Originally part of Luxfords Farm, the land was converted into a sewage works at the end of the 19th century. The sewage works was abandoned after World War II and the site was then used as a council refuse tip until the mid-1970s. The smaller section of the site lying to the south east of Noah’s Ark Lane was a former mushroom farm and small orchard. Adjoining the north west boundary bank was the Eastern Road Plantation and adjacent to the northern corner lies an old pond/marsh which was used as a Victorian bottle dump.

When tipping ceased in 1975 the land was covered in top soil and secured to prevent fly tipping. It remained unmanaged for some time, becoming overgrown and inaccessible in some places. A campaign by Lindfield residents opposing housing development on the site led to responsibility for the site being transferred to the leisure services section of Mid Sussex District Council in 1990. Since that time, with the help of an official group of volunteers, the nine-acre site has been actively managed for nature conservation and as a recreational resource for local people. After years of hard work, the site’s official opening as a nature reserve took place on Sunday 14 May 1995. Nearly 30 years later, the reserve offers the people of Lindfield space to reflect, study nature or listen to birdsong, as well as great dog walking and nature adventures for groups like the Scouts.

In August 2023, the Council undertook works to address the issue of Ash Dieback and some 500 trees were removed. The site looked radically different in places and there was a quick realisation from local people that a hands-on effort was going to be needed to restore the reserve. A new Friends group formed in December 2023 with the blessing of those who had formed the original group in the late 1980s. The old and new group still work closely together, with the old group providing in-depth knowledge of the site and the new group providing the youthful enthusiasm!

The Friends of Eastern Road Nature Reserve and Mid Sussex District Council are working together on developing a new management plan to restore the reserve to what it once was and even improve it where possible. There will be a strong focus on biodiversity, climate change resilience, and the long-term protection of the reserve for generations to come. While a solid plan is being built out, an interim plan will guide priorities over the next 12 months.