What more could anyone want?
There are woodland walks, picnic areas are dappled in sunshine, beautiful trees, streams, a pond, fishing (with permit), meadows, wildlife, wildflowers, cows, and all within easy reach of Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and Brighton. It’s a taxi-ride from Burgess Hill station, and another world from the town. There are wild flowers in season which transform meadows, blossom lights up the trees, and in the autumn there are all sorts of mushrooms. It has history.
The seasons transform it. It’s ever-changing. It confounds expectation. There’s mud – lots of it – at times, and solid ground. It’s well-managed, but not excessively so, by the County Council. I hope I’m getting over that I love Ditchling Common, and believe you will too.
Ease of access, sufficient car parks, a variation of habitats: woodland, meadows, streams and ponds. It’s all easily available. Pick your time and you can walk for a couple of hours without seeing more than a couple of people. If you prefer chatting, there are times and locations when there are walkers only too happy to exchange info. Like dogs? The main area is a mecca for them. Want to be alone? Wander north of Janes Lane.
Read on.
Compared to the well-publicised attractions of Ashdown Forest, Ditchling Common in Mid Sussex might be seen as not really trying to be impressive. If that’s right, it has probably succeeded.
I love the Common. It’s varied. There’s woodland all the way around, with a large open area, and smaller ones here and there. In the summer, you can walk for getting on for two hours while staying in woodlands almost all the way, keeping out of the sun. It’s easy walking with no challenging hills. What slopes there are are gentle, path surfaces are quite well drained in the main and most of the Common is accessible with a pushchair if you are willing to lift it over the occasional style or, failing that, to walk a little distance to an access point.
Wheelchair access is poor; almost non-existent, and I would have said it was completely inaccessible right up until I saw my first wheelchair traversing the bridleway at the east of the Common. The occupant, and those assisting, seemed to be having a thoroughly enjoyable time. I also met a chap in a self-propelled wheelchair at the north of the Common and he gave me a smile and a cheery ‘Good morning’. But it’s a challenge.
In the summer, the stones on the well-prepared foot paths can be difficult without some form of padding in trainers and the surface may be cut up by horses in particular and some kind of ankle support can be handy. Rain, particularly after a dry period, disappears quickly in the late spring, summer and autumn, but come the winter comes the mud, meaning boots are a requirement. If there has been heavy rain over an extended period, I’ve often yearned for the convenience of waders.
There are three main areas to Ditchling Common: the north of Folders Lane East; west of Ditchling Road; south of Folders Lane East. The last is managed by the Commons Association and differs subtly from the rest of the Common. For the normal walker, this is of no consequence. Please see the map, courtesy of Open Street Map.
Ditchling Road can be busy, especially during rush hours but if you are fast on your feet, you can cross anywhere. For the rest of us, pick your places with care. At the junction of Ditchling Road and Janes Lane, there’s a convenient island just south of the junction on Ditchling Road where, whilst a little patience is required, it is safe to cross except for rush hours. At the junction, a roundabout, of Ditchling Road and Folders Lane East, again outside of rush hours, the traffic is generally light enough to cross using the islands, but take care. Those with pushchairs might prefer to stay one side of the roads.
If you’re coming along Folders Lane East to the car park, you won’t be reassured to know the entrance is largely obscured and, as it is a national limit road, motor vehicles tend to go quite fast. There is a conveniently situated small layby on the left a few yards before the entrance to the car park. I use it as a sort of signpost and start indicating left as I pass it. See the video below.
Just to live up to my pseudonym of Old Blugger, I want to indulge in one of my little rants at this point. The layby is supposedly restricted to vehicles over two metres high (six feet in old money), with a massive, great, white painted, sign to inform drivers of this restriction but, for some reason, drivers of motor vehicles with a height less than two metres appear to take this as a challenge. There is a height restriction for the car park and anyone with a vehicle over two metres high cannot enter, hence the layby. The casual refusal to be thoughtful irritates me. I have remonstrated with a couple of people who parked their sub–two metre high cars in the layby and both times I was told everyone does it. Well thanks for that, it’s the point I was trying to make.
Take care when walking along roads without footways. I was following all the advice given in the Highway Code. It’s a shame this particular car driver did not. However, the vast majority of drivers gave me a wide berth, a few including a cheery wave in response to mine. There was one learner who came quite near, due to inexperience I think, but even then not so close as the driver of GU05DKJ. I was wearing a fleece and it was struck by the wing mirror, unfortunately not causing any damage to the car or the occupants. Take care but I’d suggest not taking kids, not with idiots like the driver of GU05DKJ.
The south of the main area is the busiest, with lots of dog-walkers during the whole of the day, although there seems to always be places to park outside of weekends. Janes Lane layby takes only three vehicles (or two if they are selfishly parked – don’t get me started) which means the west common is hardly used except around the Manor Road layby area, but even here, it’s mainly dog walkers out for a short stroll.
There is access from the north, from Wivelsfield Green. There’s more than enough parking in the area at the south of Eastern Road, but in the unlikely event it’s full, there’s an area by the green (but not in the village hall car park, please) that I’ve never seen full, and it’s only a couple of minute’s walk to the fields.
The Common is a taxi ride from Burgess Hill station, and there are bus stops in Folders Lane for the more adventuresome who are willing to brave the dash across Ditchling Road.
There are four places I use to park my car. Counter-clockwise, these are: the main car park, recently tarmacked and resurfaced (yipee!) in Folders Lane east; Eastern Road, Wivelsfield; Janes Lane layby; and Manor Road, Burgess Hill, layby. See the video below for routes to them.
Folders Lane East car park
This is the main car park, giving quick access to the Common’s main features: the bridleway to the east, the meadow in the middle, the pond to the west, and all the walks. Packed into an area that can be covered in a day, just about, are a choice of routes, covering woodland, meadows, streams and a fishing pond. The walks are well-maintained, although pinch points can be muddy in the wet. Come to that, in the damp as well. It’s mostly easy walking and accessible with a pram, if the child is adventurous enough.
Janes Lane
There’s a little layby, big enough for fourcars if drivers park reasonably. So let’s say three. But you can normally squeeze in. You can go north to search for Jacob’s Poste, or rather it’s replica, then wonder what all the fuss is about, or you can go south, to a bit of the Common that’s unfrequented. There’s a bit of woodland, and an open area or two. You can walk all the way to Folders Lane, and then back via a different route. If the car park is full, if you and facing west, you can drive to Manor Road and park there. If facing east, then Wivelsfield is your answer.
Wivelsfield Green
Parking is generally easy, with most people taking care not to take up too much room. If the main spot is full, then a two-minute walk away there’s ample parking by (not in, please) the Green. You start south via open fields and then it’s woodland all the way. Walks abound and are delightful. There’s Purchase Wood which, it seems, has been bought as people are excluded. See my Enclosure rant on my blog page. It’s perfect for a long walk on your own. Pushchairs not so much. I did meet someone walking with bare feet. Not a lot to recommend there.
Manor Road
There’s a large layby in Manor Road. The path is not the most scenic in the initial stage but it improves after a few minutes.
The plan is to post routes with video and images, and maybe a pdf of two of the various footpaths and bridleways. Keep watching the website.