Measure Twice, Cut Once

CHAILEY COMMONS INCLUDING LANE END TO HAYWARDS HEATH VIA FRICK AND GREAT WOOD, LINDFIELD AND TOWN WOOD

Yet another foray for the Lost Woods Project to formalise a route through the Commons and a much brighter and fresher day too. The last bit was an indulgence to visit a wood in Lindfield. This is the best way of planning a route; a couple of entirely separate locations, randomly smashed together against their will. The Commons themselves were deeply satisfying but the route lacked a decent eating stop. I didn't know about Chailey Heritage at the time so maybe I'll take a look at that. Without Lindfield, I could have knocked out a return through Old Wivelsfield and back into the Hill, quite easily. I note that I'm still waiting for a frosty day to enjoy the heath in a state of flux between life and decay, at once set in a twinkling freeze.

A train to Haywards Heath and then the 31 bus is the safest connection to the Leyden House bus stop, at the start of this walk. Return from the same station to Burgess Hill is done in five minutes.

From the bus stop, cross the road to the footpath. In the darkness, I couldn't make out the route at first. I eventually saw the gate in the fence to rescue me from bumbling about on someone's driveway, at this early hour. Through the gate, follow the path to a couple of stiles. I was almost immediately disconcerted by an electric fence that formed a barrier over the path. I don't think it could have been on as otherwise I would have been electrocuted as I attempted to straddle it. Nevertheless it formed a much too early physical barrier I had to flatten to avoid. Take a sharp left and walk the edge of the field, through gates and stiles. I admit I took another wrong turn and left from a front gate, rather than the official path - it was not going well. 

I'd been here before and had avoided the following section of road via, as it turns out, a completely unnecessary diversion to the A272 and the path next to Holford Lodge. You see, the road in front of me was marked 'Private' with 'no public access'. A chat with a local and his spaniel confirmed that while privately maintained, the route beyond is a necessary gateway to the open access woodland in their own driveway and the common. Ignore then, the dubious sign and turn left on the road to Gable Cottage. Spot the common gate on the driveway and enter Holford Wood. Follow the woodland path as it curves in the direction of the road and leave the woods just near to the gate and cattle grid. Go directly south over the tarmac, with the fence on your right until you see a vague path off to the left. Now go east.

The path will open out onto a broad north south track. Go north a little and take a minor-looking path directly east and through the gorse. You will pass a large tree and come to a stand of birch next to a ditch. follow the ditch north until you meet a footbridge and cross it. Continue east through the trees to the clearing. Go right of the oak and the large birch on a broad trail towards and interpretation board. Go north to admire the oak beside the Romany Ridge car park and then go right into it.

Go directly over the North Common Road with the rumble of the cattle grid a little distant from you. Now bear left towards the Pound Common car park. Cross it and enter the track opposite, ignoring the private drive. This path broadens. Continue as it forks. Continue by bearing left and the path will enter a wide opening where a another broad trail goes northwest to southeast. You will now see the spire of St Martin's Chapel. Ignore the large paths but take the narrow but distinct track opposite that cuts through the gorse east. As it bends to the right, take the right fork and continue doing this into the birch trees.

You will hit a firmer east west trail. As you turn left, you will pass a pond on the edge of Pound Common. Continue east to the left of the gate and to the Beggars Wood Road. Cross over into Memorial Common. At this point you are on the Chailey Link Walk but very quickly, the path veers right from the marked public footpath to follow the direction of the road. Just go with it until you emerge on the broader path where you turn right. Continue to follow this until you reach the memorial to the writer and naturalist Garth Christian.

Keep following the path beyond and bear left at the tree. At the next fork, bear right to continue with the footpath to the north. Go right at the first footpath sign you may have seen for a while and you will see another interpretation board. Go through the gate to Yew Tree Farm and the Haywards Heath Road.

Cross the road and take Mill Lane to Red House Common and Chailey Windmill. Go take a look. You can visit on Sundays. There's been a mill here since 1590 but just not this one. The current one has lived in West Hoathly and Newhaven. The yew tree is just next door. Turn left at the mill and skirt St George's conservation area, with the fence on your right. Now on the north side, continue with the path going northeast until you reach an area with benches. This is a great place to stop and admire the view and a high point at 75m.

Go a little further until a distinct path descending to the north becomes visible. Take this down as it opens to another area with a bench. When you reach the boundary, take the footpath that follows this north. Go over the footbridge and continue past the sign for Broadwater Top Gate. Cross a second one where I saw grey wagtails, last time. Pass the pylon and exit onto Warrs Hill Road. Turn left and be sure to spot the East and West Sussex Road.

Turn right at The Brooks. Go all the way to Warrs Farm House and bear left on the footpath. Continue on the track and turn right through the gate into the field. Follow the edge of the field and then turn left into the wood. The sun blazed through this wood. You will cross the line of pylons, once again and reenter the trees opposite. Go over the tree stile and walk onward to the strip of trees.

The next stile enters a cow field and you ascend directly to the road. On this occasion, the cows were in the second half of the field. They monitored my progression. Over the Lewes Road, go through the gate and you are on the Greenwich Meridian Trail and in Lane End Common. Continue straight ahead over a sleeper footbridge until the path forks. Now bear left to follow the path through the gorse that takes you round the edge of this triangular common. The path turns away from the road and enters a more wooded area. As I made my way along from this vertex, I neglected to leave the trees to find the Meridian marker. This is a disappointment as I don't quite know how to describe how to find it. I guess, just after you pass some buildings beyond the boundary on your left, you can leave the cover of the trees and venture a little to your right and west.

Return to the path and continue at the boundary to the second vertex where you meet the GMT again. Go over the bridge Fletching Lane which goes over the dismantled railway and enterthe bridleway Redgill Lane to Little Warren Farm. Follow the GMT over a footbridge and as it turns right and onto a footpath at Cox's Farm. You'll pass through several gates and horses until you reach brambletye on Coldharbour Lane. Go south over Station Road and you're following the line of the old railway again. You are guided round to the right on the GMT with a tennis court on your left. Vixengrove Farm has the most fabulous views towards the Downs. As you turn south once more, leave the GMT on the drive and duck through the hedge into the field to the northwest. The footpath takes you alongside North Hanger Wood, over a couple of footbridges, with more views from this highpoint to the south.

You will enter Frick Wood. Be sure to stick to the waymarked path through birch and chestnut. Keep going north to join Downs View. Walk to the junction and turn left on Station Road. Beyond the second roundabout on East Grinstead Road, is the service station and the bus stop.

My journey continued, however. I reflected on the fact that the Kings Head pub is no longer a pub and St Mary's Church is a residence, also. It was onward then, on the northern leg of the East Grinstead Road to retake a footpath on the left back into the common. Head north to the boundary and skirt it on the footpath north. Return for a reprise at the top and retake the path down to the bench.

This time, bear left to eventually join the public footpath north of the windmill and beyond the Common. Finally unenclosed, descend to Great Noven, go left and right to continue north. Turn left at the next opportunity to cross the Pellingford Brook and enter a cow field. I was advised to walk at the edge of the field, aside the electric fence to reach Great Wood. I did with pleasure. Follow the Edge of Great Wood, down to the Brook again and back through the corner of the wood to a T junction. Go right. I don't remember this bit well but emerged with ease onto Anchor Hill. I realise now that I must have left the footpath in favour of the drive at Pellingbridge Farm.

Now go conveniently straight over on the footpath and tree-lined driveway by The Neale Farm. Hunger set in and I turned right to go up to The Farmers pub. From the footpath, go round to the front of the pub and now join the Sussex Border Path and continuation of Clearwater Lane, going west. Ham Lane takes you to Hooters garage where the footpath differs from the map. Follow the path until it crosses the drive and enters Cutaway Wood. Go over the footbridge and go west to Slugwash Lane. Go south a little and then join a footpath on the right which bends to the north through Dobsons Wood.

We are Haywards Heath bound in fairly direct northward travel through some grand properties. Over Lewes Road, continue following the path as it cuts through the housing. On Lyoth Lane we have already gone through another Common, long gone. At the end of the footpath, don't go through the gate but turn left to Gravetye Lane. Turn right and then left on William Allen Lane. Turn right on the footpath and go through to cross The Scrase and enter Lindfield Common. If all this sounds like I'm hurrying, it's because I was.

Join Lindfield High Street and enjoy the Best Kept Village 1995 until just after the Church. On the left join the Sussex Diamond Way and take it through to Town Wood. I took a quick journey through it and rejoined the path. I no longer feared getting lost as my phone battery drained. Kenward Farm must have sat right on the railway before High Beech Lane. Go straight over and enter the wood as many others appear to do. While there is no official footpath, you can follow a path round to the south and rejoin the footpath going south through the golf course. Turn right at Wickham Farm and left to descend Wickham Way. Mill Green Road will take you to the roundabout with the Station opposite. Phew.