GRAVEL ESCAPE SUSSEX
SATURDAY 12 JUNE 2027
RIDE AN INCREDIBLE LAP OF SUSSEX
100KM, 150KM, 200KM
Historic & beautiful town
LEWES START & FINISH
Lewes is one of the South's most picturesque towns with great shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.
Lewes has great rail connections from London, Brighton and Hastings meaning you can easily get to Gravel Escape and get home again, without using a car.
There is plenty of parking should you want to drive.
The event will finish at Beak Brewery - enjoy a beer and BBQ included in your ticket!
Start location is TBC.
HYDRATION AND FUEL
FEED STATIONS
You must stop and check in at each feed station.
We are planning to have three feed stations on the 150 and 200km route that will offer food, drink and refills. The 100 route will have two stations.
A range of savoury snacks, sandwiches, fruit, sweets, gels and more will be available.
ON THE 100 ROUTE
- Barcombe Recreation Sports Pavilion in Barcombe, where snacks, drinks and (questionable) coffee will be available
- Cadence Cafe at Partridge Green (72km)
ON THE 150 AND 200 ROUTE
- Cadence Cafe at Horam (approximately 32km and 55km)
- On Worth Way just past East Grinstead Train Station (approx 75km and 102km)
- Cadence at Partridge Green (approx 122km and 151km).
MECHANICAL AND BROOM
SUPPORT ON THE ROUTE
At each feed station there will also be a bike mechanic in case of issues picked up on the route - refilling tubeless tyres with sealant, cleaning a chain of mud and re-lubing etc.
There will be a broom wagon, and you will be able to contact the team if you need to be collected from the route.
200km - 2,663m elevation - DIFFICULT
THE 200 ROUTE
The most challenging of the three Gravel Escape routes, and the one that gets the most kudos.
Starting along Ranscombe Lane on the way out of Lewes it's not long until you hit the gravel paths. You will take in gravel paths on Old Coach Road, through Friston Forest, up Robin Post Lane, the Cuckoo Trail and then enjoy some road climbs near Eridge Park and the second feed station.
Forest Way is followed by Worth Way, then Tilgate and St Leonards Forest. Ride brilliant paths around Mannings Heath and Copsale where you pick up the Downslink to Steyning. From here it's up Sopers Lane and onto the South Downs Way and the finish in Lewes.
A significant amount of the 200km route is off-road, so prepare for a long day out.
150km - 1,799m elevation - CHALLENGING
THE 150 ROUTE
The 150km includes a lot of the best bits of the 200km but without a lot of the climbing.
Starting on the road towards Glynde, the route picks up the gravel paths at Old Coach Road. Avoiding the climbs in Friston Forest it departs from the 200km at Alfriston and rejoins the 200km on the Cuckoo Trail.
From here, the 150 follows the 200 route for 100km, splitting once more in Henfield where the backroads are used to join the South Downs Way in Pyecombe and the final hack into Lewes and the finish.
100KM - 1,032M ELEVATION - CHALLENGING
THE 100 ROUTE
The 100km route is a mix of the 150km route and a long section through mid-Sussex that the riders who are doing the longer distances won't get to enjoy.
Starting on the road to Glynde, the 100km route joins all other riders on Old Coach Rd, diverting at Bo Peep and heading along the (flat) road network to Laughton. The route heads along the stunning Vert Lane on its way to Isfield and the Anchor Pub in Barcombe Mills.
From there the route hops on and off-road toward Ditchling, picking up the very underused Underhill Lane by Ditchling Beacon.
At Sayers Common we are back on the gravel to Shermanbury, and then the Downlink from Partridge Green - picking up the 150km route.
At Henfield the 150km and 100km routes divert from the 200km route and use the quite backroads to Pyecombe to re-join the South Downs Way to the finish.
PARTNERED WITH
