A tanyard existed in Henfield from Tudor times to 1844, turning cattle hides into leather.
Today the Tanyard is a green oasis running down from the duck pond (a spring-fed pond, used to soak the hides) with birds, insects, rare grasses and wild flowers. Its location is marked by a towering lime tree and a maturing hornbeam.
The remainder of the Tanyard where the hides of cattle were once processed is now a damp meadow.