Drivelines
England · Near Brighton/8 min read

The 10 best driving roads around Brighton.

Sussex offers more than just slow-moving coastal traffic. Head inland to the Downs and the Weald to find a network of engaging, varied tarmac that rewards a well-timed early start.

By Drivelines·Published 06 May 2026
REGION OVERVIEW

Escape the coast

The roads radiating out from Brighton and across the South Downs National Park form a mix of sweeping, chalk-lined A-roads and densely wooded B-road cut-throughs. The geography here splits nicely between the open vistas of the Downs to the south, and the more tightly bound, rolling terrain of the High Weald further north. Summer weekends bring heavy tourist traffic, so the trick is to get out early, linking up the ridge lines before the cyclists and caravans claim the tarmac.

Routes mapped
10
Total distance
125km
Avg curve idx
5.4/10
Map of all 10 routes in near-brighton
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Litlington Road (C120)
10
C120 · South Downs · Expert
Single-trackVaried surface

Litlington Road (C120)

This short, highly concentrated stretch of single-track road is completely different from the sweeping A-roads nearby. Earning a maximum curve index, it is packed with tight, blind corners over a varied and often challenging surface. It requires total concentration, precise placement, and an absolute respect for the lack of space.

Passing places are rare and often muddy, so commit to your line only when you are certain the way is clear.

Distance
5.1km
Drive time
0h 08m
Curve idx
10.0/10
Climb
42m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Moor Lane (B2028)
09
B2028 · Lingfield · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Moor Lane (B2028)

The B2028 is a 20-mile secondary road from Haywards Heath to Den Cross south of Edenbridge, and this is its final, eastward leg: from the A22 at Newchapel through Lingfield, under the Oxted line, past the edge of Dormansland and along Moor Lane into Kent. It is dual-track and smooth, with a moderate corner count and about 130 m of gentle climbing across Wealden farmland: a road for tidy inputs rather than concentration, and a sensible cool-down after the Downs.

The only railway crossing is the underbridge in Lingfield by the B2029 junction; east of Dormansland the road changes name to Marsh Green Road and slips into Kent with just a boundary sign to mark it.

Distance
9.9km
Drive time
0h 14m
Curve idx
5.4/10
Climb
132m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Holtye Road (A264)
08
A264 · East Grinstead · Easy
Dual-trackRough surface

Holtye Road (A264)

A primary route that covers substantial ground over thirteen miles, offering a broad, predictable drive. The surface here is noticeably rougher than you would expect for an A-road, adding an element of textural feedback to an otherwise straightforward run. It rewards a comfortable, touring pace.

The long straight sections are heavily frequented by locals, so use the few overtaking opportunities with patience.

Distance
21.1km
Drive time
0h 27m
Curve idx
3.2/10
Climb
289m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Hartfield Road (B2110)
07
B2110 · High Weald · Easy
Mixed widthVaried surface

Hartfield Road (B2110)

Stretching across the High Weald, this nine-mile secondary road mixes open, sweeping stretches with narrower, more enclosed sections. The cornering profile is gentle, designed for carrying pace smoothly rather than heavy braking. It is classic Sussex driving, blending pleasant scenery with easy, flowing tarmac.

Watch for large groups of cyclists on Sunday mornings, particularly where the road narrows near the village entries.

Distance
15.1km
Drive time
0h 20m
Curve idx
4.5/10
Climb
272m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Smalls Hill Road (C57)
06
C57 · Leigh area · Easy
Dual-trackVaried surface

Smalls Hill Road (C57)

Smalls Hill Road offers a more relaxed, flowing drive across six and a half miles of dual-track terrain. The curves are spaced out enough to let you carry momentum comfortably, making it an engaging but unthreatening prospect. Surface quality varies, but it rarely intrudes on the driving experience.

The road runs low in places and is prone to holding standing water after a heavy downpour.

Distance
10.4km
Drive time
0h 12m
Curve idx
5.2/10
Climb
155m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Horsham Road (B2126)
05
B2126 · Surrey/Sussex border · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Horsham Road (B2126)

The B2126 runs from the A25 at Abinger Hammer to the A24 west of Capel, and the six miles that matter are the middle: up through Sutton Abinger onto the Greensand Ridge, through Holmbury St Mary, then down off the ridge through Forest Green to Ockley on Stane Street. Holmbury St Mary is a village built in a sandstone ravine inside the Hurtwood, Surrey's largest area of common land. The corner density is high for the region and the surface varied, so it rewards reading the camber as the road drops from sandy heath to the lower ground below Leith Hill.

Holmbury St Mary has had a youth hostel since 1935 and sits in the middle of the Hurtwood's path network, so the village stretch is where walkers are on the road at weekends; the hammer clock at Abinger Hammer marks the northern end, and its motto, 'By me you know how fast to go', is not bad advice for the rest.

Distance
10.3km
Drive time
0h 13m
Curve idx
6.5/10
Climb
207m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Linch Road (C20)
04
C20 · West Sussex · Spirited
Mixed widthVaried surface

Linch Road (C20)

West Sussex's C20 climbs north from the Rother valley at Woolbeding over the greensand heath of Woolbeding Common and Older Hill, then runs through Redford and past Linch church toward Milland and the Hollycombe steam collection at the Liphook end. It is a tertiary lane at the national limit that pinches to single-track in places, so width and tree cover set the pace more than the corners do; the commons either side are open access, which makes sightlines matter more than grip.

Older Hill viewpoint is signed off Linch Road between Woolbeding and Redford; the lane to it is single-track with a 12-car car park at the end, and the Trust grazes Belted Galloways on the heath behind electric fencing, so slow for cattle and for people crossing to the viewpoint.

Distance
10.3km
Drive time
0h 14m
Curve idx
6.3/10
Climb
357m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Ditchling Road (B2116)
03
B2116 · Brighton · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Ditchling Road (B2116)

The B2116 does not climb onto the Downs; it runs along their feet, from Hurstpierpoint through Keymer and the Ditchling crossroads to Westmeston, Plumpton and Offham, with the chalk scarp standing 150 m above the road on the right the whole way east. It is a smooth, flowing scarp-foot road of shallow curves and village 20 and 30 limits, and the pleasure is in the rhythm between them: long views up to Ditchling Beacon and the Plumpton bostall, tidy inputs, no drama.

Ditchling's crossroads carries far more traffic than its width suggests and the village has fought off a bypass, so treat it as a place to be patient; the London to Brighton cyclists turn off here for Beacon Road, and Hurstpierpoint's High Street went to 20 mph in February 2026.

Distance
15.2km
Drive time
0h 25m
Curve idx
3.7/10
Climb
243m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Midhurst Road (A286)
02
A286 · Haslemere to Chichester · Easy
Dual-trackSmooth surface

Midhurst Road (A286)

A turnpike until 1864, the A286 from Haslemere to Midhurst has been straightened at Kingsley Green, widened at Cooksbridge and re-routed round Henley's steep lane, which is why it now flows the way it does: broad, well surfaced and low on corners. It runs wide and straight downhill into the Lod valley at Fernhurst and on across Henley Common. It is a road for settling into a rhythm and reading the traffic ahead rather than the bends, with a final steep drop at Easebourne to the A272.

Henley Hill, the long 50 south of Fernhurst, has one progressively tightening bend that accounted for three of the stretch's five recent collisions; the limit is coming down to 40 there, and the HGVs it carries make it a poor place to be caught out.

Distance
19.6km
Drive time
0h 23m
Curve idx
3.1/10
Climb
457m
StartEnd
Plan a drive to Grove Hill (C208)
01
C208 · Hailsham · Spirited
Dual-trackVaried surface

Grove Hill (C208)

Grove Hill is the unclassified lane that runs north from the Hailsham and Hellingly edge to Horam through the hamlet of the same name. It was a quiet country lane until housing growth at both ends made it a through route, and residents describe it plainly: narrow, no pavements, plenty of bends, hills and blind spots, all under the national speed limit. Those bends and crests are what earn it a place here, and they are also why there have been calls for a 40mph limit, so it rewards reading the road well ahead rather than any pace.

Hailsham's new estates now run right up to the Hellingly boundary, so this carries commuter traffic at peak times, not just the odd tractor; there is nowhere for a pedestrian to step off the tarmac.

Distance
7.9km
Drive time
0h 11m
Curve idx
6.2/10
Climb
77m
// KEEP READING
Sibling guide · Scenic
Top 10 scenic drives in Brighton
Parent region · England
Top 10 driving roads in England
Nearby · The east of England
Top 10 driving roads in the east of England
Nearby · London and the Home Counties
Top 10 driving roads in London and the Home Counties
Nearby · The Midlands
Top 10 driving roads in the Midlands
Index · Every region
All Top 10 Field Guides

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