Official route · Sustrans

NCN 21 - London to Eastbourne

150.7 km 1377 m climbing About 2 days 26% off road Road cycling London & South East

The route leaves Greenwich on road and works south through continuous London suburbs, Lewisham, Catford, Penge, Woodside, before the density thins past Addington and the Surrey Hills begin to push up beneath you.

The off-road fraction is spread across the whole distance rather than concentrated, so sealed road remains the dominant surface throughout. South of East Grinstead the line threads the High Weald, a succession of ridges and combes through Forest Row, Withyham, Eridge Green, Rotherfield and Mayfield, where the climbing is persistent and the descents short. Beyond Heathfield the terrain eases and the route flattens through Hellingly and Hailsham toward the coast at Sovereign Harbour and Pevensey.

The figures

Distance	150.7 km
Climbing	1377 m
Off road	40 km, about 26% of the route
Riding time	about 10 hours, roughly 2 days at a moderate pace
Region	London & South East
Route from	Sustrans

Worth knowing before you go

Resupply is straightforward as far as Redhill and picks up again at East Grinstead and Hailsham, but the stretch through the High Weald between Caterham Valley and Heathfield is long and the settlements on the line are small. The route is tagged as road, but roughly a quarter of the distance is off-road, so conditions underfoot will affect that section of the riding. Navigation through the southern London boroughs requires attention where the line crosses and recrosses the urban grid.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax splits it into days at your pace, finds somewhere to sleep at the end of each one, estimates what it will cost and gets you to the start without flying.

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Other route guides

NCN 21 - London to Eastbourne is an official route from Sustrans (their website).