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Sandgate Conservation Society

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    • Sullington Warren – Flora and Fauna
    • Sullington Warren – Historical features
    • Photographs of Sullington Warren between the 1930s and 1980s
    • Sandgate Park – Habitats
  • Sandgate Country Park
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Sandgate Conservation Society - who we are

We are a small charity in the village of Sullington, in West Sussex, dedicated to the conservation and restoration of natural spaces in Sullington and its environs.

We have a strong presence in the local community with members throughout Sullington; Storrington; Thakeham; Washington; and beyond, and we are favourably recognised by Horsham District Council.

However, we need more members.  With an increasing local population and pressure to build more housing the need to ensure that there are also sufficient green spaces for people to enjoy becomes more pressing. The more members we have the stronger is our voice.  Why not join us?

Talks & Visits

Bluebells We organise talks and visits to local places of interest so that our members can gain a better understanding of conservation

Safeguard the area

Hedgehog feeding We comment on planning matters so that the area can be further safeguarded from development that will be detrimental to the local natural environment

Country Park

We support Horsham District Council's policy to safeguard the Sandgate area to enable a country park (Sandgate Country Park) to be formed in the future.

Our objectives

The Society has four main objectives:

  • To conserve the environment, mainly using volunteers, for the benefit of the public
  • To educate the public in the principles and practice of conservation
  • To promote the establishment of Sandgate Country Park; and
  • To promote the protection, maintenance and enhancement of local green spaces for the benefit of wildlife and the public

Latest news

Sullington Warren Heather – Update July 2025

Efforts continue to restore the heather at Sullington Warren. The infestation of heather beetle a few years ago plus people walking across the heather beds and exercising their dogs on them, plus the impact of climate change with periods of hot weather and drought have taken their toll on the heather at the Warren which...
Read "Sullington Warren Heather – Update July 2025"

Sullington Warren heather restoration by controlled burning – 2nd January 2020

  January 2020 Did you notice in late summer that large parts of the heather on Sullington Warren were not purple with flower but a reddish brown? This was the result of a massive heather beetle infestation of this section of the Warren. The larva of the beetle is found feeding on the leaves, stem...
Read "Sullington Warren heather restoration by controlled burning – 2nd January 2020"

How we started

The beginnings of Sandgate Conservation Society were in the 1960s and early 1970s when local residents got together to campaign against the overdevelopment of the Sandgate area of the Parish of Sullington in West Sussex.  These early visionaries saved the wonderful bluebell woodlands, heathland, streams and ponds, which now form Sandgate Park, which would have been lost forever.

Once Sandgate Park was saved our members realised that work was needed to improve and enhance its wildlife and amenity value. This led to the start of our monthly field days to assist Horsham District Council to implement their management plan for the park.

For over 40 years the Society has also been holding field days to help the National Trust with the management their sites in the locality, particularly the rare heathland habitat of Sullington Warren which was also saved from development.

The Society works very closely with the National Trust, locally.  Together we managed to get an area of their land which lies north of the A 283 included within the South Downs National Park.

How we work

Our objectives and how the Society is managed is governed by our Constitution.

The way we work to enhance and protect the environment is governed by Our Environmental Policy.

Our commitment to compliance with Data Protection regulations can be found in our Data Privacy Notice

  • Information for Members
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Sandgate Conservation Society is a registered charity – No. 1064010

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