Adventures on the High Weald


On Monday morning I left Horsham town centre clutching an OS map of the area and headed out eastwards to explore. There was no agenda and no firm plan other than to follow my instincts and try to end up on the high ground west of Handcross. All the footpaths that I walked were unknown to me and so the habitat that I came across and the views that opened up before me were, by and large, surprises - a lucky dip kind of day. It is a wonderful way to get to know an area and any expectations that I might have harboured were exceeded! This ‘blind tasting’ is something that I will do more of.

The habitat was characterised by wet woodland criss-crossed by many streams with accompanying pools and ponds. There were also several large medieval hammer ponds, the streams having been dammed to create the right conditions for the water to power huge hammers (which were built alongside accompanying furnaces) that pounded the iron-rich clay to extract the metal for the production of armaments. The signs of this once thriving industry are now long gone. Many open areas in this region were boggy and were characterised by sedge and rush, with coniferous plantations being common elsewhere (with the largest at St.Leonard’s Forest.) Higher ground became more open, treeless and was farmed, resembling the ridge of the South Downs in character.

I began by crossing Chesworth Farm, virtually open access to the public via a network of footpaths including a boardwalk that straddles the River Arun and a wildlife-rich wetland (home to the rare Cut-grass). At least 10 Chffchaffs were in full song. I soon found myself at my first hammer pond, at Birchen Bridge, and was surprised at what a large body of water was set out before me. The others that I visited (Hawkins and Hammer - the latter pictured above) were both as impressive. Bird wise they were quiet, with just a single Great Crested Grebe, a handful of Canada Geese and 100+ Mallard between them, although Grey Wagtails were present at each. I’d be surprised if these water bodies do not entice some interesting wildfowl onto them during the winter months, a few Goosander at the very least.

A Raven and a Marsh Tit later I found myself approaching the southern end of St. Leonard’s Forest via an uphill track that threaded through golf course and vineyard. The birding day really kicked off here as within 15 minutes I had recorded a female Goshawk, a singing Woodlark and a calling Hawfinch, with Siskins being most obvious. From here the footpath plunged me back into wet woodland and then hauled me up onto the open High Weald Landscape Trail (pictured at the top of this post, close to Tattleton’s Farm). With big skies, big fields and an open 360 degree view it was like being up on the ridge of the South Downs. With the sun out it was an obvious choice to stop and have lunch here whilst scanning the distant tree lines. After just a few minutes a brute of a female Goshawk appeared overhead, a juvenile bird, that circled a few times before disappearing (below). It was wonderful here, with Eric Ravilious vibes and a wandering ornithological mind that could imagine Ring Ouzels and chats, Stone Curlews and Quails. Another visit is called for…

It was now that my map reading skills let me down and after walking on for 30 minutes I found myself having to reassess my true position and strike out on footpaths that turned out to be not the ones that I thought they were. When I finally gave in and got out my phone in preference to my paper map I was able to pinpoint my exact position, a little way further south than I thought. Old School 0 New Tech 1. It was my furthest point from Horsham town centre and, needing to be back there by 16.00hrs, headed west, taking a route through the middle of St.Leonard’s Forest and dropping back into the town via Dry Pond, Sandpit Clump and a very muddy path. For those who love statistics I walked 26.3km (38,612 steps).

I’ve saved the best until last. At the bottom of yet another slippery muddy track, where it crossed Roosthole Pond, I came across my most wanted of naturalised plant - Purple Toothwort - five modest clumps of intense purple that sung out in the Stygian gloom. ‘The Flora of Sussex’ does mention this site as having this species recorded there, although suggests that disturbance eradicated it in 1998. The good news is that it had never truly left.

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