
Our new public footpath layout by Woodbine Cottage is now open for walkers at Lag Wood and Pheasant Field. We hope it will provide an all year-round route for walkers and enable occasional vehicle access into the meadow from Woodbine Cottage to help with scything, mowing and woodland management.
The new layout consists entirely of environmentally friendly chalk rubble locally sourced from the chalk quarry in Pyecombe run by Robins of Herstmonceux. Path construction was by Richard Miller and his son Taylor from Millers Fencing (Millers Group) in Burgess Hill (see picture below). Richard can be contacted on 07807 596184.
The part of the track from Woodbine Cottage to the meadow is not a new route. It had simply been overgrown by blackthorn for several decades. We’ve added the new section of footpath to the style by the stream to help walkers avoid the deep mud that forms every winter. We hope that this will enable us to restore this section of Pheasant Field back to grassland with a regenerated scrub habitat for birds and small mammals a few meters to the south by Lag Wood.
There are still some finishing works to do on the fencing. And we are also coppicing the ancient boundary bank by Woodbine Cottage with the hope of creating a new hedge line from the trees that are already there: mainly privet, hawthorn, hazel and some willow. Dog roses and honeysuckle should also find their way into this new hedge. Our woodsman Jake is also about to install a fence woven from our own hazel trees to screen the Cottage garden.
The chalk surface will compact and set during rain, and over the next year or two should form a very effective and durable surface. In the meantime, you can help us a great deal just by walking on it. Please feel free!

Our path constructors Richard Miller and his son Taylor