The Vanguard Way is a long-distance walk of from

East Croydon station East Croydon is a railway station, tram stop and associated bus station in Croydon, Greater London, England. It is located in Travelcard Zone 5. At from , it is the 20th busiest station in Britain, was the 10th busiest in 2020–21 (due to th ...

in outer

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

( OS grid reference ), travelling from the north, to Newhaven, on the south coast of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It passes through the counties of

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, Kent and

East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...

, between

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

and

Newhaven, East Sussex Newhaven is a port town in the Lewes (district), Lewes district of East Sussex, England, lying at the mouth of the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse. The town developed during the Middle Ages as the nearby port of Seaford, East Sussex, Seaford ...

. It connects the London

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

s to the south coast, via the

North Downs The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Areas of Outstanding Natural Be ...

Ashdown Forest Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald National Landscape. It is situated south of London in the county East Sussex, England. Rising to an elevation of above sea level, its ...

South Downs National Park The South Downs National Park is England's newest national parks of England and Wales, national park, designated on 31 March 2010. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in t ...

and the Cuckmere valley. The walk was developed in celebration of the 15th anniversary in 1980 of the Vanguards Rambling Club, who named themselves after an occasion when they returned from a walk travelling in the guard's van of a crowded train. The route's formal establishment occurred on 3 May 1981, and the Vanguards Rambling Club remained as the route's management until 2022, when responsibility was transferred to the Vanguard Way Association. The Vanguard Way connects with central London with the Wandle Trail along the

River Wandle The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about , the river passes through the London boroughs of London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Sutton, Sutton, Londo ...

from Croydon and is sometimes used as a walking route between London and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, connecting with the ferry ports on the south coast. The walk also connects with the

London Outer Orbital Path The London Outer Orbital Path—more usually the "London LOOP"—is a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along Rights of way in England and Wales, public footpaths, and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London, Englan ...

North Downs Way The North Downs Way National Trail is a long-distance path in South East England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham in Surrey to Dover in Kent, past Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, through the Surrey Hills National Lan ...

Pilgrims' Way A pilgrims' way or pilgrim way is a standard route that pilgrims take when they go on a pilgrimage in order to reach their destination – usually a holy site or place of worship. These sites may be towns or cities of special significance such a ...

, Greensand Way, London Countryway, Eden Valley Walk, Forest Way, Wealdway,

Sussex Border Path The Sussex Border Path is a long-distance Long-distance trail, footpath around the borders of Sussex, a Historic counties of England, historic county and Kingdom of Sussex, former medieval kingdom in southern England. The main path is long and ...

, the

South Downs Way The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. The trail runs for from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Susse ...

and the England Coast Path.

Places on the way

* Woldingham * Crockham Hill * Forest Row * Blackboys * Berwick *

Alfriston Alfriston is a village and civil parish in the East Sussex district of Wealden, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Cuckmere, about four miles (6 km) north-east of Seaford and south of the main A27 trunk road and part ...

* Seaford * Newhaven

Gallery

References

External links

* – includes a free downloadable guide to the route
The Vanguard Way
– detailed coverage by Long Distance Walkers Association

– from The Walking Englishman {{Transport in Surrey Ashdown Forest Footpaths in East Sussex Footpaths in London Footpaths in Surrey Long-distance footpaths in England Transport in the London Borough of Croydon