LETTER: Development will spoil lovely walk

They have done such a wonderful job setting up the very fine information boards, the direction arrows and seats to provide a welcome rest at intervals.

I set out a fortnight ago as I was keen to see the countryside completely around Horsham while the summer was still with us and while there was still some countryside remaining un-tarmacced and concreted.

In the process I found a lot of roads and houses and new estates that I did not know existed

as the town continues to swallow up the country.

I came to Horsham in the war years. It was a welcome haven from frightening severe bombing of Eastbourne and, as a young lad, the wildlife of the Leggy Fields was a new interest.

I was able, for the first time, to see harvest mice, bird’s nests and mushrooms growing.

I am happy to see the Red River is still flowing but now between golf course instead of fields.

It is sad to see so much beautiful Sussex country disappearing at such a rate.

Starting form Chesworth, I circled in a clockwise direction although I now think that anti-clockwise may have been better as I found that, when I came to the excellent maps on the noticeboards, they showed mostly the areas that I had just covered but the wildlife and historical information are very good.

Coming to the northern part of the walk, it was noticeable that paths were a little less organised, obviously because of the uncertainty of where they may have to be re-routed when this area is ruined in the future joining with Crawley.

The two parts where extra care is needed then follow; the crossing of the railway and the dual carriage Crawley road which are unavoidable, but this is soon followed by peaceful St Leonard’s Forest.

May this lovely well-devised walk continue to be a mostly rural link of old paths for our enjoyment and excercise. There are still some wildlife to see. I was lucky enuogh to see an albino white squirel.

DEREK J. SANTER

Highlands Avenue, Horsham