Friars Oak Fields are a local landmark on the north-western edge of the village of Hassocks, in the county of West Sussex, England. They are a group of 3 small wealden meadows in their natural state, demarcated by ancient hedgerows. The Friars Oak Inn, an old coaching stop where horses were changed, is immediately adjacent to Friars Oak Fields, on the western side. A stream known locally as the "Herring Stream" borders the fields on the western side, the fields being a flood plain for this watercourse.
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South Downs National Park
The village of Hassocks straddles the border of the South Downs National Park and Friars Oak Fields are located just outside that border, but have views of the National Park landmarks of Wolstonbury Hill and Clayton Windmills.
History
Excavations at Friars Oak at the end of the 20th Century revealed remains dating from the Mesolithic through to the Middle Saxon periods, including features from an early Roman settlement. A footpath running north/south across the centre of the western fields follows the line of a Roman road which led ultimately to London. A small triangular area adjacent to the southernmost field is named "Bullpit Field" reflecting its use for bull-baiting in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Literature
The Friars Oak Inn and Friars Oak Fields are used as a setting by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for his novel "Rodney Stone".