Heath Common

Heath Common is a settlement in the civil parish of Washington, in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. It lies on the Storrington to Ashington road 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Storrington, and 0.5 miles west of the A24. Development began in the 1920s, when 50 acres of land was purchased by Vera Pragnell, to be used for a utopian commune known as the sanctuary. ^[1]

Heath Common
Heath Common in the Summer. Newhouse Lane sits behind the treeline
Heath Common Location within West Sussex
OS grid reference	TQ110151
Civil parish	Washington
District	Horsham
Shire county	West Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Sussex
Fire	West Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Arundel and South Downs
List of places UK England West Sussex 50.9249°N 0.42203°W / 50.9249; -0.42203

At the core of Heath Common lies an area of narrow and interlinked roads, known locally as 'The Lanes'. Hampers Lane serves as the main road through which The Lanes branch off - with the majority leading to detached houses. Vera's Walk - named after Vera Pragnell - is one of these lanes. Pragnell's life in Heath Common remains one of the most historically significant aspects to the area. In 1923 Pragnell established a commune called The Sanctuary, spanning across 19 of the 50 acres of land she owned, for which community and environmental living were central tenets.

In the northeast of Heath Common lies the tiny settlement of Warminghurst, made up primarily of several houses and Warminghurst Church (now redundant). Access to the Warminghurst region of Heath Common is known locally to be treacherous for most vehicles, with the widely unmaintained Park Lane serving as the only connecting route.

Voles and barn owls are common across the area.

1. https://strongwomen.org.uk/strong-women/pragnell-vera-1896-1968/