Situated in the 1000 acre Cinder Hill Estate on the edge of Ashdown Forest, the fisheries consist of two picturesque venues, namely Cinder Hill and Piplye, each in a secluded valley and having three lakes, in lovely surroundings, with an abundance of wildlife to be seen when one quietly goes about the business of fishing.

All the waters are stream fed and, subject to conditions, regularly stocked with quality, hard fighting, rainbow and brown trout.

Although generally known as top, middle and bottom lake at both venues, all apart from the top pool at Cinder Hill, do have names, which are shown in the details for each water.

There is a chemical toilet at each site and a fishing hut with weighing scales and catch return sheets for members to book in and out and to weigh and record their catches (or not as the case might be!).

Access to the venues and huts is protected by combination padlocks, with the code only being known to current members with data on stocking levels and catches also only available for members to view in the Member's Area of this website..

During the autumn the estate also carries out shooting of both duck and pheasant. At the times when this is taking place, a venue will be closed to fishing for a period. The other venue however, will nearly always still be open. Dates and details of any water closures will be posted in the Member's Area.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the two sites, the waters are not suitable for wheelchair access or for those with limited mobility.

 

Cinder Hill Lakes

The top three of a chain of eight man made lakes running all the way down to Horsted Keynes, constructed by damming the Cockhaise Brook stream which eventually flows into the Sussex Ouse.

A really beautiful location, especially in April when the bluebells are out.

Given the normal British winter, with plenty of rain, due to very wet ground conditions making access risky for other than 4 wheel drive vehicles, the venue doesn't open for fishing until the 1st April each year and closes on the 30th October.

 

Top Pool

At approximately one acre in area, Top Pool is the most popular lake at Cinder Hill as it provides comfortable fishing for those not wishing or unable to walk very far.. In addition to the stocked fish, the occasional wild brown trout is sometimes caught, having entered the lake via the feeder stream. These should always be safely returned, hopefully to grow a bit bigger and breed in the stream. Being the top lake in the chain, over the years the water has acted as a silt trap, with the top end where the feeder stream enters, becoming completely filled in. Never the less, the remaining water remains a reasonable depth and provides good conditions for the fish.

 

Middle Lake (Hurstwood Pool)

Approximately one and a half acres in area, Hurstwood Pool is the middle of the three lakes at Cinder Hill. The deepest water is situated at the dam end, while it is fairly shallow at the top end where the feeder stream enters

 

Bottom Lake (McArthurs Pool)

Being approximately two acres in area, McArthurs Pool is the largest of the three lakes at Cinder Hill and indeed the largest of all the Syndicate waters. A floating pontoon is situated on the east bank, giving access to the deeper areas of the lake.

 

Piplye Ponds

Three man made lakes, again constructed by damming two small streams which eventually flow into the Sussex Ouse. With a hardcore access track and parking area, despite the best efforts of the normal British winter, even if we have plenty of rain, ground conditions remain suitable for vehicles all year and the venue therefore opens for fishing on the 1st March each year and closes on the 31st November.

 

Top Lake (Grubbero Pool)

Since then, in addition to the stocked trout, the lake has also become the home of some very large carp, washed in as fry from a lake further up the feeder stream during a period of spate.

To view an article on the desilting of Grubbero Pool, please click here.

 

Middle Lake (Piplye Pool)

The smallest of all the Syndicate waters, being approximately half an acre in area, Piplye Pool is fed by a different stream to Grubbero. Despite it's small size it is fairly deep and remains reasonably clear throughout the season.

 

Bottom Lake (Roundwood Pool)

Also named after an adjacent area of woodland and with an area of approximately half an acre, Roundwood Pool is fed by the combined flow through both Grubbero and Piplye Pools. Large carp are also present in addition to the stocked trout and their activities tend to make the water somewhat coloured most of the time, however, this doesn't seem to detract from the quality of trout captured from the lake.

 

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Water Maintenance

Vital to the successful operation of the fisheries, work parties enable us to maintain our lakes to provide safe and adequate access to the waters by keeping the bankside growth in check, removing excessive weed etc. while minimizing costs and keeping subscriptions at an affordable level. This means, that, apart from unavoidable expenses like rent, insurance and the need to maintain a reserve to cater for the occasional essential capital expenditure, the rest of the  subscription income is spent on the purchase of fish for stocking.

Although sometimes hard work, work parties are always enjoyable. They provide a good opportunity to get to know some of the other members, can improve ones knowledge of the fisheries and fishing and are all part of belonging to an organisation

All members are encouraged to help out if they are able, working at their own pace under the direction of the person in charge for the session, using their own or our tools and equipment. No one is be asked to do more than they feel capable of.

Work parties are generally arranged on a Wednesday morning during the week, with participants normally meeting up at around 9:00am and working until lunchtime, usually stopping for a bit of a break mid-morning.

Members can view details of past and forthcoming work parties by logging in to the Member's Area.

As an incentive and reward, those taking part in a work party earn an additional fishing visit for each session attended.