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Starting at the George Hotel, High Street.
1 The George Hotel
shows timber framing at the rear. Parts of it date from the late
16th century, and inside on the north side, a jettied upper storey
can be seen.
2 Tyring platform
opposite the Old Bakery (previously Village Forge). On this circular
iron platform set into the pavement the hot iron tyre was lowered
onto the wooden cart wheel and then doused with water to shrink
it onto the wheel.
3 War Memorial, Cagefoot
Lane. The memorial was originally erected in 1923, and the plaques
with the names of those killed in the two world wars were added
in 2000.
4 Air Raid Shelter,
Park Road. The only surviving Second World War air raid shelter
still on public view in the village.
5 Evangelical Free Church, described on page 15.
6 The Plough Inn dates
from the 17th century, and is one of three coaching inns in the
High Street.
7 The White Hart.
The inn was used by the London to Brighton coach for a change of
horses, and was frequented by the local tanners in the 17th century.
8 St Anthony’s
Cottage. This is the oldest of five “hall houses” in
the High Street, and dates from 1390.
9 Martyn Lodge, Church
Street. The blue plaque by the entrance door indicates that between
1862 and 1891 this was the home of Canon Nathaniel Woodard, founder
of 16 “Woodard Schools” including Lancing, Hurstpierpoint
and Ardingly Colleges.
10 The Cat House.
Built about 1550. In the late 19th century it was occupied by Bob
Ward, a local eccentric, who decorated the house with images of
cats with birds in their claws. This was to remind Canon Woodard
that his cat had killed Bob Ward’s canary.
11 Parsonage House.
This was the home of Henry Bysshopp, appointed the first Postmaster
General by King Charles II in 1660, a position he held for three
years. He invented the first postmark, known as the “Bysshopp
Mark”.
12 St Peter’s
Parish Church, described on page 14.
13 Southlands and
Bramble Cottage. These houses were built in 1834 as the “National
Girls School”, and remained as such until 1952.
14 Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Church, described on page 14.
15 The Tanyard Field
was the site of Henfield’s tannery from the mid 16th century
until 1844. The site was chosen because of the spring fed pond required
to soak the hides.
16 Potwell. The blue
plaque denotes that this was the birthplace of the botanist William
Borrer.
17 Sandpits situated
on both sides of Windmill Lane were excavated between the late 19th
century and 1939. A section of rail from the pit tramway can still
be seen in the hedge. A windmill once stood on the west side of
the lane from c. 1720 until c. 1908.
18 Tin chapel, built
in the late 19th century and used until its congregation joined
the Church in the High Street in the 1940s.
19 Pendrells. This
cottage is mediaeval and was once occupied by the great grandson
of Pendrell the miller who hid Charles II in the “Boscobel
Oak”.
20 Infants School.
William Borrer gave the land in 1844 for an infants school to be
built, and it remained a school until 1957. It was then used as
a youth club until 2004 and now turned into houses.
21 Cedar View. This
was built as the village “workhouse” in 1736, and used
until 1834. It is one of a number of buildings in the village with
a roof made of Horsham Stone.
22 The “Borrer
Bank”. Along this bank can still be seen examples of rare
flowers planted by William Borrer in what in the 19th century was
part of his garden.
23 The Mill House
and outbuildings which housed a steam mill, date from the late 19th
century. A windmill built in c. 1820 occupied the high ground just
to the east and was demolished in 1953.
24 Heritage Trail
plaque, Henfield Common. This gives historical information about
the Common on which animals were grazed until c. 1950.
Circular Walk Around Henfield
The ‘Downland Panorama’ walk; surely Henfield’s
favourite for any day except when a Channel mist sneaks over the
Downs or the ‘south westerlies’ are in low mood. Distance
1 or 2 miles. Start at highest point of High Street opposite The
George Hotel. Go along Cagefoot Lane to the pond - LEFT along Blackgate
Lane - cross road - up Weavers Lane to the top, ‘THE NAB’
and view the South Downs from The Dyke in the east to gale stricken
Chanctonbury Ring. Now LEFT down King James’ Lane - cross
road (A2037) - RIGHT - very soon, and up LEFT where the BARROW HILL
path divides, LEFT UP onto The Lydds. Either (for the 1 mile walk)
LEFT beside the house (Mill House) - down to Henfield Common - cross
road (A281) - follow the causeway diagonally LEFT back to the village,
or continue about 1/2 mile to house on your LEFT - follow round
far side of house and up lane to A281 - cross to cricket pitch.
To return to village (far left across the common) you can:- A, simply
turn LEFT and follow any path; B, (muddy in wet weather) skirt LEFT
of cricket pitch - cross rectangular Memorial Playing Field diagonally
LEFT - find bridge over stream and paths through the wood; C, pass
cricket pavilion to small road and follow it LEFT all the way to
continue as footpath through wood. B & C go by cottages at the
back of the common. Each way will take you to Golden Square. Uphill
is The George.
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