The Top Five Roads in West Sussex

Sussex is a haven for motorists, with it’s excellent transport links and ease of accessibility to London it boasts practicality as well as a network of twisty, undulating country roads where you can really get the hammer down and have some fun!

From the peace of the Downs to bustling cosmopolitan district of Brighton, Sussex has plenty of variety on offer and this is reflected in it’s road network. Here are my top five roads in Sussex in no particular order:

The A272: A road which has actually received some degree of fame with a book being written it about it and the surrounding area, ‘A272: An Ode to a Road’; as well as a brief mention on Monty Python. This joyous piece of tarmac scythes Sussex horizontally meandering through small picturesque villages such as Midhurst and Petworth.

The A281: A delightful hidden gem, this rural route nestles between the A24 and A23 passing through Cowfold and Handcross, offering a sneaky back route into Crawley for savvy commuters who wish to bypass rush hour traffic. Just make sure you have short term cover if you are taking your fathers Porsche out to stretch it’s legs on this one!

The A23/M23: The Big Daddy. This is Sussex’s main arterial road which connects sunny Brighton in the south to the mean streets of Brixton in the north. This is a busy route littered with undercover cops but the traffic is fast moving and it facilitates a rapid commute to the south coast.

The A280: An extremely brief stretch of road but an absolute pleasure to drive on. As you leave the Findon bypass the scenery simply blossoms into view around you as the road cuts across un-spoilt fields and meadows giving you a spectacular view.

The A24: Another busy route which is absolutely essential for the cross-Sussex north/south journey. Moderately busy and littered with roundabouts some see the road as a chore but drive smartly and you will make up plenty of time, just watch out for the speed cameras!

Although fairly heavily populated, Sussex still possess acres of un-spoilt countryside which can set the scene for some extremely pleasurable drives. If you have time, steer clear of the major routes and take a detour, you never know you might find an invaluable shortcut you can use time and time again. Even better rent a high performance car of your dreams take out one day insurance on it, and have a blast around Sussex!

Joe Johnson

22/07/2010