Trail location - The Tanyard, ‘Potwell’ and the village centre

The field, now a pleasant wildlife meadow and picturesque pond, was a tanyard from Tudor times until 1844.

Back in the 17^th century it would have been a hive of activity, covered in sheds and pits where the cattle hides were scrapped, cleaned and soaked.  It smells a lot better now than it would have done 250 years ago!

The leather tanning process used oak bark. The pond was used to soak the hides. Just beyond the post & rail fence were the tan pits where urine and dung were used to soak cattle hides, making it an extremely smelly part of the village.

The field is a wildlife meadow, opened once a year for a circular walk during the annual Henfield Gardens and Arts Festival

Opposite the pond is ‘Potwell ‘- the birthplace of William Borrer, a famous Victorian botanist and expert on lichens, whose study of lichens and air quality is still valued today.