Horsham Park to Harwood Road Trail
The trail is about one mile each way with highlights detailed below. For added interest, why not try our eye spy style trail sheet, which highlights plants and animals you may see on the trail. The trail sheet is suitable for both young and older children as well as adults.
Location Notes
Waterfowl
Many types of birds can be found on the pond in Horsham Park, including swans, mallard ducks, coot and moorhen.
Plant Colonisation
Many different plants have colonised the old walls leading into and out of the rail subway from North Street to Winterton Court. These include Autumn Hawksbit, Buddleia (butterfly bush), Common Ragwort, Common Polypody, Enchanters Nightshade, Green Alkanet, Hart’s-tongue Fern, Herb Bennet, Herb Robert, Hoary Ragwort, Tall Fleabane, and Wild pea.
In one hour our expert naturalist identified over 100 different plant species on the walls of the underpass. See below for the full list.
Pollinator Friendly Plants
The street planter at the junction of Station Road and Barrington Road shows just what can be done by dedicated local volunteers! The planter overflows with pollinator friendly plants including Echinacea, Verbena bonariensis, Sedum (Hylotelephium), Geranium Rozanne, Russian sage (Perovskia), Salvia (Hot lips) and Alliums (now seed heads)
Ayshe Court lakes (Harwood Ponds)
One of Horsham’s hidden wonders! These two linked ponds are a wildlife haven and provide a lovely walk that feels like you are in the countryside. Many birds live here including mallard ducks and moorhen, keep an eye out for the enormous Koy Carp!
These ponds are fed from their sister pond in the Kingslea Conservation Area on the north side of Harwood Road. All three ponds were originally part of Ayshe Court, an Edwardian house that fronted onto Depot Road.
Wild Flower Verge
This verge on Harwood Road is maintained by West Sussex Country Council and has been allowed to grow longer as part of a trial to understand whether changes in management can encourage pollinator friendly wild flowers to grow while still maintaining road safety.
The mowing regime has also been changed to “cut and collect” where clippings are removed to reduce the soil nutrition level, which favours our wild flowers that are well adapted to this type of environment.
North Street Underpass Plant List
The walk from the North Street underpass, through the Railway Underpass and out to the Railway Car Park Entrance is alive with unusual plants. The list below shows the incredible diversity we have right on our doorstep!
What will you spot on your walk?
In the table below, entries coloured blue are easier to find and P means present in that location.
Why not try the free PlantNET app to help you identify plants you find?
Other plants you may see
In addition to the rock-wall specialists listed above, these plants were all spotted by our very experienced ecologist while walking the Coots Farm to Horsham Park and Horsham Park to Harwood Road trails. The list shows the incredible diversity we have right on our doorstep! What will you spot on your walk?
As above, the free PlantNET app will help you identify plants you find.