Both walks start from a rough lay-by off the West Hoathly Road, about a quarter mile south from the Deer's Leap entrance at Saint Hill Green. There is a stile and field gate and also a small metal gate just here to help you identify it.
½ hour.
1½ miles.
The Hollybush Wood is way marked with a special symbol of a circlet of holly on a plastic plaque fixed to short posts. These indicate a circular walk within the wood. To follow these entirely would bring you back to the stile by which you entered the wood. This walk would be less than a mile. The walk described here is slightly longer – about one and a half miles. It includes more open paths, a picnic site and good views.
Very quick - next time take a picnic, or combine with a visit to Standen.
Deers Leap is a mountain bike park with an off-road cycling course catering for all levels of cyclists. It also has nature trails, woodland walks and agricultural demonstrations. By applying at reception you will be given a map showing where you may walk. The nature reserve and walks are all free of charge.
• From the lay-by, cross the stile into the field and go straight ahead to a junction of footpaths and finger post.
• Cross the stile and walk along the track to a gate on the right at the beginning of a wood.
• Go through this and go forward downhill along the path ignoring turnings off.
• Just beyond a seat on the left the path continues downhill and reaches a stretch where railway sleepers make a path across boggy ground.
• Having crossed these you come to a circular walk post and a path off to the left by a large tree.
• Cross the footbridge and go up steps, continuing up through the wood until you reach a stile into a field.
• Cross this and by keeping to the edge of the field you will come to another stile.
• A few steps along a narrow path brings you to a wider lane where you turn left.
• The path divides here, and joins together further on, so either will do.
• Follow this round a couple of bends when it straightens out with a picnic site on the left.
• A little further on along the lane is Standen car park, but you go left now through a gate downhill ignoring another gateway and keeping to the boundary hedge of Standen on your right.
• Continue steeply uphill to a gate in the top right-hand corner of the field to join the track you were on earlier, only further on.
• Turn left and keep to the track back to pass the finger post and straight on again to the gate into the lay-by.
• Should you feel you would like a little extra walk, turn left at the stile at the end of the enclosed lane by the finger post, and walk down towards the reservoir to cross a stile and immediately turn right to follow a narrow path that runs along the top of the rocks giving good views.
• At the end pass through a gate onto the side of a hill in a field.
• Turn right to climb up this steep bank to the top where you will be able to see cars in the lay-by.
• However to reach it, go through a wooden kissing gate up to the right, turn left a few paces to the field gate and stile onto the lay-by.