Cycling along the old branch line

Malinka van der Graauw is in charge of communications FoRVW

Did you know that UK communications regulator OFCOM maintains a list and ranking of swear words? With billions having been misspent on a highspeed line to nowhere, strikes galore, ticket office closures and perpetual engineering work requiring replacement buses, the word ‘railway’ could soon be a contender for this list.

Having already gone through the closure of three branch lines nearly 70 years ago, Midhurst residents know all about being let down by the railway. However, buses filled the gap and life fortunately carried on. Nonetheless, go for a stroll around the outskirts of town and the remains of all three lines are still there to see. A reminder of times gone by, and perhaps hope for the future too.

Back in 1955, when the Petersfield line closed, a newspaper headline read “Branch rail line to be torn up. No future plans, says railway authority, but open to ‘bright ideas’.” Unfortunately, none were put forward, but fast forward 70 years and there is news of an exciting plan to turn this 9-mile stretch of line into an accessible, shared-use, traffic-free path connecting the two market towns at the upper end of the Rother Valley. Who knows, it might even help rehabilitate the word ‘railway’ in our local lexicon.

Turning old railways into multiuser paths is nothing new, many superb examples can be found around the country. Not only are they a safe, green, sustainable method of local travel, but they are a tremendous tourism asset too. I for one love getting to know an area through a gentle cycle along a flat, well-maintained path, possibly with a café or pub along the way. Motorists also benefit from these routes, as they remove excess local traffic and slow cyclists from the roads.

Within the South Downs national park there are already a couple of well-progressed cycle paths. After 10 years of hard work, by local volunteers, the Egrets Way, between Lewes and Newhaven is almost complete. Meanwhile, the Centurion Way from Chichester to Midhurst is gradually creeping northwards. The next section between West Dean and Singleton is due to open in early 2024 and plans have already been approved for the onward section to Cocking.

While still on the drawing board, the Rother Valley Way project has been brewing for a while. As far back as 2017 the national park identified the Petersfield to Midhurst line as an aspirational pathway. Thankfully, the project received new impetus from Covid igniting interest in Active Travel. The Friends of  Rother Valley Way (FoRVW) are now focussed on making the path a reality.

FoRVW is a community group of local individuals and organisations who have come together to deliver the project alongside Shortcut (Sussex Hampshire Off-Road Track - reg. charity established 2012). The FoRVW Steering Committee brings together statutory authorities such as South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and Hampshire County Council (HCC) together with local groups including Sustrans and Midhurst Area Cycling (MAC).

Schemes like this take years to develop and are often done in stages. At present FoRVW is talking to stakeholders on the section between Petersfield and Nyewood. Where possible the aim is to follow the existing track bed, but the group appreciates that this might not always be feasible because of homes and businesses having been built along the route of the former line.  Securing the Midhurst end of the pathway will also likely be a priority because of the proposed housing development on the site of the old railway yard. It will be important to ensure that plans for this site keep the future path in mind. 

If you would like to learn more about the Rother Valley Way you can visit the project’s website and sign up to receive updates. The cycle path is very much a community initiative, so the group  welcomes support from interested individuals who would like to help make the plans a reality.