Histo

ryFo

r m

uch

of it

s le

ngth

Wor

th W

ay fo

llow

s th

e ra

ilway

line

whi

ch r

an fr

om E

ast

Gri

nste

ad t

o T

hree

Br

idge

s. O

pene

d on

9th

July

185

5,

Row

fant

and

su

bseq

uent

ly G

rang

e R

oad

(Cra

wle

y D

own)

wer

e th

e on

ly s

tatio

ns a

long

the

ro

ute.

In 1

866

the

railw

ay w

as

exte

nded

from

Eas

t G

rins

tead

to

Tun

brid

ge W

ells

mos

t of

w

hich

is n

ow F

ores

t W

ay

Cou

ntry

Par

k. A

cen

tury

late

r th

e w

hole

line

was

clo

sed

as p

art

of t

he li

ne c

losu

res

prop

osed

by

the

then

Bri

tish

Rai

l Cha

irm

an, D

r Be

echi

ng, i

n th

e 19

60’s

.

Row

fant

Sta

tion,

alth

ough

not

ope

n to

the

pub

lic,

still

sur

vive

s. G

rang

e R

oad

stat

ion

no lo

nger

exi

sts.

T

he s

ite, t

o th

e w

est

of t

he R

oyal

Oak

pub

lic h

ouse

, is

now

a t

erra

ce o

f sho

ps a

nd t

he r

ailw

ay li

ne fr

om

Gra

nge

Roa

d to

Cob

Clo

se h

as b

een

built

ove

r.

Litt

le r

emai

ns o

f ano

ther

sec

tion

of t

he r

ailw

ay li

ne

betw

een

the

M23

mot

orw

ay a

nd K

eepe

rs C

ross

ing

as t

he c

uttin

g w

as u

sed

as a

land

fill s

ite in

the

19

70s.

A li

ne o

f tre

es in

dica

tes

the

rout

e of

the

form

er r

ailw

ay li

ne.

Wild

life

Wor

th W

ay s

uppo

rts

a di

vers

e va

riet

y of

wild

life

and

muc

h of

th

e ro

ute

has

been

des

igna

ted

a Si

te o

f Nat

ure

Con

serv

atio

n Im

port

ance

. Sin

ce t

he c

losu

re o

f the

ra

ilway

muc

h of

its

leng

th h

as b

een

colo

nise

d by

tre

es

such

as

Ash

and

Silv

er B

irch

, and

shr

ubs

incl

udin

g H

azel

and

Sal

low

.

Whe

re c

halk

was

use

d in

the

con

stru

ctio

n of

the

ra

ilway

, cha

lk lo

ving

pla

nts

such

as

Com

mon

Spo

tted

O

rchi

d an

d W

ild S

traw

berr

y flo

uris

h.

The

ran

ge o

f hab

itats

att

ract

s a

vari

ety

of b

irds

. N

utha

tch

and

Chi

ffcha

ff ca

n be

hea

rd in

the

tre

es w

hile

th

e el

usiv

e K

ingf

ishe

r m

ay b

e gl

imps

ed a

t C

raw

ley

Dow

n Po

nd.

Butt

erfli

es t

oo a

re s

een

in g

ood

wea

ther

. The

mos

t no

tabl

e is

the

Whi

te A

dmir

al w

hich

flie

s in

June

w

hils

t Sp

eckl

ed W

ood

Butt

erfli

es c

an o

ften

be

seen

de

fend

ing

thei

r te

rrito

ries

in s

unny

gla

des.

Mam

mal

s an

d re

ptile

s ar

e el

usiv

e bu

t a

quie

t ap

proa

ch c

an p

rovi

de a

glim

pse

of R

oe D

eer

and

Fox

on s

urro

undi

ng fa

rmla

nd. B

ats

can

som

etim

es b

e se

en a

t du

sk.

Man

agem

ent

of W

orth

Way

aim

s to

mai

ntai

n a

mos

aic

of d

iffer

ently

age

d tr

ees

and

shru

bs t

oget

her

with

ope

n ar

eas.

Som

e of

the

tre

es a

nd s

hrub

s ar

e co

ppic

ed in

ro

tatio

n. C

oppi

cing

is a

tra

ditio

nal f

orm

of

man

agem

ent

whe

reby

tre

es a

nd s

hrub

s, n

otab

ly

Haz

el, a

re c

ut d

own

to t

he b

ase.

Thi

s be

nefit

s pl

ants

su

ch a

s Pr

imro

ses,

and

a v

arie

ty o

f ins

ects

, whi

ch

thri

ve w

ith t

he in

crea

sed

light

and

war

mth

. The

de

nse

regr

owth

of s

tem

s in

tur

n pr

ovid

es v

alua

ble

nest

ing

site

s fo

r bi

rds.

Else

whe

re o

pen

area

s ar

e re

gula

rly

cut.

Thi

s pr

even

ts s

crub

from

inva

ding

and

al

low

s sp

ecie

s th

at li

ke o

pen

cond

ition

s to

sur

vive

.

Ditc

hes

help

to

keep

th

e ro

ute

dry

but

are

also

impo

rtan

t fo

r w

ildlif

e.

A r

elat

ivel

y la

rge

pond

exi

sts

at C

raw

ley

Dow

n (C

raw

ley

Dow

n Po

nd).

Thi

s is

man

aged

w

ith t

he a

ssis

tanc

e of

a

loca

l vol

unta

ry g

roup

, the

Pon

d En

viro

nmen

tal G

roup

.

Further contactsFor further inform

ation on Worth W

ay and the West Sussex

section of Forest Way contact W

est Sussex County C

ouncil,C

ountryside Services, Northern area C

ountryside Team

. T

el 01293 542088.Em

ail: countryside@w

estsussex.gov.ukw

ww

.westsussex.gov.uk

For further information on w

alking and other countrysideactivities in East Sussex and for a copy of the Forest W

ayleaflet contact East Sussex C

ounty Council.

Tel 0345 6980193.

Email: countrysidem

anagement@

eastsussexcc.gov.uk

If you would like a copy of this leaflet in another

format (audio, Braille, large print, another

language) please contact us and we w

ill try and meet

your needs. Call 01243 756759

Designed and published by W

SCC

comm

unities and infrastructure.

August 2014

Other routes of interest

Worth W

ay links through East Grinstead to

Forest Way C

ountry Park. This 10 m

ile/16km

route ends near Groom

bridge, East Sussex, and sim

ilarly to Worth W

ay, follows the old railw

ay line. T

he route is accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and horse-riders. W

est Sussex and East Sussex C

ounty Councils m

anage Forest Way.

A num

ber of public footpaths and public bridlew

ays link with W

orth and Forest Ways.

Other prom

oted routes include four Worth W

ay circular w

alks, the Sussex Border Path and the H

igh Weald Landscape T

rail. Ordnance Survey

Explorer Map 135 show

s details, or alternatively contact one of the sources listed on the back of this leaflet.

Intr

oduc

tion

W

orth

Way

is a

sev

en m

ile (

11 k

ilom

etre

) ro

ute

from

T

hree

Bri

dges

to

East

Gri

nste

ad. O

ffici

ally

ope

ned

on

the

10th

July

197

9, it

form

s a

valu

able

wild

life

corr

idor

an

d sh

ared

-use

rou

te f

or p

edes

tria

ns,

hors

e-ri

ders

an

d cy

clis

ts.

Part

of

Wor

th W

ay i

s a

Cou

ntry

Par

k (b

ylaw

s ap

ply)

. T

he N

atio

nal

Cyc

le N

etw

ork

(Rou

te

21)

from

Lon

don

to E

astb

ourn

e pa

sses

alo

ng W

orth

W

ay.

Wor

th W

ay f

rom

Thr

ee B

ridg

es t

o M

23 l

ies

with

in

Cra

wle

y Bo

roug

h.W

est

Suss

ex C

ount

y C

ounc

il m

anag

es t

he r

emai

nder

of

Wor

th W

ay.

Find

ing

Your

Way

Thi

s le

afle

t is

onl

y a

guid

e. In

set

map

s ar

e pr

ovid

ed a

t di

fficu

lt po

ints

but

you

are

rec

omm

ende

d to

use

the

fo

llow

ing

OS

map

s in

con

junc

tion

with

thi

s gu

ide.

1:50

000

Lan

dran

ger

Seri

es

Shee

t 18

7 D

orki

ng &

Rei

gate

1:25

000

Exp

lore

r Se

ries

13

4 C

raw

ley

& H

orsh

am

135

Ash

dow

n Fo

rest

Worth W

ay Code•

Take your Litter hom

e•

Leave flowers and fungi for others to enjoy

• R

espect other users by:

Cyclists•

Slow dow

n, give way and leave plenty of

room for w

alkers, horses and people with

disabilities.•

Cycle responsibly and carefully.

• D

o not surprise people – they might not

have heard or seen you.•

Use a bell or give a yell.

Walkers

• D

o not obstruct cyclists.•

Keep dogs under proper control

(bylaws apply).

• C

lear up after your dog.

Horse Riders

• W

alk past other users.•

Do not canter or gallop.

Spec

kled

Woo

d Bu

tterf

ly

Prim

rose

Row

fant

Sta

tion

Station Hill

43

2

1

EASTGRINSTEAD

Standen

(National Trust)

ToSharpthorne

Felbridge

Copthorne

KingscoteStation

A264

A22

B2110

TurnersHill

ToHaywardsHeath

Bluebell Railway

Rowfant

CompassesCorner

ToBalcombe

ToLingfield

ToLondon

ToGodstone

ToTunbridgeWells

ToLewes

B2036

ToA23Brighton

ToBrighton

CRAWLEY

Worth

A264

M23

Wallage Lane Herontye Drive

Imbe

rhor

ne L

ane

B2036

Luxford's Lane Bluebe

ll Railw

ay Ex

tensio

n

CrawleyDown

Miswell Wood

Miswell House

WorthlodgeForest

Worth Church

HundredAcres

RowfantBusiness

Centre

GullegeWood

TilkhurstFarm Crockshed

Wood

HighGrove

Turn

ers H

ill Ro

ad

ThreeBridges

A22

A264

ToArdingly

KeepersCrossing

To Horsham

Church

Road

ToHorley

Rowfant StationThe station included a passing loop, level crossing and signal box. The old station still survives.

St Nicholas Church, Worth

A fine Saxon Church dating from the tenth century. It is an early example of a cruciform plan which later became the general layout throughout England. A Norman-looking northeast tower was added in 1871.

Worth Way

Forest Way Country Park

Worth Way - Forest Way link

Worth Way Circular Walks

National Cycle Network Route

High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Parking

Public Telephone

Public House

Railway Station

Church

KEY

3

O km 1 2

O mile 1

O km 1 2

O mile 1

A 2220 Station H

ill Balcombe R

oad

Turners Hill Road

THREE BRIDGES

WORTH

Wor

th Pa

rk A

ve

Clo

se

Kne

pp

Spring Plat

The

Pas

ture

Worth Road

Chu

rch

Roa

d

CRAWLEY

Grange Road

Bur

leig

h W

ay

Turn

ers

Hill

Rd B

2028

Vicara

ge R

d Hazel Way

Copse CloseOld Station Close

Kiln Road

Cob Close

Woodland Drive

CRAWLEYDOWN

Railway Approach

West Str

eet High Street Lewes Road

Beeching Way

Broo

kland

s

W

ay

A22

Moat Road A264Park Road

Forest Way

Ship

Str

eet

Country Park

Herontye Driv

e

B211

0

Grosvenor Road

EAST GRINSTEAD

Forest WayCountry Park

This linear Country Park passes through the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Crawley Down PondConstructed in the mid nineteenth century as one of five ornamental lakes on the Tiltwood Estate. The pond was re-landscaped in the late 1970’s to form a local feature.

Gullege A private house

East Grinstead High StreetA very old and previously important market town boasting the longest line of medieval buildings in the country. There are many interesting buildings including St Swithun’s Church, a very prominent landmark, and Sackville College.