Ditchling Common Country Park
Explore 188 acres of lovely parkland near Burgess Hill in East Sussex. The park trails pass oak trees, grassland, a lake and a stream. Many different birds visit the park including stonechats, linnets, woodpeckers, chiffchaffs, and blackcaps. In the spring months the area is a draw for walkers as it's covered in carpets of bluebells. Cycling is permitted through the park along the bridleways but all of the paths are open to walkers.
There is a car park on Folders Lane at the southern end of the site. From here you can pick up the trails heading north across the common. Burgess Hill train station is about a mile to the west if you prefer to visit by public transport.
Postcode
BN6 8SQ - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Ditchling Common Country Park Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Ditchling Common Country Park Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Ditchling Common Country Park OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Ditchling Common Country Park Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Dog Walking
The common is a nice place to take the dog for a walk so you'll probably bump into other owners on your visit. There are dog bins dotted around the site too. There is cattle and wildlife on the common so it's advised to keep them under close control or on leads.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The Sussex Border Path skirts the south eastern edge of the common. You could pick up this waymarked trail and follow it south to visit Ditchling Beacon on the Burgess Hill Walk. There are great views over the Low Weald from this popular viewpoint.
On the northern side of Burgess Hill there's the Bedelands Nature Reserve to explore. The wildlife rich reserve includes bluebell woodland, wildflower meadows, grazed meadows, a lake and a waterfall.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Sussex Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Ditchling Common. Looking towards the railway bridge in the southern section of the common now used for pasture but not part of the country park to the north.
Looking west from the Bridleway that links Folders Lane East to St Mary's House. The Country Park was set up in 1975 and covers 188 acres.
Part of a hard trail set up by East Sussex County Council the owners of Ditchling Common Country Park.
Small section wedged between the railway, the B2112 and Hopkin's Crank and other houses to the west. The area was once the site of the common's former pound where stray or escaped animals were kept until their owners reclaimed them for a small fee. The building beyond the bracken is Woodbarton Cottage.
The section of the common south of Folders Lane East is now used as pasture though it is not part of the country park set up in 1974. The trees in the distance mark the course of Common Lane, the B2112.
Looking towards the section once known as Coopers Corner and now containing City Cottages. The cottages would have been constructed there by small farmers to make use of the nearby common to supplement the small numbers of fields they possessed.
Small section of the common to the west of the B2112 which is now surrounded by ditches to prevent use by travellers. The house partially obscured by trees is Hopkin's Crank named after the field it was built in.
Ditchling Common lake