target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="#fb3_img_img_02e4df80-6f5b-5241-96c9-c2a75ab4a2a2.jpg" alt="Image"/> (NDW) and crossing back over the A281 onto a residential road. Continue up the road for 400m before turning onto a track road (NDW). Follow the track round past Echo Pit Road car park (an alternative start/finish) as it climbs to the left of Chantry Cottage. Continue on this excellent track along the edge of the Chantries woodland. Beware of an area of soft sand that may stop you in your tracks.
2 At a T-junction with a minor road (Halfpenny Lane), dogleg then and climb steeply up the flank of St Martha’s Hill following NDW signs. At a fork, the good uphill track becomes footpath only, so turn and contour around the hill on a frequently unrideable soft sand track. Once the track starts descending you may gain enough traction to stay upright. At a path T-junction, keep along the bridleway. Cross over the next , passing a Downs Link signpost on your right. At a bridleway fork, bear to go through a small car park and emerge at a road. Dogleg then onto a narrow, sandy bridleway path to follow the Pilgrim’s Way (PW). Keep at a and climb across a field before descending steeply down a sunken lane to a . Turn downhill along Water Lane.
Heading east on the Pilgrim’s Way, with Albury Downs beyond
3 At the T-junction with the A248, turn then after 300m, on entering Albury, turn onto Church Lane opposite the shop/post office. Bear at a fork and continue past the church and war memorial; the road comes to an end and a track continues (wooden bridleway signpost) before swinging right, uphill between steep embankments. Climb steeply to a T-junction with a broader track, bear and continuing climbing. At a fork in a sandy clearing, bear following a blue bridleway waymarker, then soon bear to cross a gravel track and continue uphill onto a sandy track (bridleway waymarker).
4 On emerging at a road junction, continue along Park Road (Peaslake and Ewhurst). After 600m, where the road bends to the right, bear onto a bridleway track (wooden signpost) and continue . Follow an old fence then bear at a fork by a wooden post with bridleway waymarkers. The path soon emerges at the edge of a small housing estate, continue along Pathfields and at a on Sandy Lane, cross onto The Spinning Walk; keep as tarmac gives way to track. At a T-junction, with Gravelpits Farmhouse to your right, turn onto Gravelpits Lane. Continue to a , cross over Queen Street then bear onto High View. At a LH bend after 200m, bear under the railway onto Tower Hill.
5 From Tower Hill almost immediately take the second entrance onto a broad farm track bridleway. Pass some barns then keep through the farmyard. At a T-junction, turn onto a broad gravel track and at a RH bend after 250m, turn along a signposted bridleway track, soon forking then and continuing . The track joins a concrete road and emerges at the busy A25; turn and continue into Abinger Hammer, taking the first to climb then descend along Hackhurst Lane. Continue past Hackhurst Farm as tarmac gives way to track. Dismount to cross the railway line through two gates (with caution).
6 Remount and begin the long climb up the ever-steepening north escarpment of Hackhurst Downs. In summer, the lower reaches of the path are engulfed by foliage. Where the path forks, keep (), climbing steeply. Shortly after the NDW footpath crosses the bridleway the climb levels out; continue around a gate to the next bridleway . Turn onto a path criss-crossed by gnarly tree roots and follow this around to a T-junction with a byway track. Turn and continue through a metal gate along a track with a bridleway signpost.
