Chailey Commons, Plumpton and a good chunk of East Sussex

The walk today consists of a gradual undulating ramble through the flatter countryside of the Low Weald followed by a slow ascent into the edge of the Sussex High Weald. Eventually we will reach Chailey North Common where we shall have views to the north towards Haywards Heath and Ashdown Forest (with a bit of imagination) and south to the South Downs.

Chailey Common is an area of 450 acres of heathland, bracken, gorse, varied grasses and occasional woodland copses. It is divided by roads into various commons: Memorial, Romany Ridge, Red Common etc. Within the last few years, the commons have been enclosed and some roads now run via cattle grids through this. Livestock are brought in for the Spring-Autumn months to graze the land and try to keep scrub under control. These consist of rare breed sheep and cattle as well as hardy forest ponies.

At the Commons' highest spot is a triangulation station/pillar which was used, among many others across the country, for mapping of the countryside. Each trig point, as they are most usually known, looks across to three others, normally on distant high hills. 

Near to this stands Chailey's windmill, known as Heritage Mill, presumably because it is next to what was a part of Chailey Heritage, a hospital for children based close by. The windmill was in use until 1911 and interestingly it was not constructed on its present site but over in West Sussex and then moved all the way to Newhaven then to Chailey, all in the 19th century, dismantled and moved these long distances by bullock carts. There is more information about it here: http://www.chailey.org/amenities/chailey-windmill-museum/