London to Brighton Way

The London to Brighton Way is an ancient Roman road running through Surrey and West Sussex, taking a nearly straight path through towns like Ardingly, Haywards Heath, and Burgess Hill. This route creates a direct link across the landscape between two major population centers.

This road was built during Roman times as a connection between London and the coast. Construction methods incorporated slag from iron-producing regions in the Weald, a technique that strengthened the roadbed.

The Anglo-Saxon name Streatham in London refers to this Roman road, showing how ancient infrastructure shaped place names across England. Such names still serve as reminders of how deeply Roman routes were woven into the British landscape.

Visitors can trace sections of the original route along the modern A23 road from Kennington to Croydon in south London. Elsewhere, following the path requires walking through woodlands and open terrain stretching between the towns along the way.

The route consists of four main alignments, with the longest section running between Felbridge and Clayton and adapting to local terrain features. This fragmented pattern reveals how Romans flexibly adjusted their roads to the landscape's natural contours.

Location: West Sussex

Location: Surrey

GPS coordinates: 51.14620,-0.04721

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:06