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Warnham Court, a handsome mansion in the style of Elizabeth, and a very striking feature of the surrounding country, was erected about three years since, by Henry Tredcroft esq.: the house contains about 50 apartments, and is built of brick faced with stone: the grounds are tastefully arranged, and the park, though so recently

laid out, assumes a beautiful and verdant appearance.

To the south of Warnham, is Field Place, the residence for several centuries of the family of Mitchell.  The only daughter of the Rev. Theobald Mitchell, married the late Sir Bysshe Shelley, by whose son Sir Timothy, it is now possessed.  Percy Bysshe Shelley, the celebrated poet and friend of Byron, was born here: a brief but interesting account of his life, may be found in

Horsefield’s “History of Sussex” vol. 2nd. under the description of Warnham.

To the east of Horsham, is a tract of land, containing between eight and nine thousand acres, called St. Leonard’s forest: although its nearest point is seven miles from the upper part of Beeding, it is within the limits of that parish: the chief part of the soil is poor, it contained considerable quantities of iron stone, which was smelted, but as the timber became exhausted, the smelting of the iron has been long discontinued, and nothing remains to denote the former manufactory of cast iron, but several large ponds in various parts of the forest, still called Hammer ponds.

This forest has ever been the subject of the legends of neighbouring peasants, woe (according to their account) to the luckless wight, who should venture to cross it alone

on horseback during the night, for no soon will he have entered its darksome precincts, than a horrible decapitated spectre in the shape of a former squire Paulett, disregarding all prayers or menaces, leaps behind him on his good steed, and accompanies the affrighted traveller to the opposite boundaries.—The celebrated St. Leonard also, through whose efficacious prayers

“The adders never stynge,
Nor ye nyghtyngales synge,”

in its gloomy mazes is often the theme of the cottagers fire side conversation.

But neither ghost, nor cast iron, nor saint Leonard himself, have gained for this forest so much celebrity as its famous DRAGON, or serpent!  This venemous reptile, which some persons have rendered into some obnoxious proprietor, has been honoured with

a long and minute description in the following account.

“True and wonderful, A discourse relating to a strange monstrous serpent or dragon, lately discovered, and yet living to the great annoyance and divers slaughters both of men and cattle by his strong and violent poyson, in St. Leonard’s forest, and thirtie miles from London, this present month of August, 1614, with the true generation of serpents.  Printed at London by John Trundle 1614.

In Sussex there is a pretty market towne, called Horsam, neare unto a forest called St Leonard’s forest, and there in a vast unfrequented place, heathie, vaultie, full of unwholesome shades and overgrown hollowes, where this serpent is thought to be bred; but wheresoever bred, certaine and too true it is, that there it yet lives.  Within three or four miles compass are its usual haunts, oftentimes at a place called Faygate, and it

hath been seene within half a mile of Horsam, a wondre no doubt most terrible and noysome to the inhabitants thereabouts.  There is always in his tracke or path, left a glutinous and slimy matter (as by a small similitude we may perceive in a snail) which is very corrupt and offensive to the scent, in so much that they perceive the air to be putrified withall, which must needs be very dangerous: for though the corruption of it cannot strike the outward parts of a man, unless heated into blood, yet by receiving it in at any of our breathing organs, (the nose or mouth) it is by authority of all authors writing in that kinde, mortal and deadlie; as one thus saith,

‘Noxia serpentum est admixto sanguine pestis.—Lucan.’

The serpent, or dragon as some call it, is reputed to be nine feete or rather more, in

length, and shaped almost in the forme of an axle-tree of a cart, a quantitie of thickness in the middest, and somewhat smaller at both ends.  The former part which he shootes forth as a necke, is supposed to be about an ell long, with a white ring as it were of scales about it.  The scales along his backe, seeme to be blackish, and so much as is discovered under his bellie, appeareth to be red: for I speak but of no nearer description than a reasonable ocular distance; for coming too neare, it hath already been too dearely paid for, as you shall heare hereafter.  It is likewise discovered to have large feete, but the eye may be deceved, for some suppose that serpents have no feete, but glide along upon certain ribbes and scales, which both defend them from the upper part of the throat unto the lower part of their bellie, and also cause them to

move much the faster.  For so this doth, and rids away as we call it, as fast as a man can run.  He is of countenance very proud, and at the sight or heareing of men and cattle, will raise his necke upright, and seem to listen and looke about with great arrogancie.  There are likewise on either side of him discovered two great bunches, so big as a large footeball, and as some think will grow to wings, but God I hope will so defend the poor people in the neigbourhood, that he shall be destroyed, before he growe so fledge.—He will cast his venome about 4 roddes from him, as by woeful experience it was proved on the bodies of a man and woman coming that way, who afterwards were found dead, being poysoned and very much swelled, but not preyed upon.  Likewise a man going to chase it and as he imagined to destroy it with two mastiff dogs as yet not

knowing the great danger thereof, his dogs were both killed, and he himself glad to returne with haste to preserve his own life: yet this is to be noted that the dogs were not preyed upon, but slaine and left whole, for his food is thought to be for the most part in a conie warren, which he often frequents, and it is found to be much scanted and impaired, in the encrease it had wont to afford.—These persons, whose names are here under printed, have scene this serpent, besides divers others, as the carrier of Horsam, who lieth at the White Horse, in Southwark, and who can certifie the truth of all that hath been herein related.—

“John Steele,
“Christopher Holder,
“And a widow woman dwelling at Faygate.”

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