The pleasures of a three-mile walk on the edge of Haywards Heath

The Mid Sussex Time July 4th 1980

Some walks promise a distant summit or a famous landmark. This little circuit from the Fox & Hounds offers something quieter: the pleasure of slipping away from the road into a landscape of woods, grassy fields and old lanes. Described in the original Mid Sussex Village Walks leaflet as “About 3 miles”, it makes its appeal through variety, revealing a succession of modest scenes that reward an unhurried eye.

The starting point gives the walk a pleasing shape. Setting out from the Fox & Hounds, the walker follows Hurstwood Lane past Hurstwood House, then turns into Colwell Lane. The leaflet describes the lane becoming a rough track beyond a row of houses. Even on paper, there is a sense of leaving the familiar world behind: buildings give way to a less formal track, and the walk begins to acquire its country character.

Woodland is one of the chief pleasures of this circuit. The original directions lead through several wooded stretches, broken by crossings of open ground. That alternation gives a short walk surprising richness. Beneath trees, attention turns to close details: the texture of bark, the shapes of leaves, the soft sound of footsteps and the movement of branches overhead. Emerging into a field brings a different sensation, with more sky, a longer view and a change in the light.

These transitions are part of the charm of the Sussex countryside. A field is more interesting when approached through a shaded wood; a woodland path feels more inviting after an exposed crossing. Here, the directions repeatedly take the walker between the two. There is no need for a grand panorama when the scenery keeps changing at walking pace.

Field edges provide their own quiet interest. The leaflet describes one section with a belt of trees on the left and another with woodland on the right. Such boundaries invite observation: a bird moving between cover and open ground, seed heads catching the light, or the different shapes of trees along the margin. They are places to slow down and notice how the landscape fits together.

After reaching Slugwash Lane, the original route turns left opposite the Old Farm House and returns towards woodland and fields. Names such as Hurstwood House, Old Farm House and Abbots Leigh give the map a local, inhabited character. They remind us that this is countryside shaped by homes, farms, tracks and boundaries. The path described beside an iron fence follows the edge of the grounds of Abbots Leigh, bringing another change of atmosphere before the route continues across rougher ground.

One especially evocative detail is the reference to land planted with young oak trees. It captures the landscape at a particular moment. Trees that were young when the leaflet was written may have matured, and the appearance of this stretch may now be quite different. The old instructions therefore offer more than a route: they preserve a glimpse of a changing countryside, where a plantation can gradually become a substantial part of the view.

The seasons would bring different pleasures to this mixture of open and sheltered ground. Spring lends itself to watching fresh leaves unfold; summer offers the contrast between warm fields and woodland shade. Autumn draws attention to leaf colour and fallen foliage, while winter reveals the branching structure of the trees and opens views through their canopies. These are the kinds of changes that can make a familiar short circuit worth walking repeatedly.

Towards the end, the leaflet describes a marked path meandering downhill to Colwell Lane. The road then becomes a rough track again, leading back to Hurstwood Lane and the starting point. There is satisfaction in that return: the places encountered at the beginning reappear, and a collection of lanes and paths resolves itself into a complete journey.

The attraction of this walk lies in its scale. At around three miles in the original description, it offers room to pause and look without turning the outing into a major expedition. Woods, fields, sloping ground and small local landmarks supply enough variety to give it character. Its pleasures are those of close acquaintance with a landscape—discovering how much there is to enjoy within a relatively small patch of Sussex.

This article is based on the supplied historical leaflet. Its directions mention numerous stiles, uneven ground and some unmarked field crossings. Paths, access arrangements and landmarks may have changed; anyone following the walk today should check a current rights-of-way map and local signs. The leaflet’s old statement about access is not confirmation of present-day conditions.