The Tilgate Maiden represented the ancient Forest of Worth, which has been renamed Tilgate in more recent times. Gideon Mantell, a local doctor and fossil collector, found the remains of a dinosaur here, alongside fossils of giant ferns and molluscs. The Tilgate Maiden has an armoured breastplate and lizard prints on her skirt; to represent her dinosaur past.
You can visit Tilgate Park, which has a nature reserve, café, rare breeds centre, several lakes (one of which is the remains of a hammer pond), parkland, playgrounds, and wooded areas. From here, Tilgate Forest to the south can be accessed by using the pedestrian flyover, or the underpass to cross the M23.