Henfield... Did You Know

DID YOU KNOW…HENFIELD

The village of Henfield is a great destination to explore, so we asked Robert Veitch to find out a little more about some of the things the village can shout about

The Downs Link

The Downs Link is almost 37 miles long and links St. Martha’s Hill near Guildford with Shoreham-by-Sea. It follows the old Cranleigh and Steyning railway lines which used to connect the North and South Downs until the Beeching axe fell in the late 1960s. The track bed is long gone, but it’s still easy to visualise how things used to be. The Downs Link can be accessed easily from central Henfield and a walk about a mile north to Betley Bridge or south to Stretham Bridge will offer fine views and generate a hearty appetite. The 1st Henfield Scout Troop, founded in the winter of 1907-1908, within a few months of Robert Baden-Powell’s initial camp on Brownsea Island, is recognised by the Scout Association as the ‘oldest in the world’. Major A.G. Wade had a sister called Audrey who had accompanied BadenPowell on a journey back from Africa. She evolved the boy’s hockey club over the winter by following Baden-Powell’s handbook, Scouting for Boys to train the boys in scouting. By January 1908 when the troop was officially launched, there were 30 boy scouts in Henfield.

Henfield Common

Henfield Common, a grassed and wooded area, is where locals used to be able to graze their animals. The eastern end of the common is also home to one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world, founded in 1771, although they had already been bowling yorkers, flippers and googlys in the village for 50 years by then. In the formative days of cricket, it was one of the most important ground around the county. John Wisden who later created the bible of cricket, Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanack played here, as did Henry Charlwood who went on to play two Test Matches against Australia.

Henfield Scout Troop Henfield Birdwatch

Henfield Birdwatch was formed in 1998 by a group of enthusiastic people in order to take part in a bird survey the following year. From this grew an organisation that became the largest local community conservation project in the UK as more than 150 people submitted more than 40,000 records in the initial year-long survey. The resulting book was praised by major conservation bodies and the aim to publish surveys every five years was established. The 2010 edition received the Marsh Award from the British Trust for Ornithology. Since 1998 over 160,000 records have been collated, providing an encyclopedic record of Henfield birdlife since the millennium.

The High Street

A stroll down Henfield High Street reveals plenty of shops to browse and many places to eat and drink, making it an excellent choice for a September stroll, some shopping and sustenance. Go on a Monday and try out the market in Henfield Hall, or visit the museum that’s also located within Henfield Hall and open six days a week. A warm welcome is assured in the village and there’s enough variety for even the fussiest to want to return another time. And if your choice is to never leave, let a local estate agent help you locate the perfect property.