The local council are responsible for road side litter.

This would not allow horseboxes to use the car parks.

This would cause too many vehicles to park in the local villages, due to the lack of roadside parking restrictions.

As The Hurtwood allows public access by a Deed of Dedication, this supersedes any current legislation on public ROW. This effectively means everyone is allowed everywhere unless we specifically deny it; which we have done on particular paths near the villages.

It is generally considered that litter bins create more rubbish, especially when wild animals start to disburse all the rubbish. We would like everyone to take their rubbish home with them.

There is youth hostel which allows camping on its ground right next to The Hurtwood.

The majority of The Hurtwood lies on a Peaty soil which allows fires to spread underground. This means that even though you may have been careful and put your fire out, it can still be alight underground and spread.

Like any beauty spot, at the weekends, you will see more people, but even then there are still many quiet areas. It is not impossible to go for a walk or ride on The Hurtwood and not see anyone at all, at any time of the week.

Yes, all our hills have wonderful views. On a clear day, on Holmbury Hill, you will be able to see the sea at Shoreham and turn around to see the high rise buildings of London. This view is unique to The Hurtwood.

All our ponds are man-made and lined with Clay. Due to convection currents continually moving the clay around, this makes the water look cloudy.

We are neither encouraging nor discouraging bikers; rather we are pioneering a new approach – which is being closely monitored at local and national levels – to manage biker activity and bring it under better control. This centres on engaging the bikers and encouraging them to volunteer to help manage the conflict with other users as well as the wear and tear they cause to the trails they ride. Many regular bikers have also become Friends. Our strategic aim is not to encourage more bikers to ride the Hurtwood, but to encourage them when they do ride here, to behave more responsively.

We are in the process of developing a list of projects that we would like to complete should funding and other necessary resources be available. Each project will be prioritised, including budgetary estimates and a list of potential sources of funds and grants that might be applied for. As a key part of this process we shall be inviting Friends to give us their perspectives on what needs to be done.

There are many areas where you can help. First is by becoming a Friend of the Hurtwood; you can donate on line on this site. The second way to help is with your time and effort. There are several areas where we always need help:
• Working with the ranger on a specific project
• Helping on the events committee organising speakers or working the Friends stand at a Village Fete
• Becoming a member of our Communities group providing input and feedback from your village on work being done on the Hurtwood
• Getting involved in special fundraising projects

Please contact the Ranger or any of the Trustees if you’d like to volunteer.
 

Please contact our Ranger or Jenny Ullman, Operations Trustee, for permission forms and to schedule your event. This is a new procedure the Friends of the Hurtwood have put in place due to the increasing number of visitors to the Hurtwood and to attempt to avoid multiple events happening at the same time. Your cooperation is appreciated.

The Hurtwood is an actively managed forestry estate and the trees are cut on rotation and will re-grow again. Shere Manor Estate will continue this programme of thinning and felling trees throughout 2010. We advise all visitors to heed site notices and to be especially careful when using any trails in the vicinity of forestry operations as heavy plant and machinery may be in use. Areas of significant damage by heavy plant on the main trails will be reinstated by the Estate’s contractors on conclusion of the programme.