Warninglid

An Introduction to the village...

Warninglid (or ‘Warningeld’ as it was once known) is a small village located at the crossroads of the B2115 (Cuckfield Lane) and Slaugham Lane/The Street, approximately a mile and a half west of the A23 Trunk Road. It is situated on a hill in gently undulating countryside in a particularly attractive part of the High Weald.

The village dates back to Saxon times and later had connections with the medieval iron industry. It contains a number of community and recreation facilities including the Seaforth Hall and a cricket ground. There is also a primary school, isolated from the village approximately half a mile to the north. Although there is still a public house, there are no longer any shops in the village.

The Street, which forms the focus of the conservation area, contains a number of buildings dating back to the 16th century. Some of these are listed as being of special architectural or historic interest. The attractiveness of The Street due to the variety in the ages and styles of building; the predominant use of traditional and natural building materials, e.g. sandstone, brick, timber and clay roof tiles; the traditional style street lamps and road sign directing traffic to adjacent villages/towns; the sense of enclosure created by the buildings and the bank, hedges and trees adjacent to The Street; and the village pond with an arching sandstone bridge leading to the drive of Lyndhurst Estate, creating a focal point within The Street.

At the centre of the village is a crossroads and there sits the Half Moon public house, a Grade Il listed brick and stone pub dating back to the l9th Century. Nearby, the former St Andrew’s Church, built in 1935 and now converted to a residential property, has some of the finest examples of modern stained glass in the south of England. On the outskirts, old buildings like Bells Farm, Harveys Farm, Freechase Farm, Portways Farm and Routwood), all dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, have developed into charming houses in delightful rural settings.

The oldest recorded house is on Cuckfield Lane but the Street is the oldest residential road and has properties dating back to 16th Century. It is a highly attractive street with many listed buildings.

There are areas of Ancient Woodland owned and maintained by the Woodland Trust, several farms providing grazing for sheep, crops and hay, with a widespread horse community in the village.

Roads & Transport
Warninglid lies at the junction of the B2115 with The Street and Slaugham Lane. Excess speed on the B2115 is a problem. There is a need for the footpath to be extended in Slaugham Lane to run from the village to the Primary School to ensure safe pedestrian access to the school.

Economic Characteristics
There are a few small businesses in Warninglid and there is a single public house, the Half Moon, residents in the village view this as important socially and economically, as gathering places and mainstays of village life.