Wild Park

This is a bit of a random space that has a mish mash of uses. For an extended period a few years back it was claimed by a band of travellers complete with over sized caravans et al. This went against the natural beauty of the area and brought the aesthetic of the park down. These days it’s still not the greatest, sadly due to a lot of irresponsible users of the space from the surrounding area. There are some nice little walks to ramble along and crazily steep hills to trek up. You also have a football pitch at the bottom, should you want a kick around.
I haven’t got to see the reintroduced sheep that people are mentioning, but I certainly hope that they are supervised against some of the less savoury characters that will frequent the area during the less sociable hours.

I have a different perspective on Wild Park than perhaps most people do. Until recently I had only ever reached it from the top, from Ditchling Road, and consequently I wasn’t aware for some time that it was a park at all — from the scrubland and apparently unattended meadows I thought it was some patch of uncultivated heath, and rather enjoyed it for that fact alone. The Hollingbury Fort area was a particular favourite, with views over the east of the city and plenty of long grass in which to lie and muse. The little patch of woodland at the top is also a good visit, with plenty of off-​trail exploring to be done and one or two excellent climbing trees. This woodland gives way to a clearing with a large pond, that at first I thought to be a disused chalk quarry. It gives the impression of immense depth, and there are apparently no shallows even at the edges. With its out-​of-​the-​way location, it’s a handsome thinking spot and the shade of a large tree affords one the comfort of natural shelter. Walking along the perimeter of the next field, there’s some excellent blackberrying to be done at the right time of year — many a purple-​stained mouth have I had from this crop of beauties. My walk then continues to make a cursory examination of the burnt-​out car in the middle of the field, and then downhill and along the other perimeter where one can skip over the border and walk back through the allotments. There are plenty of routes to take through this park though, and it lives up to its name — it’s been left to grow gratifyingly wild, to satisfying effect.

As parks go this one is one of the biggest in Brighton and especially in summer is a great place to go to participate in almost anything as there’s always space. There is also a café in the summer but if your watching the pennies there is a shop and chip shop across the road for your lunch.
I didn’t know they were now letting sheep loose now so beware! I think it’s cool to have some sort of wildlife plotting around as Brighton is becoming precariously close to having none at all much like London so enjoy it while you can.

Sheep have recently been reintroduced to apparently improve the chalk grassland habitat, and the council have been training volunteers to shepherd the sheep within the park, so if you fancy it give the council a call.
There’s also a football pitch, which is set in a rather nice enclosed wooded space, and some pretty mean looking steep hills, coming from the woods which look as though they’d make excellent, but also pretty dangerous sledging.

Wild Park is a pretty park just off the Lewes Road in Moulsecoomb, and connected to Stanmer Park and the South Downs. This is well worth a visit if you’re into walking, as the high hills offer great views down into Brighton from the Hollinbury Hill Fort. You’ll also find a nature walk, sheep, a duck pond and a golf course.