 Soils
The two main soil associations on the Downs Link are Shabbington and Wickham.
(A soil association is a group of topographically related soils developed on one geological parent material.) The Shabbington Association is river terrace drift and is composed of deep fine loamy and fine loamy soil over sandy drift which is variably affected by groundwater. Wickham soils can be divided into “711,1” and “711,5.” Wickham 711,1 contains drift over cretaceous clay or mudstone. These are slowly permeable, seasonally waterlogged fine silty clays over clay, fine loams over clay and pure clay soils. Wickham 711,5 consists of drift over cretaceous clays and sandstone. This is similar to 711,1 with fine silty soils over locally reddish clay soils. There are also coarse loam soils with slow permeable subsoils and slight seasonal waterlogging over sandstone.
Fuller details of soil composition and arising plant communities are detailed in a comprehensive soil and botanical survey produced by Mandy Hodgson in 1984, held by the WBC Ranger.
1.2.2 Biological Information
1.2.2.1 Flora
There is a wide variety of flora along the Downs Link reflecting the different soil types found. From September 1983 to August 1984, 278 species of flora were recorded, attributable to the variations in habitat and areas crossed by the 14.7km-long route. The total species list stands at 304 as at 09.11.98 and includes rarities such as Dyers greenweed, moschatel, tutsan, twayblade, southern marsh orchid and various helleborines. For the full floral list see Appendix I.
1.2.2.2 Fauna
Mammals: There are 16 species of mammal present on the site including:
Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus
Badger Meles
meles
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
Weasel Mustela
nivalis
Dormouse Muscardinus
avellanarius
Bats roost in Baynards Tunnel overwinter. Four species (16 individuals) were recorded in January 2002.
Badgers, their setts and dormice are protected by legislation. There is an abundant rabbit population.
In addition, there are other small rodents present.
See Appendix E
Birds: A variety of summer and winter migrants visit the Downs Link. Many species are observed, including:
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Tawny Owl Strix aluco
Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Woodcock Scolopax rusticola, water rail Rallus
aquaticus, stonechat Saxicola
torquata and nightingale Luscinia
megarhynchos have been seen from the Downs Link and are nationally scarce.
Buzzards Buteo buteo are regularly
observed and winter mixed flocks of small passerine species can be significant.
A total of 74 species have been observed. See Appendix F
Reptiles: Slow worm Anguis fragilis
Grass
snake Natrix natrix
Common
lizard Lacerta vivipara
Adder Vipera berus
Amphibians Common newt Triturus vulgaris
Palmate newt Triturus helveticus
Great crested newt Triturus cristatus
Common frog Rana temporaria
Toad Bufo bufo
Great crested newts and their homes are rare and protected. See Appendix G
Butterflies: 22 species recorded including Purple emperor Apatura iris, white admiral Ladoga (Limenitis) camilla, clouded yellow Colias crocea and brown hairstreak Thecla. Other rare species such as pearl-bordered fritillary Boloria (Clossiana) euphrosyne and small pearl-bordered fritillary Boloria (Clossiana) selene are also suspected to be present. See Appendix H
Other invertebrates: The woodland, grassland and wetland features support a good variety of invertebrates, though records are only available for 10 species. Of particular note, glow-worms Lampyris noctiluca, have been seen adjacent to Cranleigh Common. See Appendix H
1.2.2.3 Fungi
An extensive fungal survey was
performed in October-November 1983, detailing over 120 species. The current
species list stands at 140 species as at 09.11.98. See Appendix J
1.2.3 Cultural
1.2.3.1 Historical/Past land uses
The Horsham and Guildford Direct Railway Company (HGDRC) was established in 1860. It used 15.5 miles of single line from Stammerham Junction (the site of Christ’s Hospital, Horsham) to Peasmarsh Junction on the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), 1.75 miles south of Guildford Station. After negotiating with both the LSWR and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the HGDRC eventually sold its uncompleted works to the latter in 1864.
Battles began before the railway opened, including squabbles over ownership of the Horsham and Guildford Direct Railway and during construction a contractor went bankrupt with a £30,000 loss. Finally in 1864 the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway took over the company. The line was opened on 2nd October 1865. According to the Sussex Agricultural Express, “An event so important as the opening of this line might well have been celebrated by some public demonstration, but the timetable was simply issued and the first train left Horsham for Guildford at 6.35am with about a dozen passengers who had the benefit of being carried free. But inspection of the track decreed that Rudgwick Station could not be used since the gradient on which it was built was too steep at 1 in 80. This caused an uproar amongst local people who claimed that they were being isolated and villagers threatened to call out the fire brigade to “quench the Government Inspector’s fiery spirit!” Eventually the station opened but only after it was completely rebuilt and a new bridge was constructed over the former one across the River Arun.
Throughout its relatively short life, the railway was never particularly commercially successful. Commuters from Bramley, Wonersh and Cranleigh travelling via Guildford to London were the main passengers. Until the final closure of the line in 1965, there were morning and evening commuter trains to Cranleigh. Unfortunately many commuters found it more convenient to drive into Guildford rather than use the branch line on their journeys to town and, in the TUCC Inquiry which preceded closure, this greatly weakened the case for retaining the line. The reason for its demise was the usual one; competition from road transport. Even the considerable trade in Fuller’s Earth from Baynards Park, which continued when normal goods traffic ceased in 1962, was not enough to save the railway from closure on 14th June 1965, the announcement having been made 2 years earlier.
Between 1965 and 1970 the lines and sleepers were lifted and much of the track ballast was removed. The coppiced woodland along many of the cuttings and embankment sides was no longer managed, as it had been when the line was operative. In 1970 ownership was transferred from the British Railways Board to Surrey County Council and Hambledon Rural District Council (the latter became Waverley Borough Council in 1974). From then until 1984, management consisted of general clearance of scrub to enable the public to use it as a recreational facility.
By 1984, working closely in liaison with other local authorities and with the assistance of the Manpower Services Commission on various clearance and surfacing works, a continuous link between the long-distance National Trails of the North and South Downs Way had been created. (The South Downs Way was opened in 1972, the North Downs Way in 1978). The Downs Link was officially opened on 9th July 1984 by the Mayor of Waverley at Baynards Station, and subsequently received a commendation in the National Conservation Award Scheme organised by the Times newspaper and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
A Railtrack report commissioned by Surrey County Council in April 1996 and March 1997 documents a two phase feasibility study into restoring some form of rail access between Guildford and Cranleigh. The second phase (including detailed financial assessment) revealed such a scheme not to be financially viable, but the Guildford to Cranleigh section was recognised as an important current and future movement corridor and is hence protected through the statutory planning process.
Bramley and Wonersh Station was restored by Bramley Parish Council in 2003-04.
Bridge (aqueduct), Bramley TQ 006457
Although the railway bridge no longer exists entirely, the old aqueduct that carried
the canal over the river still does, and is used as part of the Downs Link. It stands next to the remains of the railway bridge, which was presumable taken away for the steel to be reused.
Bramley Station, Station Road, Bramley TQ 009451
Remains of the platforms (coping bricks can be substituted with Staffordshire blue bricks), a light, and two signs. Some improvements are planned for 2002/03.
Wey and
Arun Canal crossing TQ
034413
Where the brickwork parapet is found on the Eastern side, the Canal originally continued its course unhindered. When the railway was built in 1865, a viaduct was constructed, but when the Canal closed in 1872, this present structure was built to replace it. The Earl of Egremont opened the canal on 29th September 1812. The canal had 23 locks, cost 103,000 pounds in 1812 and joined the Wey Navigation at Shalford with the River Arun at Pulborough in Sussex. Commercial transport ceased in 1872 when an Act of Parliament closed the canal after much opposition.
Linesman’s hut, Rowly TQ 038403
Archaeologically excavated by Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers in 2002. Finds included a scythe, part of a chimney stack, door lintel and 43 tea cups, marked BTS CS – probably British Transport Commission, Catering Services.
Snoxhall
Cutting TQ
062376
This is the highest point on the Downs Link (within Waverley) at 76 metres above sea level. Several landslides have occurred during the life of the railway and chalk boulders were placed in the banks in an attempt to stabilise them. The chalk is still visible in some locations, or detectable by its associated calciphilous flora. The steep ramps in the bridleway are where the most recent landslips occurred in 1975.
Vachery Pond TQ070373
Adjacent to the site of a mediaeval moated farmhouse, Vachery Pond is thought to be
the site of the original colony of Cranleigh cranes (herons).
Newhouse Farm Pond TQ066364
Mansion, sadly no longer evident. The pond and adjacent private arboretum are worth a visit.
Cranleigh Brickworks TQ 068355
To the West of the Downs Link lies the site of the old Fuller’s Earth Works, the original Baynards Brick and Tile Works which makes use of locally available clay. The site was home to Berks Chemical Works (Steetly) during the 1980’s, but has now reverted to its former use once again, now owned by Redland Bricks plc.
Baynards Estate TQ087367
Borders the Downs Link. Built by Sir George More of Loseley sometime after 1587, but altered hugely during the 19th century. All the lodges and cottages to the south of Baynards Station are also 19th century.
The junction with the northernmost end of Lawns Road TQ 073 354
Thurlow Arms TQ 076341
This public house was built by the Reverend Thurlow for weary travelers.
Baynards Station TQ 077351
Baynards Station includes the stationmasters house, 2 waiting rooms, covered platforms, store sheds, booking hall, porch and a large goods shed, covering 0.45 acres of land. When the railway was under construction in 1865, the Reverend Thurlow (who owned Baynards Manor) insisted as a condition of land sale that a station be erected here, despite no settlement existing nearby. The station was used as the local post office in times when up to 30 horses and carts would queue outside on market days. It was auctioned on 21st June 1973 at Bramley Grange Hotel and sold to the current owners and occupants who have painstakingly restored the station to its original condition. The Rudgwick Preservation Society organise a guided walk to the station every year, where the owners give a conducted tour, attracting up to 150 people. Baynards Park Manor House, 3 properties near Lawns Cottages, and some of the adjacent farms were sold as part of the former Lynwick Estate on 8th November 1922 at the Town Hall, Horsham. The Station was also the local post office when up to 30 horses and carts would queue on market days. The Stationmaster at Baynards won the prize for the best display of dahlias on the railway line at one time.
Baynards Tunnel TQ 081345
A concrete ventilator shaft marks the tunnel’s northern entrance. Hambledon Rural District Council used this end of the tunnel as a refuse tip. after the railway closed in 1965. The refuse was covered with clay and topsoil which rapidly became colonised with plants. The tunnel is currently used by several species of hibernating bats.
John Hill Memorial Seat TQ 079345
John Hill was a founder member of Cranleigh and District Conservation Group, who
inspired the group through its first few years. The seat was installed on 28th July 1991
by CDCV, who continue to maintain it annually.
Motte at Broomhall Copse, Baynards TQ 077345
Located 300m west of the southern tunnel entrance is a ditched mound on which
stood an early Norman castle, excavated by Winbolt (a master from Christ’s Hospital) in 1928. The site would have commanded extensive views over the surrounding countryside. The timber tower within a palisade which would have stood on the mound is thought to have been a fortified house, built to protect a wealthy man and his possessions during King Stephen’s troubled reign. There is an OS triangulation point nearby in Broomhall Woods, a detailed account of which is held by Sussex Archaeological Society.
Other features
Some remnants are found of the linesman’s huts, signal mechanisms, mile posts and other former trackside structures. There are a number of small settlements of character along the route. They typify the vernacular Wealden architecture of
timbered buildings, rich-hued local bricks and stone walls often topped by stone and clay tile roofs. Some of the buildings which were previously part of the old railway still remain. By far the most prominent features of the old railway are its brick-built bridges which epitomise the skill of the Victorian builders.
1.2.3.2 Present Land Use
A bridleway runs through the entire 14.7km length of the site, used by walkers, cyclists and horseriders. The remainder of the land is primarily preserved for conservation.
1.2.3.3 Past Management For Nature Conservation
Up until 1965 management of the Downs Link was similar to any other single track railway. This involved clearance of encroaching vegetation from the sides and coppicing of hazel on the banks, primarily for safety rather than nature conservation. The trains passing back and forth restricted the growth of smaller plants in between the rails and sleepers. From 1965 until 1970 while the Downs Link was still owned by the British Railways Board, the rails, sleepers and much of the ballast were removed. Virtually no other management occurred during this period, and public access was not encouraged.
From 1970-83, the Surrey section, formerly known as “The Greenway” became overgrown with little management occurring. During 1983-4, Waverley Borough Council, working with the Manpower Services Commission (Adult Community Project) began to manage the line with a view to restoring some of the natural habitats and providing the walker/rider with different scenery along its 14.7km length. An ecological survey was performed from September 1983-August 1984, and a fungal survey in October-November 1983, held by the Ranger.
From 1984 until the present, management has been orientated toward providing a recreational feature for the public, whilst conserving valuable wildlife habitats. Work of this nature done by WBC and SCC has included coppicing, tree safety, clearance of encroaching vegetation, erection of gates and fences, publicising the long distance bridleway, liaising with other landowners and authorities and installing interpretative material.
1.2.3.4 Past Interest and Current Liaison Arrangements
The sections of line originally bought by Surrey County Council in 1970 were potentially to be used for road development bypassing Bramley and Cranleigh village centres.
A feasibility study into redeveloping railway use from Guildford to Cranleigh was conducted by Railtrack for Surrey County Council in 1996-7, but heavy railway was deemed not to be commercially viable. Potential for light rail use has not been fully studied.
There are three Downs Link management group meetings per year, consisting of representatives from Surrey County Council Rights of Way Department, Waverley Borough Council Countryside Section and West Sussex County Council Countryside Rangers. Other individuals and organisations are involved as and when appropriate.
1.2.3.5 Present
Conservation Status
The Downs Link is a Public Open Space. At different stages along its length, it runs through areas that, due to their nature, carry particular status or gradings.
From A281 at Shalford to Foresters Farm, Bramley - Green Belt (GB1).
Bramley and Wonersh Station platform lies with Bramley’s Conservation Area
(HE8)
From Foresters Farm, Bramley to the River Bridge, South of Bridgeham Farm, Cranleigh - Green Belt (GB1), Area of Great Landsccape Value (RE1).
From the river bridge, south of Bridgeham Farm, Cranleigh to B2130 road bridge
- Green Belt (GB1).
At Snoxhall Cutting - Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).
From B2130 road bridge to the stream bridge, East of Vachery Pond
- Area Subject to Policy 6A (GB2).
From the stream bridge, East of Vachery pond to Baynards Tunnel, Rudgwick
- Area subject to Policy 6A (GB2), Area of Great Landscape Value (RE1)
Whole Route - protect the Guildford to Cranleigh secction as an important movement corridor.
Policy Summaries
Green belt (GB1) - Green belt policies within the structure plan will be applied to the area defined as Green belt on the proposals map.
Area subject to policy 6A (GB2) - Within rural areas beyond the Green Belt, as defined on the proposals map, the local Planning Authority will apply policy 6A of the Surrey structure plan.
Area of Great Landscape Value (RE1) - Within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstaanding Natural Beauty and the Area of Great Landscape Value, as defined on the proposals map, the local Planning Authority will exercise special control over development proposals in accordance with policies 82 and 83 of the structure plan.
Important Movement Corridor - The Guildford to Cranleigh section is recognised as an important current and future movement corridor and is protected through the statutory planning process.
1.2.3.6 Landscape
Running South from the Greensand ridge , the Downs Link descends to the Lower Wealden clays. To the south of Bramley the soils are heavy, the landform is undulating rather than pronounced and the countryside is characterised by a hedged pastoral landscape interspersed with blocks of deciduous woodland, much of which is ancient. South of Bramley the path runs adjacent to the River Wey (south) also known as “Cranleigh Water” and for this section lush riverside meadows and bankside trees of the river floodplain are superimposed on the larger landscape outside of the valley. From Cranleigh onwards large woodlands abut the Downs Link, which, together with the emergent trees and shrubs alongside the bridleway give a sense of enclosure. Occasionally there are views of open Wealden agricultural landscape, streams and ponds, particularly from elevated positions on embankments. The Downs Link also contains a number of bridges and structures as listed in section 1.1.5.3 relevant to its prior railway use.
1.2.3.7 Public Use and Interest
The Downs Link is used mainly by local people for informal leisure pursuits and for daily access to schools, town and place of work. Formal events include endurance horserides, sponsored walks and sponsored cycles. Informal events including walking, dog walking, jogging, blackberry- and sloe-picking and interpretative walks.
1.2.3.8 Educational Use / Facilities
Limited facilities available. Local schools, scouts and other groups carry out various activities including conservation tasks, sponsored walks, cycles and rides.
1.2.3.9 Research Use / Facilities
There have been few research projects using the Downs Link, though there is much potential as a relatively straight level route crossing the Wealden landscape. The British Butterfly Conservation Society annually surveys butterflies on some sections of the Downs Link, and students from Kingston University are currently performing their own investigation into the likelihood of railway transport reusing the route.
1.2.3.10 Interpretation Use/Facilities
WBC produced an interpretative plan for the Downs Link in January 1994. Five information boards were installed in March 1997 at St. Martha’s Hill, Chinthurst Hill car park, Bramley Station, Snoxhall Playing Fields and Baynards Station.
1.2.3.11 Recreational Facilities
The whole 14.7km is a public bridleway and is therefore suitable for walking, cycling or horseriding. 14 wooden seats are situated at a variety of locations along the Downs Link. There are adjacent play areas at Bramley Station, Elmbridge Road and Snoxhall Playing Fields. A picnic site is provided at Baynards Station, adjacent to the “Thurlow Arms” public house.
1.2.4 Environmental Relationship
The physical attributes - soil type, terrain and weathering impact on the Downs Link’s use and maintenance. Surfaced highway deteriorates more rapidly on clay and in cuttings. Popular sections become muddy and/or waterlogged during periods of wet weather. Vehicle access is excellent and rarely limited by weather conditions.
2.1 EVALUATION OF FEATURES
2.1.1 Evaluation
2.1.1.1 Size
A long thin area of countryside (24.76ha, 61.18acres) in a predominantly rural area.
2.1.1.2 Diversity
The Downs Link contains a large diversity of habitats including woodlands, glades, grasslands, thickets, streams and ponds. There is extensive structural diversity within these features, plus various cuttings, embankments, ditches and banks.
2.1.1.3 Naturalness
The Downs Link retains many of the features associated with its former railway use including embankments, cuttings, and ballast material. Since the railway closed in 1965, there has been considerable opportunity for colonisation and subsequent development of a variety of wildlife habitats. In particular, the resultant increase in scrub and woodland attracts a wide variety of butterflies, birds and small mammals.
The range of habitats and consequent number of plant species is comparatively large as the route crosses a variety of geological types and material has been imported to build up embankments and other features. For example, the introduction of chalk fill in some places causes the occurrence of chalk-loving (calcicolous) plants in an otherwise clay-dominated area.
Woodland The woodland which has self-sown along
the line reflects the adjacent woodland communities. Much has a coppice
character. During railway use, this would have been regularly cut back. As a
by-product, this regular coppice cutting enhanced the conservation interest by
opening the ground flora to the light. This promotes the growth of woodland
plants, and later the young shoots provide cover for nesting birds. A
restoration of this type of management has commenced.
Scrub Where woodland gives way to more open land, scrub has often developed due to natural succession. Scrub is in itself a valuable habitat, providing food and shelter for a whole host of invertebrates, mammals and birds, but if left unmanaged it will succeed to woodland. The plant species are varied, reflecting the mixed soils along the line. Species include hawthorn, blackthorn, dogwood, guelder rose, wayfaring trees and field maple.
Grassland The open areas which have remained
support varied grassland communities
including many flowering plants. Divorced from farmland they are not intensively managed. These sites are excellent
for butterflies, providing nectar plants for
the adults and food plants for the caterpillars.
Wetland Areas Where the track and surface ballast have been removed, the resultant poor drainage has given rise in some places to the development of water-loving plants and associated animal life. There are some particularly interesting amphibians present including frogs, toads and newts and a variety of dragonflies.
2.1.1.4 Rarity
One of the few disused railway lines within the local area kept open as a rural recreational route for use by the general public.
The deeper cuttings, especially the Regionally Important Geological Site at Snoxhall contain a locally scarce damp woodland habitat. These types of conditions are only found when the topography, soil type and flora combine to form this, quite specialised habitat.
2.1.1.5 Recorded History
As the railway line was opened in 1865, none of the habitats are older than that. It has only been managed with conservation in mind since 1970. Prior to the construction of the line, all the land was part of the surrounding farmland, and managed agriculturally.
2.1.1.6 Position in Ecological Unit
The Downs Link could be regarded as an ecological unit in its own right, but is more sensibly regarded as a green wildlife corridor linking fragmented semi-ancient woodlands, copses and commons.
2.1.1.7 Potential for Improvement
The Downs Link will continue to require management to prevent it reverting to the natural climax vegetation of mixed woodland and thus becoming unusable for recreational activities. There is potential for improvement in interpretation, education and recreation facilities. This will include increased seat provision at carefully chosen sites, possibly provision of picnic tables, and enhancement of existing derelict railway structures. The rights of way surfaces need to be maintained to levels suited to local use. Drainage, tree safety, rabbit control, vegetation control, reduction of invasive alien species, maintenance of existing structures and woodland management will all demand a high degree of regular work.
2.1.1.8 Landscape
The Downs Link is a valuable asset to local people and long-distance travellers, providing a long rural route amidst scenic surroundings.
2.1.1.9 Educational Use/Facilities
Schools and centres within 1 mile of the Downs Link:
Gosden House Boarding School, Bramley
St. Catherine’s School, Bramley
Bramley C of E Primary School, Bramley
Longacre School, Shamley Green
Wonersh and Shamley Green CE and Primary School, Shamley Green
Cranleigh C of E Middle School, Cranleigh
Cranleigh County Infants School, Cranleigh
Cranleigh Preparatory School, Cranleigh
Cranleigh School, Cranleigh
Glebelands County Secondary School, Cranleigh
Park Mead County Infants School, Cranleigh
Park Mead County Junior School, Cranleigh
Sayers Croft Rural Centre (ILEA), Cranleigh
2.1.1.10 Interpretation Use / Facilities
3 interpretation boards were installed in March 1997 at Bramley Station, Snoxhall Playing Fields (Cranleigh) and Baynards Station. Two other boards were installed at the same time at St. Martha’s Hill, Chilworth and Chinthurst Hill car park, Shalford.
2.1.1.11 Research Use / Facilities
Limited research is has been pursued by Farnborough Technical College and Kingston University. Little extensive research has come to the attention of current and previous managers of the Downs Link.
2.1.1.12 Public Use
Public use is considerable, though there is potential for extensive increase.
Walking, horseriding, dog walking, cycling, shoppers, schoolchildren.
A visitor survey was conducted in June to August 1992, interviewing a total of 118 people over 6 days, at 4 sites in West Sussex. The summarised results were as follows:
1. Most visitors came in family groups or couples, followed by solo visitors, then non-family groups or friends.
2. There was only one organised party - a group of scouts.
3. The majority of groups were combinations of males and females, with 28% of visitors in purely male groups. Only 18% of visitors were in purely female groups.
4. Broad patterns showed that the 25-44 age band were most likely to use the site, followed by the 44-64 age band.
5. The home address results showed a strong local bias, with the majority of visitors from Horsham and the surrounding areas.
6. Most visitors travelled less than 5 miles (64%), followed by 19% travelling 6-10 miles, and the remainder between 11 and 50 miles.
7. The greater number of visitors arrived by car (40%). 30% cycled and 17% walked.
8. 11% of people were on holiday. The majority of those were spending a week away.
9. Most of the holidaymakers were staying in bed and breakfast accommodation, the remainder were staying with friends or relatives. All were staying in the local area.
10. Over half the visitors questioned said they were there to cycle, with an additional 25% walking and 9% horseriding. 63% of visitors said that one of the purposes of their visit was to complete part or all of the Downs Link route.
11. The length of visit to the site was most commonly between 1 and 2 hours (31%) and 3-6 hours (29%). 11% were staying for over 6 hours.
12. A high percentage of visitors said that no changes to the route were necessary, or had a favourable comment about the surface of the path.
13. Most visitors didn’t use any of the facilities; of those who did, 82% were satisfied.
14. Knowledge of the work of the County Council was limited.
15. 60% of visitors said that they would find additional information about the site useful. Some form of signposting/mapping/distances to places was requested most.
16. When asked how they had found out about the site, 41% of visitors said that they had “always known about it”.
17. 36% of visitors were making another visit on the day of the survey. The majority of these visits were to a local pub.
Results
from a survey on 7 Sundays in 1991 (West Sussex)
1. Cyclists (an particularly those on mountain bikes) now account for the majority of Downs Link use (54%), horseriders 4%.
2. Despite periods of considerable activity, the Downs Link in West Sussex can be considered to be under-used, with on average less than 10 people passing each survey point per hour during peak periods.
2.1.2 Summary of Important Features
Landscape: The landscape is of significant importance from a historical, conservational and recreational point of view.
Habitats: A good variety including streams, ponds, woods, scrub, and both clay and sandy clay grasslands.
Vegetation: The site supports a wide variety of species, some of which locally, regionally and nationally scarce.
Species: The site supports a wide variety of wildlife, some species of which are locally, regionally and nationally scarce.
Access and Recreation: The Downs Link is a very important public amenity site.
2.2 LONG TERM MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
2.2.1 Objectives
1. Maintain and enhance the existing range of wildlife habitats and preserve the character of the Downs Link.
2. Conserve populations of locally, regionally and nationally rare species.
3. Recognise and utilise the recreational and educational potential of the Downs
Link.
4. Increase the public enjoyment of the Downs Link by providing interpretation and appropriate facilities.
5. Balance the needs of recreation and conservation within the Downs Link.
6. Recognise and respond to the legal obligations of land ownership and public
access.
7. Develop and utilise the knowledge, abilities and talents of local groups and partner organisations
2.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
2.3.1 Internal Natural Factors
Woodland: The majority of the woodland on the Downs Link is evenly-aged, casting dense shade. There is little structural diversity. Coppicing and selective thinning will provide more diverse habitats, with additional benefits of more varied landscape and sustainable timber production.
Landslips: The extensive tree cover on cuttings and embankments, combined
with undermining by tunnelling mammals increases the likelihood of landslips, particularly on clay soils. Coppicing and selective thinning will reduce the risk.
Bracken: Small areas of the Downs Link are bracken-dominated, increasing
fire risk and decreasing habitat diversity. Action may be necessary to prevent invasion.
Vegetation: Where sufficient light penetrates the woodland canopy, vegetation overhangs paths and bridleways. Selective cutting during the summer months, and more thorough autumn/winter cutting keeps access
open.
Rabbits: Localised high rabbit populations reduce ground flora diversity, undermine highways, and consume coppice regrowth and
agricultural crops on adjacent land. Rabbit control measures are taken throughout the winter months.
Tree safety: Trees on the Downs Link and adjacent land require regular attention to maintain public safety along the highways. Regular winter tree felling and rapid summer response to fallen trees is necessary.
Geology: Clay substrates increase the likelihood of landslips.
2.3.2 Internal Man-Induced Factors
Dogfouling: Dogfouling is evident as a problem around the suburban sections at Bramley and Cranleigh. Education of dog owners and provision of
dog fouling bins are desirable.
Vandalism: Trees, fences, signs and bridges have been damaged. This detracts from the public’s full enjoyment of the Downs Link as well as wasting valuable resources.
Littering: Litter is excessive around Bramley and Cranleigh, and occasional in more isolated locations. Volunteers, rangers and contractors all
collect litter at various times of the year.
Drainage: Public access throughout the centre of the Downs Link imposes
some requirement to manage drainage channels to limit puddling of the highway.
Safety: Bridges over drops and water features impose the requirement of safety fencing to reduce the possibility of injury.
Encroachment: Neighbouring properties manage sections of the Downs Link for
their own personal benefit without asking permission. This problem
needs to be addressed as it results in inconsistent management, deposition of garden refuse, introduction of invasive species and potential for acquisition of managerial rights.
Fire: Fire is an occasional problem, sometimes passing onto the Downs Link from neighbouring agricultural crops.
Alien species: Many invasive species are present upon the Downs Link, including sycamore, laurel, Indian balsam, Japanese knotweed, variegated ivy, variegated yellow archangel, snowberry, turkey oak and Norway maple. Clearance of these species should be undertaken, and use of pesticides, where appropriate, to prevent regrowth.
2.3.3 External Factors
Future land use: Parts of the Downs Link were originally purchased by Surrey County Council as potential bypass routes around Bramley and Cranleigh. There is also a possibility of future railway reuse.
Water pollution: A number of watercourses cross the Downs Link, some
passing potential industrial and agricultural sources of pollution. Any pollution incident should be reported to the Environment Agency.
Alien species: Non-indigenous species have been introduced deliberately or via
seed dumping. Control of existing species and reduction of potential sources of reintroduction necessitate action.
Weather: Weathering affects the highway surface condition, and gradually erodes some of the structures present on the Downs Link.
2.3.4 Factors Arising from Legislation or Tradition
2.3.4.1 Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981)
There are a range of obligations including the protection of plants, animals, birds and their eggs, licensing to trap, snare and shoot and the need to pay heed to the list of Potentially Damaging Operations.
2.3.4.2 Occupiers
Liability Act (1957 and 1984)
This Act imposes on Waverley Borough Council as owners and/or managers of the land an obligation to ensure that every reasonable care is taken to remove any risk to all members of the public. To comply with the Act it is necessary to:
1. Ensure that all footpaths, stiles, gates, culverts, channels and landslip areas are not hazardous, or the hazard is made plain.
2. Ensure that there are no dead or dangerous trees or timber, including branches,
close to footpaths, roads, tracks, houses or other areas frequented by people.
3. Ensure that equipment left on site is not hazardous or the hazard is made plain.
4. Ensure that herbicide treated vegetation does not pose a hazard or the hazard is made plain.
5. Ensure that staff, contractors and other parties likely to need to know know the exact location of overhead or underground cables.
2.3.4.3 Legal Obligations of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequent enactments
All operations carried out on site must be undertaken by trained personnel using methods and equipment approved by the Health and Safety Executive, and also in compliance with both national and local safety procedures.
2.3.4.4 Pest
Control Act 1954
Under Section 1 of the above act, a duty is imposed upon any landowner within England and Wales to control excessive numbers of rabbits living upon their land which affect neighbouring property.
2.3.4.5 Forestry Act 1967 and subsequent regulations (1979, 1987)
Prior notification to obtain a felling license is necessary for any significant tree felling operations.
2.3.4.6 Highways Acts 1959, 1980
Under the above act it is an offence to obstruct, deposit any material or erect a structure on the rights of way on the Downs Link
2.3.4.7 Non-Legal Accepted Practice
There is an obvious and essential requirement to establish and maintain a good relationship with the general public, neighbours, local organisations, groups and any individuals having an interest in the Downs Link. This will only be achieved through good communications and the recognition of the rights and interests of others.
An area to the north of Run Common has been regularly grazed in the past (1967- 1995)by horses belonging to the Sayers family from Rushett Farm Field.
2.3.4.8 Legal
Obligations Of Others
Other utilities and authorities have a range of obligations. The public are required to conform to these.
2.3.5 Physical/Seasonal Constraints
Vehicle access along the Downs Link is rarely limiting. Flooding has occurred in
some cuttings, most notably just to the south of Baynards Station. Woodland, scrub, wetland, and grassland management can only be carried out during autumn and winter months to minimise the disturbance to nesting birds, invertebrates and wild flowers.
2.3.6 Availability of Resources
There will continue to be a shortage of both financial and manpower resources to achieve the ideal management input for the site. However, provided that resources
and commitments remain at approximately the same level, it should be possible to
meet the essential requirements of the site. At present, a Ranger is available one or two days per week, with students, voluntary rangers and volunteers on occasions.
2.3.7 Summary of Factors Influencing The
Achievement Of Long Term Objectives
The site is owner/managed. Given its general healthy state and the lack of any serious management constraints, the impacts of the factors discussed above (2.3.1 - 2.3.6) should not cause any serious change to the long-term management objectives. The constraints that have greatest implications for management objectives are:
Internal Natural Factors: Woodland succession is rapidly shading out ground flora, and high rabbit populations limit regrowth of young trees and wildflowers. Sensitive habitat management (glade creation, coppicing, thinning, bramble control) and rabbit control by ferreting should address this.
Internal Man-Induced Factors: Vandalism, dog fouling, garden refuse dumping
and littering are regular problems. Adjacent agricultural land imposes occasional
duties concerning fires, escaped livestock and demands on higher levels of rabbit control. Increased Ranger presence and action on such details is required.
External Factors: Other local authority priorities, water pollution and the
introduction of non-indigenous species. The Environment Agency is responsible for
investigating water pollution. Invasive species must be carefully monitored and
controlled as appropriate. Surrey County Council could create village bypass roads or
re-establish the railway on some future occasion.
Resources: There are possibilities of attracting
grants for certain work; Woodland Improvement
Grant Scheme (Forestry Authority) for woodland management, timber sales, and Countryside Commission grants
for interpretation may all be applicable. Further
research regarding grants available for specific works should result in increased funding to assist greatly with
achieving the long-term objectives.
2.4 OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
This section aims to consider how the long-term objectives can be modified in order to take account of the limits and constraints identified earlier.
2.4.1 Long-Term Objective 1 - Maintain and
enhance the existing range of wildlife habitats
and preserve the character of the Downs Link
It is important to maintain a diversity of habitats and continuity of species as well as preserving the geological/historical features that combine to give the Downs Link its unique character.
2.4.1.1 Operational Objective 1.1
Maintain existing grass and wildflower areas. These are areas of great beauty as well as being havens for many species of invertebrates and the start of the food chain.
2.4.1.2 Operational Objective 1.2
Manage woodland areas to provide a structurally diverse environment.
2.4.1.3 Operational Objective 1.3
Maintain ponds, streams and drainage ditches in appropriate condition.
2.4.1.4 Operational Objective 1.4
Control invasive terrestrial species.
2.4.1.5 Operational Objective 1.5
Allow for development of specimen trees within appropriate areas.
2.4.1.6 Operational Objective 1.6
Maintain the bridges, signs, platforms and other industrial / historical features of the Downs Link.
2.4.1.7 Operational Objective 1.7
Protect and enhance the landscape character, the wildlife and historic features of the Downs Link and, where appropriate, the adjoining land.
2.4.2
Long-term
Objective 2 - Conserve populations of locally, regionally and
nationally rare species
2.4.2.1 Operational Objective 2.1
Protect and enhance existing populations of locally, regionally and nationally rare species.
2.4.3 Long-term Objective 3 - Recognise and
utilise the educational potential of the Downs
Link.
2.4.3.1 Operational
Objective 3.1
To provide the use of the site for educational purposes to all ages.
2.4.3.2 Operational
Objective 3.2
Publicise the route, and facilitate access and passage.
2.4.4 Long-term Objective 4 - Increase the public enjoyment of the Downs Link by providing interpretation and appropriate facilities
2.4.4.1 Operational
Objective 4.1
Provide information and interpretation for visitors to appreciate the Downs Link’s historical and conservation value and the role that active management plays in the maintenance of its character
2.4.4.2 Operational Objective 4.3
Maintain facilities already provided to enhance public enjoyment of the countryside and informal recreation. These include seats, litter bins, gates, fences, culverts and bridges.
2.4.4.3 Operational Objective 4.4
Provide additional facilities to enhance public enjoyment of the Downs Link.
2.4.4.4 Operational
Objective 4.5
Remain vigilant to the problems which affect the Downs Link and utilise resources at the disposal of Waverley to best advantage both to rectify damage as soon as possible after it is caused and to limit repeat damage whenever possible.
2.4.4.5 Operational
Objective 4.6
Maintain and where necessary, improve the Downs Link to realise its full potential as a long distance link for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
2.4.5
Long-Term
Objective 5 - Balance the needs of recreation and conservation
within the Downs Link.
2.4.5.1 Operational Objective 5.1
Balance the requirements of public recreation and wildlife conservation.
2.4.6 Long-Term Objective 6 - Recognise and
respond to the legal obligations of land ownership
and public access
2.4.6.1 Operational
Objective 6.1
Ensure that all legal responsibilities are met.
2.4.6.2 Operational Objective 6.2
Ensure the acceptability of the surface of the central bridleway and the adequacy of all points of access to and egress from the Downs Link.
2.4.7 Long-Term Objective 7 - Develop and
utilise the knowledge, abilities and talents of
local groups and partner organisations
2.4.7.1 Operational Objective 7.1
Maintain and utilise the relationships with Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers, Bramley Parish Council, Cranleigh Parish Council and relevant residents associations.
2.4.7.2 Operational Objective 7.2
Review this management plan every 10 years; the first review to be in the year 2008.
2.4.7.3 Operational Objective 7.3
Convene 3 meetings of the Downs Link Working Group, including Surrey County Council Rights of Way Department, West Sussex County Council Countryside Rangers and other organisations as appropriate. This forum will be used as a consultative group for any proposed changes to this management plan.
3.1 OUTLINE PRESCRIPTION
3.1.1 Operational Objective 1.1 - Maintain
existing grass and wildflower areas.
a) Monitor and cut to maintain open meadows where continuity of management has allowed them to prevail.
b) Monitor and control the spread of encroaching bracken, bramble and scrub.
c) Research the option of grazing and encourage use of tethered animals if appropriate.
3.1.2 Operational Objective 1.2 - Manage
woodland areas to provide a structurally diverse
environment.
a) Establish a coppice rotation amongst suitable areas.
b) Remove non-native species such as sycamore, turkey oak and Norway maple.
c) Research and, if applicable, enter Forestry Commission’s Woodland Improvement Grant Scheme.
3.1.3 Operational Objective 1.3 - Maintain
ponds, streams and drainage ditches in appropriate
condition.
a) Monitor and control silt invasion in ponds and ditches.
b) Maintain ditch water levels as high as possible without adversely affecting highway condition.
c) Monitor amphibian populations and manage wetlands accordingly.
d) Consider installation of otter holts on/adjacent to wetland areas. Consult with Environment Agency.
e) Liaise with Environment Agency regarding pollution incidents.
3.1.4 Operational Objective 1.4 - Control
invasive terrestrial species.
a) Monitor and control the growth of any invasive introduced species.
b) Monitor and control excessive growth of bracken and bramble where appropriate.
c) Monitor and control monocultures of birch and willow where appropriate.
3.1.5 Operational Objective 1.5 - Allow for
development of specimen trees within appropriate
areas.
a) Thin crowded areas of oak to promote the growth of specimen trees.
b) Thin around scarce or featuresome trees to promote their growth and splendour.
3.1.6 Operational Objective 1.6 - Maintain
the bridges, signs, platforms and other
industrial / historical
features of the Downs Link.
a) Monitor and maintain steps, seats, stiles, fences, platforms and other countryside structures.
b) Fell, coppice or crown reduce trees whose roots interfere with the above structures.
c) Raise the profile of the industrial heritage of the route through increased interpretation and physical enhancement of artifacts where resources allow.
d) Assess further areas where appropriate additional facilities could be provided, and install if resources allow.
3.1.7 Operational Objective 1.7 - Protect
and enhance the landscape character, the wildlife
and historic features of the Downs Link and, where appropriate, the adjoining land.
a) Monitor habitat diversity and species composition.
b) Encourage the involvement of local communities and voluntary groups in management.
c) Maintain and develop a regular volunteer network to advise the ranger on current issues, fallen trees, vandalism, etc, and to assist with monitoring.
e) Screen unsightly adjacent land areas.
d) Establish and maintain good working relationships with the private landowners adjoining the route, encouraging improvement of the land’s recreation and conservation value.
f) Liaise with Surrey County Council Structures Division to ensure the continued good condition of the bridges and other former railway structures along the Downs Link.
g) Establish a record of land ownership adjacent to the Downs Link.
h) Increase quantity of biological recording undertaken.
i) Research criteria and, if applicable, acquire improved site status such as Local Nature Reserve, Site of Nature Conservation Interest or Site of Special Scientific Interest.
3.1.8 Operational Objective 2.1 - Protect
and enhance existing populations of locally, regionally
and nationally rare species.
a) Monitor the extent of rare / scarce species and retain such information as confidential where appropriate.
b) Ensure that all appropriate sites receive sufficient management and monitoring.
c) Wherever possible, dead wood is to be left in situ.
d) Integrate habitat management activity with species requirements.
3.1.9
Operational
Objective 3.1 - To provide the use of the site for educational
purposes in order to instill the value of
conservation at any age.
a) Install a large number of birdboxes, constructed by local schoolchildren and develop a monitoring scheme in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
b) Install batboxes in a similar scheme, in conjunction with Surrey Bat Group.
c) Develop an intensively-managed section of the Downs Link as a demonstration coppice woodland.
d) Encourage educational use of the line by local schools, youth groups, womens' institutes, residents associations, etc..
e) Monitor levels of educational use.
3.1.10 Operational Objective 3.2 -
Publicise the route, and facilitate access and
passage.
a) Provide adequate signage, publicity and ease of access/egress.
b) Install signage at junctions with other highways to identify the Downs Link.
(Signs to perform similar function to National Trust “Omega” signs).
c) Undertake regular publicity events, including guided walks, fun runs and open days.
d) Provide and promote opportunities for access, informal recreation and, where appropriate, safe journeys to work.
e) Explore sponsorship for Downs Link publications.
3.1.11 Operational Objective 4.1 - Provide
information and interpretation for visitors
to appreciate the Downs Link’s historical and conservation value and
the role that active management plays in the maintenance of its character.
a) Provide information and interpretation boards on recreational, wildlife and industrial history aspects of the Downs Link, as resources permit.
b) Limit the use of signage and advertisements.
c) Investigate funding opportunities for joint ventures to provide information on woodland management, butterflies and other invertebrates, bats and aquatic features.
d) Distribute the Downs Link route guide.
e) Research the feasibility of developing a geological trail.
3.1.12 Operational Objective 4.2 - Provide a
satisfactory surface for the Downs Link bridleway
which is used daily by commuters, shoppers, dogwalkers, equestrians and cyclists.
a) This is a Highway Authority responsibility : liaise with Surrey County Council rights of way department.
b) Trim vegetation obstructing highways as and when necessary.
c) Promote and maintain as a local feature for all the above users.
d) Monitor the use of the Downs Link by walkers, horseriders and cyclists.
3.1.12 Operational Objective 4.3 - Maintain
facilities already provided to enhance
public enjoyment
of the countryside and informal recreation.
a) Monitor and maintain seats, fences, bridges, culverts, litter bins, steps, signs and other structures.
b) Investigate feasibility of installing a “trim trail”.
c) Install and maintain safety fencing at canal crossings, bridges, road junctions, etc..
d) Create small rest areas and viewpoints across the surrounding countryside.
e) Liaise with Surrey County Council Rights of Way Department and other interested parties regarding funding the most suitable sections of the Downs Link.
f) Retain the rural character of the Downs Link central bridleway.
g) Undertake, or ensure the provision of, a regular programme of guided walks, rides and events to suit all ages and abilities.
3.1.14 Operational Objective 4.4 - Provide
additional facilities to enhance public enjoyment
of the Downs Link.
a) Recognise the importance of the recreational uses of the Downs Link.
b) Provide additional seats, viewpoints, cycle racks and limited picnic tables at appropriate locations. Consider installation of horse mounting blocks and possibly occasional water troughs.
c) Provide further information boards and leaflets as appropriate.
d) Consider the potential of land adjoining the route to provide additional
opportunities for conservation and quiet enjoyment of the countryside.
e) Attempt
to increase appropriate income-generating activities.
3.1.15 Operational Objective 4.5 - Remain
vigilant to the problems which affect the Downs
Link.
(Problems currently faced include vandalism, encroachment, litter, dog fouling, erosion and conflict of visitor use.)
a) Rectify any damage as soon as possible after it occurs.
b) Choose vandal-resistant materials whenever possible.
c) Initiate legal action quickly against any encroachment from neighbouring properties.
d) Ensure that litter is swiftly removed by Waverley’s Environmental cleaning contract, rangers or volunteers.
e) Discourage gardenification, bonfires and garden refuse disposal on the Downs
Link.
f) Investigate the possibilities of providing dog waste bins.
g) Regulate private accesses onto the Downs Link.
3.1.16 Operational Objective 4.6 - Maintain
and, where necessary, improve the Downs Link
as a long distance route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
a) Monitor visitor use and changing trends.
b) Where appropriate, encourage the provision and publicising of overnight accommodation in the vicinity of the route, including youth hostels and horse
stabling.
c) Promote and maintain long distance bridleway facilities.
3.1.17 Operational Objective 5.1 - Balance the requirements of public recreation and wildlife conservation.
a) Cut those sections of vegetation adjacent to the central highway only as and when they impinge upon free passage or to diversify grassland habitats..
b) Make certain that the Downs Link is protected from any form of development or activities that may be detrimental to it or its fauna and flora.
c) Accept that tree shading, screening and seeds affecting breathing disorders are relevant concerns to residents adjacent to the Downs Link. Manage such trees accordingly where resources allow.
3.1.18 Operational Objective 6.1 - Ensure that
all legal responsibilities are met.
a) Undertake rabbit control as and when necessary.
b) Be aware of rat infestation and take appropriate action when necessary.
c) Ensure that all highways, stiles, gates, culverts, landslip areas, bridges, signs, steps and other structures are not hazardous, or the hazard is indicated or excluded.
d) Monitor and remove as necessary any obstacles that might prove hazardous to the public.
e) Remove or make safe any equipment used on site.
f) Make sure when using spray equipment that safety rules are strictly adhered to and that herbicide-treated vegetation does not pose a hazard or the hazard is made
obvious.
g) Ensure that staff, contractors and other relevant parties know the exact location of overhead or underground cables.
3.1.19 Operational Objective 6.2 - Ensure the
acceptability of the surface of the central bridleway
and the adequacy of all points of access to and egress from the Downs Link.
a) Clear fallen trees as quickly as possible.
b) Attend to lines of visibility at highway junctions as necessary.
c) Create safe links to other bridleways where they cross / are crossed by the Downs Link. Liaise with Surrey County Council Rights of Way Department.
d) Endeavour to make special provision for disabled visitors in specific suitable locations.
e) Ensure that there is adequate signposting and waymarking of the Downs Link
route and its junctions with other routes.
f) Accept the rural nature of the Downs Link and discourage unsuitable urbanisation
of the highway surface.
3.1.20 Operational Objectives 7.1 -
Maintain and utilise the relationships with
Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers, Bramley Parish Council,
Cranleigh Parish Council and relevant residents associations.
a) Utilise the knowledge and views of interested individuals and local groups such as the Cranleigh Parish Council, Cranleigh and District Conservation Volunteers and
local residents associations.
b) Ensure views of local groups/users/residents are represented in an effective manner.
3.1.21 Operational Objective 7.2 - Review
this management plan every 10 years; the
first review to be in the year 2007.
a) Initiate officer work 12 months in advance of the review date so that the review
can occur in the year intended.
b) Continue to consult with relevant Parish Councils, conservation organisations and concerned groups and individuals.
3.1.21.1
Operational
Objective 7.3 - Convene 3 meetings per year of the Downs Link Working Group, including Surrey County
Council Rights of Way Department,
West Sussex County Council Countryside Rangers and
other organisations as appropriate.
(This forum will be used partly as a consultative group for any proposed changes to this management plan.)
a) Convene two meetings per year to address issues relevant to the continued management of the Downs Link
b) Convene one meeting per year to address longer-term, more strategic issues.
c) To liaise with other agencies in the provision and promotion of good countryside management practice.
d) Continue to develop and refine the role of the Downs Link Liaison Group
Apodemus flavicollis Yellow-necked mouse 2002
Apodemus sylvaticus Wood mouse
Capreolus capreolus Roe deer
Clethrionomys
glareolus Bank vole 2001
Erinaceus europaeus Hedgehog 1997, 2003
Felis catus Domestic/feral
cat 2002
Meles meles Badger 2002
Muscardinus
avellanarius Dormouse 1998, 2002
Mustela erminea
Stoat 2003
Mustela nivalis Weasel 1997, 2002
Mustela vison Mink 1998, 2002
Myotis daubentonii Daubenton’s bat 6 in tunnel in 2002, 3 in 03
Myotis mystacinus Whiskered bat 1 in tunnel in 2002
Myotis nattereri Natterer’s Bat 6 in tunnel in 2002, 3 in 03
Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbit 2002
Pipistrellus pipistrellus Pipistrelle bat 2001
Plecotus auritus Brown long-eared bat 2 in tunnel in 2002, 1 in 03
Rattus norvegicus Brown rat 1999
Sorex araneus Common
shrew 2000
Sorex minutus Pygmy
shrew 2000
Sciurus vulgaris Grey squirrel
Talpa europaea Mole
Vulpes vulpes Fox
23 species
Baynards Tunnel, Downs
Link Bat Counts
By Sussex Bat Group,
2000 – 2005
Species Daubenton’s Natterer’s Brown
long-eared Whiskered/Brandt’s
16.12.00 4 1 2
20.01.01 8 6 3
17.02.01 3 2 2 1
15.12.01 5 4 4 1
19.01.02 6 5 2 1
16.02.02 3 1 1 1
14.12.02 2 3 1 1
18.01.03 3 3 1
15.02.03 3 10 1
13.12.03 3 1 1
17.01.04 4 4
14.02.04 nil
18.12.04 4 4
15.01.05 3 2 1
12.02.05 3 3
Acanthis canabina Linnet
Acanthis flammea
Redpoll
Accipiter nisus Sparrowhawk
Aegithalos caudatus Long-tailed tit
Aix galericulata Mandarin duck
Alauda arvensis Skylark
Alcedo atthis Kingfisher
Anas crecca Teal
Anas platyrhyncos Mallard
Anser anser Greylag goose
Anthus pratensis Meadow pipit
Apus apus Swift
Ardea cinerea Grey heron
Athene noctua Little owl
Branta canadensis Canada goose
Buteo buteo Buzzard
Carduelis carcuelis Goldfinch
Carduelis chloris Greenfinch
Certhia familiaris Tree creeper
Columba palumbus Wood pigeon
Corvus corone corone Carrion
crow
Corvus monedula Jackdaw
Cuculus canorus Cuckoo
Cygnus olor Mute swan
Delichon urbica House martin
Dendrocopos major Great spotted woodpecker
Dendrocopos minor Lesser spotted woodpecker
Emberiza citrinella Yellowhammer
Emberiza schoeniclus Reed bunting
Erythacus rubecula Robin
Falco columbarius Merlin 2004
Falco tinnunculus Kestrel
Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch
Gallinago gallinago Snipe
Gallinula chloropus
Moorhen
Garrulus glandarius Jay
Hirundo rustica Swallow
Larus ridibundus Black-headed gull
Luscinia
megarhyncos Nightingale
Milvus milvus Red kite 2005
Motacilla alba Pied wagtail
Motacilla cinerea Grey wagtail
Muscicapa striata Spotted flycatcher
Parus ater Coal tit
Parus caeruleus Blue tit
Parus major Great
tit
Parus palustris Marsh tit
Passer domesticus House sparrow
Phalacrocorax carbo
Cormorant
Phasianus colchicus Pheasant
Phylloscopus collybita Chiff chaff
Phylloscopus collybita Willow warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrix Wood warbler
Pica pica Magpie
Picus viridis Green woodpecker
Prunella modularis Dunnock
Pyrrhula pyrrhula Bullfinch
Rallus aquaticus
Water rail
Regulus regulus Goldcrest
Saxicola torquata
Stonechat
Scolopax rusticola Woodcock
Sitta europaea Nuthatch
Streptopelia decaocto Collared dove
Strix aluco Tawny
owl
Sturnus vulgaris Starling
Sylvia atricapilla Blackcap
Sylvia borin Garden warbler
Sylvia communis Whitethroat
Sylvia curruca Lesser whitethroat
Troglodytes troglodytes Wren
Turdus iliacus Redwing
Turdus merula Blackbird
Turdus philomelos Song thrush
Turdus pilaris Fieldfare
Turdus viscivorus Mistle thrush
Tyto alba Barn owl
Vanellus vanellus Lapwing
78 species
Anguis fragilis Slow worm 2001
Bufo bufo Toad
Lacerta vivipara Common lizard
Natrix natrix Grass snake
Rana temporaria Common frog
Triturus cristatus Great crested newt
Triturus helveticus Palmate newt
Triturus vulgaris Smooth newt
Vipera berus Adder
9 species
Aglais urtica Small tortoiseshell
Anthocharis cardamines Orange tip
Apatura iris Purple emperor 2001, 2003
Argynnis paphia Silver-washed fritillary 2004
Artogeia napi Green-veined white
Callophrys rubi
Green hairstreak
Colias croceus Clouded yellow
Cynthia cardui Painted lady
Gonepteryx rhamni Brimstone 2002
Inachis io Peacock 2001
Lasiommata megera Wall brown
Limenitis (Ladoga) camilla White admiral 2004
Maniola jurtina Meadow brown
Pararge aegeria Speckled wood
Pieris brassicae Large white
Polygonia c-album Comma
Polyommatus icarus Common blue
Pyronia tithonus Gatekeeper
Qtuercusia quercus
Purple hairstreak 2001, 2003
Strymonidia pruni
Black hairstreak (last seen in 1980’s)
Strymonidia w-album White-letter hairstreak
Thecla betulae Brown hairstreak
Thymelicus flavus Small skipper
Vanessa atalanta Red admiral 2001
23 species
Other Invertebrates
Bombylius major Bee fly
Calliphora vomitoria Bluebottle
Chironomus sp. Midge
larva, (“bloodworm”)
Coccinella 7-punctata 7-spot ladybird
Dielephila elpenor Elephant hawk moth (caterpillar) - 1981
Episyrphus balteatus Hover fly
Eriophyes
macrorhynchus A gall mite, red spots on leaves of field
maple / sycamore
Haematopota pluvialis Cleg-fly
Lampyris noctiluca Glow-worm
Lucilia caesar Greenbottle
Muscidae family House fly
Pholiodoptera
griseaptera Dark bush-cricket, 2005
Simocephalus vetulus Water flea
Vespa crabro Hornet
2002
Vespula vulgaris Common wasp
13 species
Appendix I -
Plants
From 1983 survey
and Ian Baldwin / Tony Fox (voluntary ranger) observations
Box (native! – 1
only) 2005 – Bramley
Acer campestre Field maple
Acer platanoides Norway maple Non-native
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore Non-native
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
Achillea ptarmica Sneezewort
Adoxa moschatellina Moschatel
Aegopodium podograria Ground elder
Aesculus hippocastanum Horse chestnut Non-native
Aethusa cynapium Fools parsley
Agrimonia eupatoria Agrimony
Agropyron repens Couch grass
Agrostis gigantea Black bent
Agrostis stolonifera Creeping bent
Agrostis tenuis Common bent grass
Ajuga reptans Bugle
Alisma plantago-aquatica Water plantain
Alliaria petiolata Garlic mustard
Alnus glutinosa Alder
Alopecurus pratensis Meadow foxtail
Anagallis arvensis Scarlet pimpernel
Anemone nemorosa Wood anemone
Angelica sylvestris Wild angelica
Anisantha sterilis Barren brome
Anthoxanthum odoratum Sweet vernal grass
Anthriscus sylvestris Cow parsley
Arabidopsis thaliana Thale
cress
Arctium lappa Burdock
Arctium minus Lesser burdock
Armoracia rusticana Horse-radish
Arrhenatherum elatius Tall oat grass
Artemisia vulgaris Mugwort
Arum maculatum Lords and ladies (Cuckoo pint)
Asparagus officinallis Asparagus
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart’s tongue fern
Avena sp. Oat
Bambusa metake Bamboo Non-native
Bellis perennis Daisy
Berula erecta Lesser water parsnip
Betonica officinalis Betony
Betula pendula Silver birch
Brachypodium sylvaticum Wood false-brome
Bromus lepidus Slender
soft brome
Bryonia dioica White bryony
Buddleja buddleja (davidii) Buddleia Non-native
Calamagrostis epigeios Bush grass
Calamintha ascendens Common calamint
Calluna vulgaris Ling
Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepherd’s purse
Cardamine flexuosa Wavy bittercress
Cardamine hirsuta Hairy bittercress
Cardamine pratensis Lady’s smock
Carex flaccia Glaucous
sedge
Carex paniculata Greater
tussock sedge
Carex pendula Drooping sedge
Carex sylvatica Wood sedge
Carpinus betulus Hornbeam
Castanea sativa Sweet chestnut Non-native
Centaurea nigra Black knapweed (formerly known as “hard head”)
Centaurium erythraea Common centuary
Cerastium sp. Chickweed
Chaerophyllum
temulentum Rough chervil
Chamaemelum nobile Chamomile
Cheiranthus cheiri Wallflower
Chelidonium majus Greater celandine
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum Ox-eye daisy
Chrysanthemum vulgare Tansy
Chrysosplenium alternifolium Alternate-leaved golden saxifrage
Chrysosplenium oppositifolium Opposite-leaved golden saxifrage
Cirsium acaulon Dwarf thistle
Circaea lutetiana Enchanter’s nightshade
Cirsium arvense Creeping thistle
Cirsium dissectum Meadow thistle
Cirsium palustre Marsh thistle
Cirsium vulgare Spear thistle
Clematis vitalba Traveller’s-joy / Old man’s beard
Conopodium majes Pignut
Convolvulus arvensis Field bindweed
Convolvulus sylvatica Greater bindweed
Cornus sanguinea Dogwood
Coronopus squamatus Swinecress
Cortaderia selloana Pampas grass Non-native
Corylus avellana Hazel
Cotoneaster sp. Cotoneaster Non-native
Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn
Crataegus laevigata Midland hawthorn
Crepis vesicaria Beaked hawk’s-beard
Crocus purpureus Crocus
Cypressus laylandii Leyland cypress Non-native
Dactylis glomerata Cocksfoot
Dactylorhiza
fuchsii Common spotted
orchid
Dactylorhiza
praetermissa Southern marsh
orchid - Rooks Hill cutting
(1983)
Deschampsia caespitosa Tufted hair grass
Digitalis purpurea Foxglove
Dipsacus fullonum Teasel
Dropteris filis mas Male fern
Endymion non-scriptus Bluebell
Epilobium angustifolium Rosebay willow herb
Epilobium hirsutum Great willowherb (Codlins and cream)
Epilobium montanum Broad-leaved willowherb
Epilobium palustre Marsh willowherb
Epipactis
helleborine Broad leaved
helleborine
Epipactis leptochila Narrow-lipped helleborine
Equisetum arvense Common horsetail
Eranthis hyemalis Winter aconite (yellow???)
Erigeron acer Blue fleablane
Euonymus europaeus Spindle
Euphorbia helioscopia Sun spurge
Euphrasia nemorosa Common
eyebright
Euphorbia pectis Petty spurge
Fagus sylvatica Beech
Festuca altissima Wood
fescue
Festuca pratensis Meadow fescue
Festuca ruba Creeping fescue
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet
Filipendula vulgaris Hemlock water dropwort
Fragaria vesca Wild strawberry
Frangula alnus Alder buckthorn
Fraxinus excelsior Ash
Fumaria officinalis Fumitory
Galanthus nivakis Snowdrop
Galeobdolon luteum Yellow archangel
Galeobdolon luteum variegatum Variegated yellow archangel (intro.)
Galeopsis tetrahit Common hemp nettle
Galium aparine Cleavers
Galium cruciata Crosswort
Galium mollugo Hedge bedstraw , 2005
Galium odoratum Woodruff
Genista tinctoria Dyer’s greenweed
Geranium colombinum Long stalked crane’s-bill
Geranium dissectum Cut-leaved crane’s-bill
Geranium idle Dove’s foot crane’s-bill
Geranium robertianum Herb robert
Geum urbanum Wood avens
Glechoma hederacea Ground ivy
Gnaphalium
uliginosum Marsh cudweed
Hedera helix Ivy
Avenula
(Helictotrichon) pratensis Meadow oat-grass
Heracleum spondylium Hogweed
Hespais matronalis Dame’s violet
Hieracium perpropinquum Hawkweed
Hippuris vulgaris Mare’s-tail
Holcus lanatus Yorkshire fog
Holcus mollis Creeping soft grass
Hordeum muinum Wall barley
Humulus lupulus Hop
Hypericum androsaemum Tutsan
Hypericum perforatum Perforate St. John’s wort
Hypericum pulchrum Slender St. John’s wort
Hypochoenis glabra Smooth cat’s-ear
Hypochoeris radicata Common cat’s-ear
Ilex aquifolium Holly
Impatiens glandulifera Himalayan balsam (Jewel-weed) Non-native
Iris germanica Garden iris Non-native
Juncus articulatus Jointed rush
Juncus effusus Soft rush
Juncus inflexus Hard rush
Knautia arvensis Field scabious
Koeleria cristata Crested hair grass
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum Non-native
Lactuca virosa Great lettuce Non-native
Lamium album White dead nettle
Lamium purpureum Red dead nettle
Lapsana communis Nipplewort
Larix decidua Larch Non-native
Lathyrus latifolius Broad-leaved everlasting pea
Lathyrus pratensis Meadow vetchling
Lathyrus sylvestris Everlasting pea
Leontodon autumnalis Autumn hawkbit
Leontodon hispidus Rough hawkbit
Ligustrum vulgare Privet
Linaria vulgaris Common toadflax 2001 On Hammer Lane bridge
Listera ovata Twayblade 1983
Lolium perenne Perennial rye grass
Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle
Lotus corniculatus Common birds-foot trefoil
Lunaria annua Honesty
Luzula campestris Field woodrush
Luzula pilosa Hairy woodrush
Lychnis flos-cuculi Ragged robin
Lycopus europaeus Gipsywort
Lysimacha nemorum Yellow pimpernel
Malus sylvestris Crab apple
Malva neglecta Dwarf mallow
Malva sylvestris Common
mallow
Matricaria matricurioides Pineappleweed Non-native
Meconopsis cambrica Welsh poppy
Medicago lupulina Black medick
Melica uniflora Wood melick (grass)
Melilotus officinalis Ribbed
melilot
Mentha aquatica Water mint
Mercuralis perennis Dogs mercury
Milium effusum Wood millet (grass)
Molinia caerulea Purple moor grass
Myosostis arvensis Field forget-me-not
Myosotis scorpioides Water forget-me-not
Myosotis sylvatica Common
forget-me-not (Wood forget me not)
Narcissus
pseudonarcissus Wild daffodil
Oenothera biennis Evening primrose
Ononis natrix Large yellow restharrow
Ononis repens Restharrow
Orchis mascula Early purple
orchid
Orobanche minor Common broomrape
Oxalis acetosella Wood sorrel
Papaver rhoeas Common poppy
Phleum pratense Timothy grass
Picris echioides Bristly ox-tongue
Pilosella officinarum Smooth hawkweed
Pinus sylvestris Scots pine
Pinus thunbergii (nigra) Black pine Non-native
Plantago lanceolata Ribwort plantain
Plantago major Greater ribwort plantain
Plantago media
Hoary plantain
Poa annua Annual meadow grass
Poa nemoralis Wood meadow grass
Poa pratensis Smooth meadow-grass
Poa trivalis Rough meadow grass
Polygonum aviculare Knotgrass
Polygonum cuspidatum Japanese knotweed Non-native
Polygonum lapathifolium Pale persicaria
Polygonum persicaria Redshank
Populus alba White poplar Non-native
Populus canecens Grey poplar
Populus nigra Black
poplar
Populus tremula Aspen
Potentilla anservina Silverweed
Potentilla erecta Tormentil
Potentilla reptans Creeping cinquefoil
Potentilla sterilis Barren strawberry
Primula veris Cowslip
Primula vulgaris Primrose
Prunella vulgaris Selfheal
Prunus avium Wild cherry
Prunus cerasifera Damson
Prunus domestica var. institia Bullace
Prunus laurocerasus Cherry laurel Non-native
Prunus spinosa Blackthorn
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas fir Non-native
Pteridium aquilinum Bracken
Pulicaria dysenterica Common fleabane
Pyrus communis Common pear
Quercus cerris Turkey oak Non-native
Quercus petraea Sessile oak
Quercus robur Pedunculate oak
Ranunculus acris Meadow buttercup
Ranunculus bulbosus Bulbous buttercup
Ranunculus ficaria Lesser celandine
Ranunculus flammula Lesser spearwort
Ranunculus repens Creeping buttercup
Rhamnaceae sp. Alternate-leaved buckthorn (purging buckthorn)
Rhamnus chatharticus Buckthorn
Rheum cultorum Rhubarb Non-native
Rhinanthus minor Yellow
rattle
Rhododendron ponticum Rhododendron Non-native
Ribes nigra Blackcurrant
Ribes uva-crispa Gooseberry
Robinia pseudoacacia False acacia (honey locust tree) 2002 Non-native
Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum Water cress
Rorripa sylvestris Creeping yellow grass
Rosa arvensis Field rose
Rosa canina Dog rose
Rosa rubiginosa Sweet briar
Rosemarinus officinalis Rosemary
Rubus idaeus Raspberry
Rubus fruticosus Bramble (Blackberry)
Rubus caesius
(vestitus) Dewberry
Rumex acetosa Common sorrel
Rumex acetosella Sheep’s sorrel
Rumex crispus Curled dock
Rumex conglomeratus Clustered dock
Rumex sanguineus Wood dock
Salix alba White willow
Salix babylonica Weeping willow Non-native
Salix caprea Goat willow
Salix cinerea Grey willow
Salix fragilis Crack Willow
Salix viminalis Osier
Sambucus nigra Elder
Saponaria officinalis Soapwort
Sarothamnus scoparius Broom
Satureja montana Winter savoury
Scrophularia aquatica Water figwort
Scrophularia nodosa Common figwort
Sedum telephium Orpine
Senecio jacobaea Common ragwort
Senecio squalidus Oxford ragwort
Senecio vulgaris Groundsel
Silene dioica Red campion
Silene vulgaris Bladder campion
Sinapsis arvensis Charlock
Sisymbrium officinale Hedge mustard
Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet
Solanum nigra Black nightshade
Solidago virgaurea Golden rod Non-native
Sonchus arvensis Perennial sow thistle
Sonchus asper Prickly sow thistle
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth sow thistle
Sorbus aucuparia Rowan
Spergularia rubra Sand spurrey
Stactys sylvatica Hedge woundwort
Stellaria graminea Lesser stitchwort
Stellaria holostea Greater stitchwort
Stellaria media Chickweed
Stipa pulcherrima Golden
feather-grass
Succisa pratensis Devil’s-bit scabious
Symphoricarpos albus Snowberry Non-native
Symphytum officinale Common comfrey
Symphytum uplandicum Russian comfrey Non-native
Syringa vulgaris Lilac Non-native
Tamus communis Black bryony
Taraxacum officinale agg. Dandelion
Taxus baccata Yew
Teesdalia nudicaulis Shepherd’s cress
Teucrium scorodonica Wood sage
Thalictum flavum Common meadow rue
Tilia cordata Small-leaved lime
Tilia platyphyllos Large-leaved lime
Tilia x vulgaris Common
lime
Tomus communis Bryony
Tragopogon pratensis Goat’s-beard
Trifolium arvense Hare’s
foot clover
Trifolium campestre Hop trefoil
Trifolium pratense Red clover
Trifolium repens White clover
Tripleurosperman maritemum Scentless mayweed
Trisetum flavescens Yellow oat grass
Tussilago farfara Coltsfoot
Typha latifolia Greater reedmace
Ulex europaeus Gorse
Ulmus procera English elm
Urtica dioica Common nettle
Urtica urens Small nettle
Valerianella locusta Corn salad
Verbascum thapsus Great mullein
Verbascum nigrum Dark mullein 2001 Hammer Lane bridge
Veronica beccabunga Brooklime
Veronica chamaedrys Germander speedwell (Birdseye speedwell)
Veronica filiformis Slender speedwell
Veronica hederifolia Ivy-leaved
speedwell
Veronica persica Common field speedwell
Veronica serpyllifolia Thyme leaved speedwell
Viburnum lantana Wayfaring tree
Viburnum opulus Guelder rose
Vicia cracca Tufted vetch
Vicia hirsuta Hairy tare
Vicia sativa Common vetch
Vicia sepium Bush vetch
Vinca minor Lesser periwinkle
Viola arvensis Field
pansy
Viola canina Heath dog-violet
Viola hirta Hairy violet
Viola riviniana Common dog-violet
356 species
Ferns (1981 survey by Mandy Hodgson)
Asplenium (Phylltis)scolopendrium Harts-tongue fern
Asplenium trichomanes Maidenhair spleenwort
Athgrium filix-femina Lady fern
Dryopteris dilitata Broad buckler fern
Dryopteris filix-mas Male fern
Dryopteris pseudomas Scaly male fern
Pteridium aquilinum Bracken
No information –
survey required.
E - Edible, P - Poisonous, DP - Deadly Poisonous, EU - Edibility Unknown
NE - Non Edible, EH - Edible to Hallucinogenic, H - Hallucinogenic
Recorded by Mandy Hodgson in 1984.
Agaricus campestris E Field mushroom
Agaricus xanthodermus P Yellow stainer
Agrocybe praecox E
Aleuria aurantia E Orange peel fungus
Amanita fulva E Tawny grisette
Amanita muscaria DP Fly agaric
Amanita phalloides DP Death cap
Armillaria mellea E Honey fungus
Armillaria polymyces E
Bjerkandera adusta NE
Bolbitius vitellinus NE
Boletes appendiculatus E
Boletes porosporus E
Bouista plumbea NE Lead puffball
Bulgaria inquinans NE Black burglar
Calcatia excipuliformis E
Catharellus cibarius E Chantarelle
Clavinia cristata NE White coral fungus
Clitocybe clavipes NE Club foot
Clitocybe dicolor EU
Clitocybe flaccida E Tawny funnel cap
Clitocybe fragrans E
Clitocybe gigantea E
Clitocybe hydrogramma EU
Clitocybe infundibuliformis E Common funnel cap
Clitocybe rivulosa DP
Clitocybe vibercina E
Collybia confluens E Clustered tough shank
Collybia maculata NE Spotted tough shank
Coniophora puteana
Conycybe ochracea EU
Coprinus atramentarius E Common ink cap
Coprinus impatiens EU
Coriolus albidus
Coriolus versicolor NE Many-zoned polypore
Coriolus delibutus EU
Cortinarius armillatus EU
Cortinarius causticus EU
Cortinarius cinnamoneus EU
Cortinarius delibutus EU
Cortinarius lepidopus EU
Cortinarius ochroleucus EU
Cortinarius paleaceus EU
Cortinarius pseusoprivignus EU
Cortinarius splendens EU
Daedaleopsis confragosa NE Blushing bracket
Entoloma rhodopolium P
Flammulina velutipes E Velvet shank
Galerina mycenopsis EU
Geastrum triplex NE Earthstar
Hebeloma crustiliniforme P Poison pie
Hebeloma mesophaeum EU
Hebeloma pusillum EU
Hebeloma sacchariolens EU
Helvella crispa E Common white helvella
Hygrocybe cantharellus EU
Hygrocybe ceracea E
Hygrocybe coccinea E Scarlet hood
Hygrocybe nivea E Snowy wax cap
Hygrocybe strangulata EU
Hygrophoropsis autantiaca EH False chantarelle
Hypholoma elongatum EU
Hypholoma fasiculare NE Sulphur tuft
Hypholoma volum EU
Hypochnicium vellereum NE
Incrustoporia semipileata NE
Inocybe geophylla var lilacina P
Inocybe flocculosa P
Inocybe nirtella NE
Inocybe umbrina NE
Laccaria amethystea E Amethyst deceiver
Laccaria laccata E The deceiver
Laccaria purpereo-badia EU
Laccaria pterosporous NE
Lactarius glyciosmus E Coconut-scented milk cap
Lactarius pubescens P
Lactarius quietus Oak milk cap
Lactarius turpis NE Ugly milk cap
Lactarius vietus NE Grey milk cap
Lepiota bucknalli P
Lepiota konradii E
Lepiota procera E Parasol mushroom
Lepista irina E
Lepiota mastoidea E
Lepista nuda E Wood blewit
Lepista sordida E
Lycoperdon perlatum E
Lycoperdon pratense NE Meadow puffball
Lycoperdon pyryorme E
Lyophyllum descastes E
Marasmius candidus NE
Marasmius oreades E Fairy ring champignon
Mycena acucuta NE
Mycena aetitus E
Mycena epipteriygia E
Mycena filopes EU
Mycena galapus var candida E
Mycena galericulata E Bonnet Mycena
Mycena inclanata E
Mycena leptocelphala NE
Mycena leucogala E
Mycena pura NE Clean Mycena
Mycena oortiana
Nectria cinnabarina NE Coral spot fungus
Nolanea fairolens NE
Nolanea hirtipes NE
Nolanea staurospora NE
Nauconia bohemica NE
Panaeolatus ater NE
Panaeolatus campanulatus NE Bell-shaped mottlegill
Panaeolatus speciosus EU
Paxillus involitus P Brown roll-rim
Paxillus inuditus P
Peniophora quercina NE
Peziza proteana var sparassoides E
Phallus impudicus Stinkhorn
2005 IB
Pholiota squarrosa NE Shaggy Pholiata
Pleurotus ceruinus NE
Pleurotus lignatilis EU
Pleurotus podospileus EU
Psathyrella hydrophilia E
Psathyrella microtiiza EU
Psathyrella obtusta EU
Psathyrella pennata EU
Psilocybe cyanascens H
Russula aeringinea E
Russula aquosa
Russula delica E Milk-white Russula
Russula heterophylla E
Russula pulchella E
Russula xerampelina E
Scleroderma aerolatum NE
Scleroderma citrinum NE Common earth-ball
Stereum quasapatum NE
Stropharia aeruginosa P Verdigris agaric
Tricholoma cingulatum E
Tricholoma fulvum E
Tricholoma sulphureum NE Sulphur Tricholoma
Typhula erythropus NE
Vascellum pratense E
Xylaria hypoxiylon NE Candle-snuff fungus
141 species
Sussex Railways
Remembered, Leslie Oppitz,
Countryside Books, 1987.
Branch Lines to
Horsham, Vic Mitchell +
Keith Smith, Middleton Press, 1982.
Forgotten
Railways of South East England, H.P White, David and Charles, 1976.
A History of the
Southern Railway, F.
Dendy-Marshall, Ian Allen, 1963.
Country Walking magazine.
Mountain Biking
UK magazine.
Railway Walks, Jeff Vintner, Alan Sutton.
Classic Walks in
Southern England, Kev.
Reynolds, Oxford Illustrated Press.
Breathing Spaces, Patrick Field, Two Heads Press.
Great Routes: The
North and South Downs,
Jeremy Evans, Crowood Press.
The Study of
Disused Railways in England and Wales – Potential Cycle Routes, John
Grimshaw+ Assoc., HMSO, 1982.
Pers. Comm. with Stanley Smith, Rudgwick Preservation
Society, 1996.
(8, Bridge Road, Rudgwick, RH12
3HD).
Property Mail, article by Leslie Oppitz, January 3rd
1988.
The Greenway
(Downslink) Ecological Survey,
1984, Mandy Hodgson
The Flora and
Fauna Survey by Management Section along the Downs Link, 1983-4,
Mandy Hodgson.
The Railways of
Southern England: Secondary and Branch Lines, W. Edwin Course.
A Regional
History of the Railways of Great Britain, vol. 2, Southern England, H.P. White.
Fraser Clayton, the current owner, has painstakingly restored the station
to its original condition. As a result, films have been made there, the owners
have acquired vintage vehicles and are the proud owners of a mechanical museum.
In 1865, the then owner, Reverend Thurlow, agreed to the railway passing
through Baynards on condition that LBSCR builot a station and provided a daily
carriage for his use. The current mansion was remodeled in the 19th
century, but later became derelict and was almost totally destroyed by fire in
1979.
The summit of the route lies in
Baynards Tunnel at 250 feet above sea level, marking the watershed between the
Wey and the Arun, the border of Surrey and Sussex and the Western and Central
Sections of the Southern Region of British Railways.
In 1965 Stocklund Square at Cranleigh was a busy goods yard and railway
station. It is now the car park behind the shops.
The LBSCR had been authorized by parliament to build a line between
Shoreham and Horsham in 1858, opened in 1861, on July 1st south of
partridge Green and the remainder on
September 16th. The line was initially single, doubled around 1880.
Plans for the railway were completed and Royal Assent gained in 1860
following earlier disagreements about the route. There had been a strong body
of opinion favouring a Guildford to Horsham link, while others were pressing
for a route south from Cranleigh through Alfold to join the Pulborough line,
1.5 miles south of Adversane.
The Horsham and Guildford Direct Railway was in independent company
authorized to construct the line in 1860. Initially the board were in favour of
LSWR operating the railway, but with changes in directors the policy was
reversed and the LBSCR took over the company before construction was complete.
As soon as services began, the press
was critical. The West Sussex Gazette of 10th October 1865 said that
the line was “likely to prove a more picturesque than profitable part of the
Company.” Feelings were growing locally that it had been built merely as an
accommodation line to provide connections with the South Western Railway at
Guildford plus to give a through route to the Midlands. The London and South
Western Railway (LSWR) and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR)
both wanted ownership.
Construction was difficult. At one
stage a contractor went bankrupt, causing a £30,000 loss. Finally, in 1864 the
LBSCR succeeded in taking over the Horsham and Guildford Direct Railway
Company, even though the line was incomplete.
By 1865 it was finished, but
approval for it to be opened was delayed since Rudgwick Station was sited on a
1 in 80 gradient. In order to overcome this it was necessary to completely
rebuild the bridge over the River Arun to the south of the station.
Clearance was eventually given on
October 2nd 1865 but Rudgwick Station opened a year later.
Festivities to mark the opening of the line were given at Baynards Station and
records describe the first locomotive as “dressed up in the gayest style with the
arms of the LBSCR emblazoned in red and gold on the front and sides.”
Soon there were plans to create
spurs at Christ’s Hospital, one turning northeast to Horsham, and one linking
Guildford with the Steyning line so that through trains from the South Coast to
the Midlands were possible. But the LBSCR closed this fork within 2 years since
it was afraid of the “old enemies”, the LSWR gaining access to Sussex by using
this section.
At first there were 8 trains daily
with an evening service from Guildford to Cranleigh, but traffic was not as
good as expected and within 18 months from opening, fares were increased. Within 4 years, services were reduced to
three each way for 6 days, 2 on Sundays, all having 1st, 2nd
and 3rd class compartments in the loose-coupled 4-wheeled coaches.
In late Victorian times, up to six complete trips were made with one or two
extra trains from Horsham terminating at Cranleigh. Gradually the number of
classes was reduced to one (3rd) and the number of trains increased
to 8. Every train stopped at all stations and there was seldom any through
working of passenger trains to other lines, the notable exception being
excursions, particularly on Sundays, often from the West Midlands to Brighton.
In the 1930’s a late evening trip between Guildford and Cranleigh was
operated on Wednesdays and Saturdays, mainly for the benefit of cinema patrons.
Summer fires were occasionally started by the trains, as sparks spewed
from the stack, occasionally setting bankside fires or cornfields ablaze.
Freight traffic was encouraging with many private sidings especially at
Baynards. Here a magnificent display of dahlias on the platform made life
pleasanter for the few passengers who waited for their trains.
On 5th March 1964, 2 freight trains collided at Itchingfold
junction, killing 2 men.
Terriers no. 36 “Bramley” and no 77 “Wonersh” ran on the Cranleigh line
from Bramley shed until it was closed, after which they were operated from the
LSWR shed at Guildford, being maintained at Horsham on Sundays. They were sent
new to the line in 1878 and 1880 respectively. “Wonersh” was sent away in the
nineties to work the Pulborough – Chichester line via Midhurst and subsequently
was transferred to the Isle of Wight, where it becamse Southern no. W13
“Carisbrooke”. It returned to the mainland in 1949 to become BR no. 32677,
being based at Fratton until withdrawal in September 1959. By 1922 it had
already travelled over 1.2 million miles! “Bramley” was sold in 1902 to a
contractor who was building the Great Central Railway extension.
Stroudley’s Belgravia class 2-4-0 tender engines were commonly used on
trains between London and Brighton via Horsham in the 1880’s. No. 206
“Carisbrooke” was a regular but poor performer on the line.
In the mid 1890’s, Class E1 nos. 97 “honfleur” and 127 “Poitiers” from
Horsham shed shared the local shunting duties and the daily freight service to
Guildford. At the same time there was one regular working of the famous
Gladstone class of locomotive via Steyning. This class was a prestigious batch
of 0-4-2 tender engines, normally used on the expresses, but once a day one of
them travelled a circuit from Brighton via Horsham, Three Bridges, East
Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells.
Following World War 1,
the Gladstones were regularly used on the Steyning line for passenger trains,
together with E1, E3 and E5 tanks. Excursion trains after the grouping were
hauled variously by the Gladstone, B2X, E5 and ex-SECR F1 classes whilst
regular passenger services employed mainly D tanks with some visits by E3, B2X
and I3 locomotives.
A larger version of the
C2 was the C3 and in 1930 Horsham shed was allocated six of these engines and,
although intended for goods trains, they were often used on Sunday excursions
to Brighton, taking over a train from Cranleigh line and running it via
Steyning.
The D1 0-4-2 tanks nos.
2235 and 2283 were still running to Guildford and Brighton froom Horsham during
World War II despite both having been built around 1880. Another D1 no. 2252
was seen at Bramber as late as 1950.
Another Billintondesign
to be used on these lines was the C2 0-6-0 tender freight locomotive. For
example, no. 2436 was stationed at Guildford from March 1944, to work goods on
the Cranleigh line. A rebuilt member of this class, C2X BR no. 32522 hauled the
last goods train to Midhurst from Chichester, but the journey ended
spectacularly and ignominiously at the bottom of a stream. No 32523, another
C2X regularly worked the 9.02am Hove-Beeding-Horsham-Three Bridges goods until
1962.
Other former LBSCR
locomotives to work passenger trains on the Cranleigh line were members of the
E4 class of 0-6-2 tanks, one of which “Birchgrove” survives on the Bluebell
Railway. As late as 1962, nos. 32479 and 32503 were used as substitutes for the
usual Class 2 standard BR 206-2 tank.
In 1954, the last
remaining class D3 0-4-4 tank (no. 32390) was used regularly between Brighton
and Horsham, sometimes running on to Guildford. This locomotive had covered
over 1.4 million miles since it was built at Brighton in 1894. Other members of
this class were regularly used on both lines in earlier years.
Following the formation
of the Southern Railway in 1923, former LSWR 0-4-4 M7 tanks were introduced on
the Cranleigh route, not to be ousted until after nationalization by the
introduction of the BR standard Class 2 tanks. No.s 30047-53 were based at
Horsham, but occasionally an E6 appeared. Guildford shed sent out the most
unexpected engines from time to time – classes C,D, Q1 and 700 for example,
particularly for the local run to Cranleigh.
The versatile BR class
2-6-2 tanks were used until the end of services on the Cranleigh line and until
the introduction of diesel electric multiple units on the Steyning line on May
4th 1964.
In 1941 a bomb hit the line just north of the Worthing Road bridge
outside Horsham, badly damaging the line and requiring bus services during
repairs. In December 1942, Christmas shoppers and commuters were shot at and
bombed by a German Dornier 217 aircraft. Of the 42 people aboard, 7 were killed
and all the remainder were injured. But for the prompt action of Canadian
soldiers stationed nearby, the situation could have been far worse.
Bramley was the scene of a later accident in which a train departed with
the points wrongly set and accelerated into the buffers, caused by a
combination of factors. The weather was bad and trains were running late and
the electric staff was out of action between Peasmarsh and Bramley and pilot
working was in force. Because of late running, it was necessary to cross two
trains at Bramley, an unusual occurrence. The up train arrived first, but the
signalman omitted to change the road behind it. Regulation 25 of the BR rule
book states that if the staff is out of action, the signal allowing entrance to
a section should not be pulled off, but kept on and the driver warned. As a
result, the failure to change the road was not discovered, as it would have
been if any attempt to pul off the signal had been made, and the down train ran
in the darkness off into the shunting neck and had attained considerable speed
before colliding with the buffer stops.
On an earlier occasion a locomotive from the Pulborough line steamed
slowly towards Horsham without a driver. A cleaner managed to climb aboard just
before Horsham, surprised to see an engine approaching with several sets of
level crossing gates adorning the front bumpers!
Throughout its life, the branch line
never fulfilled expectations and the link between the Midlands and South Coast
was not allowed to materialize. It was probably the 1955 railway strike that
sealed the line’s fate. All services ceased during the period and afterwards
freight traffic never returned to its previous level. The line was now losing
money.
At the same time the railways were
not helping themselves. Trains were leaving Horsham a few minutes late before
possible connections, yet there was a 15 minute wait at Cranleigh. When closure
was announced in 1963, nobody was surprised. An inquiry was held at Cranleigh
Village Hall but protests were minimal. With such a poor service so little used
there was no hope.
The entire Guildford to Shoreham
route was listed for closure in the Beeching Plan. When the last train ran on
14th June 1965 the route was lined with people cheering and waving.
Among the passengers was Bert Andrews, the last Cranleigh signalman, who was
the great-grandson of the guard on the first train one hundred years
previously. The last train left Guildford at 6.55pm and returned at 8.34pm.
Boys from Christ’s Hospital sang “Abide with me” to mark the event as the train
pulled out. The day after official closure a special train organised by the
Locomotive Society of Great Britain covered the entire route. The final train
to run on the Steyning portion was on Sunday March 6th 1966, a van
train run during the early hours to collect furniture from the station. It left
Bramber at 00.10, called at all stations, the last stop being at Southwater at
3.20am.
Cranleigh Model Railway and
Engineering Society built a splendid 4mm scale (00guage) layout of a Cranleigh
Station as it was in its heyday. The model which is regularly exhibited is some
30 feet long and has proven very popular both with older residents and also
youngsters who do not remember steam on British Rail.
An unsuccessful attempt to operate
the Cranleigh line privately was made in the months after closure but it was
not until 1981 that a scheme was launched to save part of the Steyning route.
Following cessation of trains to the cement works from Shoreham, Mr. Peter
Cannon of Upper Beeding formed the Southern Railway Preservation Society whose
objective was to save the remaining length of single track for steam operation
Downs Link –
freehold title registered title number SY 394829
This conveyance is made the 2nd day of April 1970 between the British Railways Board (hereinafter called “the Board”) of the first part, The County Council of the Administration County of Surrey (herinafter called “the purchasers”) of the second part and The Rural District Council of Hambledon (hereinafter called “the Sub-purchasers” of the third part.
Whereas:
Now this deed witnesseth as follows:
a) Hereby convey unto the Purchasers all that land containing 22.27 acres (9.01 hectares) or thereabouts comprising part of the disused Guildford-Horsham branch railway including all lands adjacent or near to the site of the railway track and the former Bramley and Wonersh Railway Station and the dwellinghouse and other buildings, structures or erections thereon as the same are more particularly delineated on the two plans numbered respectively K.7078 and K. 7079 hereunto annexed and thereon coloured pink (hereinafter referred to as “the pink land”) all such premises being also included in references to “the property” hereinafter contained.
b) By the direction of the Purchasers hereby convey and the Purchasers as trustees hereby convey and confirm unto the Sub-purchasers all that land containing 50.91 acres (20.60 hectares) or thereabouts comprising a further part of the said disused Guildford-Horsham branch railway including all lands adjacent or near to the site of the railway track and the formerBaynards Railway Station and the dwellinghouse and other building structures or erections thereon (but excluding any part of Baynards Tunnel under part thereof and also excluding the structure of the bridge carrying the D185 road thereover) as the same are more particularly delineated on the said two plans and thereon coloured blue (hereinafter referred to as “the blue land”) all such premises being also included in references to “the property” hereinafter contained Except and Reserved unto the Purchasers or their successors in title the right to require the Sub-purchasers or their successors in title to transfer to the Purchasers or their successors in title within a period of 15 years from the date hereof free from monetary consideration the whole or part of that portion of the blue land shown on the said plan numbered K7079 which is hatched with red lines and which may be required for the purposes of a possible Relief Road to serve the village of Cranleigh.
c) Hereby transfer unto the Purchasers pursuant to Section 100 of the Highways Act 1959 the Board’s property rights or obligations in such of the bridges (including those carrying the A281, B2130, C36 and D209 roads over the pink land and the bridge carrying the D185 road over the blue land and including the highways carried thereby and the approaches thereto) as the Board can completely transfer pursuant to the said Section together with such of the mines or minerals under the property as were expressly conveyed to the Board’s predecessors in title on the acquisition of the property for the purpose of a railway except such as may be vested in the National Coal Board and together with the benefit of the grants, covenants, indemnities, releases, conditions, exceptions and reservations contained in the deeds referred to in the First Schedule hereto and of all agreements, tenancies, licences and occupations affecting the property except and reserving out of the blue land unto the Board and their successors in title and the owners or occupiers for the time being of Baynards Tunnel the right at all reasonable times to enter upon that part of the property immediately north of the said Tunnel with or without tools and appliances for the purpose of carrying out works in repair and maintenance to the said Tunnel subject to the Board or their successors in title as soon as possible making good any damage caused in the exercise of the said right and except and reserving unto the Board any railway track equipment and other assets on the property and the right for the Board and their contractors to enter upon and remove the same from the property within 6 months from the date hereof to hold the pink land unto the Purchasers in fee simple and the blue land unto the Sub-purchasers in fee simple in each case discharged from all such rights of pre-emption (if any) as but for this release the predecessors in title of the Board (down to the date hereof) or the Board or the persons or bodies deriving title under them would or might be entitled to under any statute in that behalf in respect of the property or any part thereof in the event of the same being hereafter sold or otherwise disposed of by the Purchasers or by the Sub-purchasers respectively.
a) Subject to the grants, covenants, indemnities, releases, conditions, exceptions and reservations and to all agreements, tenancies, licences and occupations affecting the property so far as the same are still subsisting and applicable thereto and capable of being enforced and exercised respectively.
b) Subject to any public and private rights and easements which may affect the property.
3. It is hereby agreed and declared that the Purchasers in relation to the pink land( and in relation to those parts of the blue land for which they are responsible at the date hereof as highway authority) and the Sub-Purchasers in relation to the blue land (except in so far as the Purchasers are responsible at the date hereof as highway authority) will from the date hereof undertake the maintenance of:
i) any highways or parts thereof for the maintenance of which the Board are responsible under any statute or otherwise and
ii) any bridges over highways
to the intent that the said highways or parts thereof shall become highways repairable at the public expense and any bridges over highways shall become repairable as part of such highways as from the date hereof.
In witness whereof the Board, the Purchasers and the Subpurchasers have caused their respective common seals to be hereunto affixed the day and year first before written.
The First Schedule hereinbefore referred to
Date Deed or Document Parties
As to the pink land
30th April 1958 Conveyance The British Transport Commision (1),
Mrs W.F. Adams (2)
21st April 1966 Conveyance The Board (1)
Stocklund Property Ltd. (2)
13th August 1966 Conveyance The Board (1)
Mr. W. P. Bulbeck (2)
27th July 1967 Conveyance The Board (1)
Mr. F. Hewitt (2)
As to the blue land
25th March 1966 Conveyance The Board (1)
Mr. And Mrs. G. Hedworth (2)
30th January 1967 Conveyance The Board (1)
Mr. H.E.N. Koster (2)
14th Sept 1962 Deeds of Release Mrs. F. M. Farrer (1)
Deed The British Transport Commission(2)
13th Nov 1963 Deed Mr. M. H. Compton (1)
Lloyds Bank Ltd. (2)
The Board (3)
Easements
As to the pink land
8th January 1938 Agreement The Southern Railway Co. (1)
The Sub-purchasers (2)
8th June 1954 Deed of Grant The British Transport Commission(1)
South Eastern Gas Board (2)
1st March 1962 Agreement The British Transport Commission(1)
Guildford Godalming and District
Water Board (2)
15th March 1965 Deed of Grant The Board (1)
South Eastern Gas Board (2)
The Second Schedule hereinbefore referred to
Part 1
30th April 1869 Conveyance Albert Wight (1)
London Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (hereinafter called “The Brighton Company”)
2nd March 1871 Conveyance The Rev. James Jeffreys,
Bumpsted (1)
The Brighton Company (2)
2nd March 1871 Conveyance The Trustees of the Will of John Sparkes and the Rev. J. J. Bumpsted (2)
The Brighton Company (2)
12th July 1871 Enfranchisement Albert Wight (1)
The Brighton Company (2)
5th February 1868 Conveyance Sir Percy Florence, Shelley, Bart. And others (1)
The Brighton Company (2)
The Common seal of the British Railways Board was hereunto affixed in the presence of R.H. Lascelles, a person authorised by the Board to act instead of the secretary.
The Common seal of the County Council of the Administrative County of Surrey was hereunto affixed in the presence of:
… Chairman of the Council
… Deputy Clerk of the Council
The Common seal of the Rural District Council of Hambledon was hereunto affixed in the presence of:
RJ Slayton, member
Clerk.
Lease from
Surrey County Council to Waverley District Council
Dated 17th September 1980, lease from The County Council of Surrey to Waverley District Council of disused railway line at Shalford, Bramley and Cranleigh in the County Of Surrey.
Ref: RAB/709L/132/WP.1721
This lease made the seventeenth day of September one thousand ninehundred and eighty between the County Council of the Administrative County of Surrey (hereinafter called “the County Council” which expression shall where the context so requires or admits include their successors in title) and Waverley District Council, Godalming, Surrey (hereinafter called “the lessees” which expression shall where the context so requires or admits include their successors in title) of the other part.
Witnesseth as follows:
(i) To pay the said rent at the times and in manner aforesaid.
(ii) At all times during the term hereby granted to indemnify and save harmless and keep indemnified the County Council their officers and servants against any claim which may be against the County Council their officers or servants by reason of any accident or injury which may occur to any person or any property whatsoever by reason of the user of the said land for such purposes as are hereinafter mentioned.
(iii) To use the said land as a greenway (but to the intent that the same shall not be dedicated or deemed to be dedicated as a public footpath or highway) and not without first obtaining the written consent of the County Council to erect any buildings or structures thereon.
(iv) That the lessees will at their own expense carry out any necessary cutting of saplings brambles and weeds on the land hereby demised to enable it to be used for the purposes aforesaid and to prevent the creation of a nuisance to adjoining owners and occupiers.
(v) Not during the continuance of this demise assign underlet or part with possession of the said land or any part thereof provided however that the lessees shall not hereby or otherwise be precluded from granting to the owners and occupiers of lands adjoining the said lands licences to construct and enjoy pedestrian accesses onto the said land during the currency of the said term (any such licences to be determinable by three months’ notice to be granted at an annual fee not exceeding five pounds (£5.00) in respect of each such licence and a copy of each such licence to be supplied by the lessees to the County Council within fourteen days of the granting thereof).
(vi) Not to do or permit or cause to be done anything on the said land or any part thereof which shall or may be or grow to be a nuisance annoyance or disturbance to the County Council or their tenants or the owners or occupiers of land adjacent to or in the neighborhood of the said land or persons using any highway adjacent thereto.
(vii) At all times throughout the said term to observe and comply with the covenants agreements and conditions entered into by the County Council or their predecessors in title in the deeds and documents referred to in the second schedule hereto (other than the collection of any wayleave or other rents or payments thereunder which will continue to be collected or receivable by the County Council.)
(viii) Not to do or permit to be done on the said land anything which shall or may injure or interfere with the existing springs drains sewers streams and watercourses thereon or thereunder or interrupt the flow of water to or from the adjoining or neighbouring land and highways.
(ix) To pay any general rates which may be levied or charged on the said land as a result of its use for the purposes aforesaid.
(x) Not to use or permit the said land to be used for vehicular purposes (including motorcycles).
(xi) To form and maintain at the expense of the lessee any necessary access points to the said land from the highway in positions to be agreed with and approved by the County Council.
(xii) To erect and maintain on the said land to the satisfaction of the County Council such notices as may be necessary to indicate that no public right of way exists or is intended to be created over the same and to maintain in good condition all such notices and noticeboards already erected by the County Council.
(xiii) To keep in good repair and condition (and to renew and replace where necessary) to the satisfaction of the County Council allfences erected along the boundaries of the said land and all protective fencing erected around reservoir tanks or on bridges or the sites of former bridges bridge parapets and at any other similar points on the said land.
(xiv) To permit the County Council or their agents with or without workmen and others at all reasonable times to enter upon the said land to inspect the same for any purpose whatsoever.
(a) forthwith in the event of non-payment of rent for twentyone days (whether formally demanded or not) or on breach of any of the lessees’ covenants herein contained.
(b) After having given the lessees six months’ notice in writing expiring at any time in the event of the said land being required by the County Council for the performance of any of their statutory duties or functions.
In witness whereof the County Council and the lessees have caused their respective common seals to be hereunto affixed the day and year first before written.
The first schedule above referred to:
All those pieces or parcels of land situate at Shalford Bramley and Cranleigh in the County of Surrey and formerly part of the Guildford-Horsham Railway Line (now disused) as the same comprise a total area of approximately 7.263 hectares (17.95 acres) and are more particularly delineated and coloured pink on the plans numbered CV 33583/A and CV 33954 annexed hereto.
The second schedule above referred to:
15th July 1896 Agreement The London Brighton and South Coast Railway
Company (1)
The Guildford Gas Company (2)
1st November 1900 Agreement The London Brighton and South Coast Railway
Company (1)
Hambledon Rural District Council (2)
7th April 1910 Agreement The London Brighton and South Coast Railway
Company (1)
Hambledon Rural District Council (2)
26th July 1934 Agreement The Southern Railway Company (1)
Cranleigh and Chiddingfold Water Company Ltd.(2)
8th January 1938 Agreement The Southern Railway Company (1)
Hambledon Rural District Council (2)
12th March 1940 Agreement The Southern Railway Company (1)
John Cheeseman (2)
28th January 1942 Agreement The Southern Railway Company (1)
Alan Frank Newman (2)
31st August 1942 Agreement The Southern Railway Company (1)
Alan Frank Newman (2)
12th
October 1951 Agreement The British Transport Commission (1)
The
Trustees of St. Faith (2)
1st March
1962 Agreement The British Transport Commission (1)
Guildford
Godalming and District Water Board (2)
7th June
1962 Agreement The British Transport Commission (1)
The
Corporation of Cranleigh and Bramley
Schools (2)
15th
March 1965 Deed of grant British Railway Board (1)
South
Esatern Gas Board (2)
5th
November 1971 Licence The County Council of
the Administrative County of
Surrey (1)
The South Eastern Electricty Board (2)
5th
November 1971 Licence Ditto
5th
November 1971 Licence Ditto
5th
November 1971 Licence Ditto
5th
November 1971 Licence Ditto
The Common seal of
the County Council of Surrey was hereunto affixed in the presence of:-
J.A. Stone (?)
Clerk and Chief
Executive.
Above lease
amended in a letter from Miss. E. Dawson of SCC on 24th June 1988:
I refer to your application
to renew the previous lease of the Greenway, which expired on 16th
May 1987. I apologise for the delay in preparing the new lease and plans, but I
now write to confirm that I authorized to offer Waverley Borough Council a new
lease of the Greenway on the following terms and conditions:
(a) In paragraph 2(v), the annual licence fee of
£5.00 referred to shall be amended to an annual fee of £10.00.
(b) The present are of land shall be reduced to
approximately 6.4760 ha (Plan CV43467 enclosed), allowing for the following
amendments:
(i)
The exclusion
of exchange Common land transferred to Waverley Borough Council under the
Cranleigh Common crossroads scheme (Plan CV42828 already in your possession).
(ii)
The exclusion
of land at Windrush Close, Bramley (Plan CV43014 already in your possession).
(iii)
The exclusion
of land north of Birtley Depot (approximate area 0.0648 ha) as referred to in
my letter of 19th April 1988.
(iv)
The inclusion
of land east of Birtley Depot (approximate area 0.0185ha) as instructed by the
County Engineer.
If you could let me
know whether these terms are acceptable to the Council, together with any
additional terms and conditions which the County Secretary and Solicitor may
deem necessary, I will ask the County Secretary and Solicitor to prepare the
necessary legal documents.
pp. Colin J.
Vaughan-Jackson, for County Valuer and Estates Surveyor. (24th June
1988).