Fernhurst: Discover its landscape and history

Fernhurst lies in the South Downs National Park and combines countryside, church and industrial history, and its own village festival. For trip planning, the surviving features of St Margaret's and North Park Furnace, the walking trails and the Fernhurst Revels offer specific points of interest.

Fernhurst between the hills and the Weald

Fernhurst is surrounded by hills. At the same time, the village lies on the edge of the once-wooded Weald, in a densely wooded valley with clay soil. The River Lod, a tributary of the western Rother, drains the area around Fernhurst.

Black Down lies within the Civil Parish of Fernhurst and is a National Trust property. An internationally significant heathland is managed there. Separately, the Serpent Trail is a 65-mile (106-kilometre) walking route intended to highlight the landscape, wildlife and history of the Greensand Hills. Thus, the heathland of Black Down and the trail's broader landscape theme sit side by side.

Church and local history

The present building of St Margaret's Fernhurst has Norman origins and was built within fifty years of the Norman Conquest of England. The original church survives in the font, some ceiling beams and most of the north wall. These include two lancet windows: one in the chancel and one in the nave.

The village's development also has specific points of reference. Fernhurst grew up around a crossroads known as The Prayer Cross and the surviving village green. Remains from the Stone Age and Roman period have also been found in Fernhurst.

Ironworking in Fernhurst

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Fernhurst was a centre of ironworking. Skilled workers used local iron deposits, streams and charcoal from the surrounding forests to make cast-iron cannons and equipment for farming and household use.

North Park Furnace in Fernhurst dates from 1614. The site is among the earliest and best-preserved iron industry sites in the western Weald and is considered nationally important for its type and date. North Park Furnace is a Scheduled Monument. It includes a dam, a blast furnace with its associated wheel pit, water channels and a casting pit.

Walking and the Fernhurst Revels

The Haslemere to Fernhurst circular walk follows marked paths and passes the Red Lion pub in Fernhurst. If you plan to take this route, check the route details before setting out.

The Fernhurst Revels is a village festival held every year in May or June; the tradition dates back about 80 years. The programme includes a procession of the May Queen, a performance of the legend of St George slaying the dragon, maypole dancing and a fancy-dress competition. Events may vary. If you want to plan your stay around the festival, check the dates with the local organisers.

Discover more destinations: Bolney, Albourne, Hassocks, Bognor Regis, Partridge Green, Amberley, Pulborough, Horsham

For the broader travel overview: West Sussex.