200 THE BRIGHTON ROAD 



its prosperity, which has not waned with the coaching 

 era, has incited to the building of cottages of that 

 cheap and yellow brick we know so well and loathe 

 so much. Also, though there is no church, there are 

 two chapels ; one of retiring position, the other 

 conventicle of aggressive and red, red brick. One 

 could find it in one's heart to forgive the yellow brick ; 

 but this red, never. In this ruddy building is a 

 harmonium. On Sundays the wail of that instrument 

 and the hooting and ting, tinging of cyclorns and 

 cycling gongs, as cyclists foregather by the " Red 

 Lion," are the most striking features of the place. 



The " Red Lion " is of greater interest than all 

 other buildings at Hand Cross. It stood here in 

 receipt of coaching custom through all the roystering 

 days of the Regency as it stands now, prosperous at 

 the hands of another age of wheels. Shergold tells us 

 that its landlords in olden times knew more of smuggling 

 than hearsay, and dispensed from many an anker of 

 brandy that had not rendered duty. 



At Hand Cross the ways divide, the Bolney and 

 Hickstead route, opened in 1813, branching off to the 

 right and not merely providing a better surface, but, 

 with a straighter course, saving from one and a half 

 to two miles, and avoiding some troublesome rises, 

 becoming in these times the " record route ' for 

 cyclists, pedestrians, and all who seek to speed between 

 London and Brighton in the quickest possible time. 

 It rejoins the classic route at Pyecombe. 



For the present we will follow the older way, by 

 Cuckfield, down to Staplefield Common. A lovely 

 vale opens out as one descends the southern face of 

 the watershed, with an enchanting middle distance 

 of copses, cottages, and winding roads, the sun slanting 

 on distant ponds, or transmuting commonplace 

 glazier's work into sparkling diamonds. 



At the foot of the hill is Staplefield Common, bisected 

 by the highway, with recent cottages and modern 

 church, and in the foreground the ' Jolly Farmers ' 

 inn. Hut where are the famous cherry-trees of 



