|
This seven acres of woodland has been in the possession of The
National Trust since it was donated, in 1912, by Lord Arthur
Hill of Old House. In 1914, the West Hoathly Parish council
entered into an agreement with the National Trust to maintain
the area as an open space and to preserve its natural aspect.
Although part of West Hoathly Parish, Selsfield Common is
closer to Turners Hill and in fact comes under the
ecclesiastical parish of St Leonard's. The common is bisected
by a Roman road and today there is talk of opening a public
footpath between Turners Hill and Selsfield Common. This would
be very welcome to those living on the common who currently
are unable to walk to the Village without risking life and
limb on the busy B2028 road between Haywards Heath and Crawley
Down.
Once the area around the common was a thriving community
with a 'smock' Mill and even its own public house, The Barley
Mow. Today, both landmarks have gone but the Mill was in use
until as recently as 1905. Just to the south of the common is Forge
Cottage which has been built on the site of the old Forge
and next door stands The Old Granary
which still boasts evidence of the old trapdoor
and adzed beams to allow the sacks of grain to be hoisted onto
the upper floor.
Until the mid-nineteen forties The Old Granary was home to
a wheelwrights and anecdotal evidence tells us that the
wheelwright would construct wheelbarrows and deliver them on
foot to customers not further away than Haywards Heath (a mere
eight miles to the south)! To the rear of the cottage
stands the brick water
tower constructed around 1903 and resembling Rapunzel's
Castle. The water tower is still in use today and can be
reached by foot along the wooded lane adjoining The Old Granary. Today the owners are Alison and Andrew Denley.
|
