Haywards Heath
Coordinates: 51°00′17″N 0°05′52″W / 51.0048°N 0.0979°W
| Haywards Heath | |
 Haywards Heath Town Hall |
|
 Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath shown within West Sussex |
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| Area | 9.75 km2 (3.76 sq mi) [1] |
|---|---|
| Population | 22,800 [1] 2001 Census |
| - Density | 2,338 /km2 (6,060 /sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ335245 |
| - London | 34 mi (55 km) N |
| Civil parish | Haywards Heath |
| District | Mid Sussex |
| Shire county | West Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HAYWARDS HEATH |
| Postcode district | RH16, RH17 |
| Dialling code | 01444 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Mid Sussex |
| Website | Haywards Heath Town Council |
| List of places: UK • England • West Sussex | |
Haywards Heath is a town in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, England. It lies 36 miles (58 km) south of London, 12 miles (19 km) north of Brighton, 15 miles (24 km) south of Gatwick Airport and 31 miles (50 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, Crawley north-northwest and East Grinstead north-northeast. Being a commuter town, many of the residents commute daily via rail to London, Brighton, Crawley or Gatwick for work.
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[edit] Etymology
The name Hayward comes from Old English meaning an official who protected hedged enclosures from wandering livestock.[2] There is a local legend that the name comes from a highwayman who went under the name of Jack but this is almost definitely apocryphal.
[edit] History
Haywards Heath gets a mention in English Civil War records.[3] Early in December 1642 the High Sheriff of Sussex (Sir Edward Ford) advanced with Royalist troops towards Lewes in East Sussex from Chichester in West Sussex. He was intercepted in Haywards Heath by local Parliamentarians and defeated. Haywards Heath as a settlement is a relatively modern development. Following the arrival of the London & Brighton Railway in 1841, its size has increased considerably. Haywards Heath railway station opened on 12 July 1841 and served as the southern terminus of the line until the completion of Brighton station on 21 September. The position of Haywards Heath, and its place on both this railway and near the main road (A23) between London and Brighton, enables it to function as a commuter town, with many residents working in London, Brighton, Crawley and Gatwick Airport.
Other noted historical events in the town's history include:
- The opening of the Sussex County Lunatic Asylum (later called St Francis Hospital) in 1859. The superintendent here was, for many years, Dr Lockhart Robertson, later Lord Chancellor's Visitor, and brother of the eminent ophthalmologist, Dr Argyll Robertson.
- The opening of Bannister's cattle market, the 12th largest in UK at one point, in 1859. This was closed to make way for a Sainsbury's supermarket in 1989.
- The opening of Victorian & Edwardian villas built as early commuter settlements in 1894
- The opening of the Eliot Cottage Hospital, later King Edward VII Eliot Memorial Hospital, in 1906, named after benefactor, Alice Annie Eliot (1864–1904)
- Schemes in the 1920s to help families on low incomes to become self-sufficient, resulting in the building of Franklands Village in the 1930s.
In the 1960s and 1970s, two light industrial estates were built. Office development has lately resulted in the town being a regional or national centre for a number of national companies and government agencies.
The population has risen from 200 in the early 1850s to 22,800 (2001 census), making it one of the larger towns in West Sussex. The area of the civil parish is 974.99 hectares (2,409.3 acres).
The parish church, dedicated to St Wilfrid, and the Roman Catholic church of St Paul are among the churches and chapels in Haywards Heath. Other places of worship include the Methodist church in Perrymount Road and two Baptist churches, St Richards (C of E), the Church of the Presentation (C of E) and the Ascension Church (C of E).
Haywards Heath was in East Sussex, but a change to the county boundary in 1974 brought it under the jurisdiction of West Sussex.
[edit] Bolnore Village
Housing in Haywards Heath has been expanded significantly in the last ten years due to the creation of Bolnore Village, located to the south west of the existing town. Planning permission was first granted in the late 1990s for 780 new homes on a greenfield site. Since then, phases 1, 2 and 3 have been built by the house builders Crest Nicholson in conjunction with several other developers. Phases 4 and 5 (located closer to Haywards Heath centre) are also proposed, but planning permission has not yet been granted.
The decision to grant planning permission for Bolnore Village was somewhat controversial, since the Ashenground and Catts Woods on that site formed a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
As a condition for planning permission, the developers are required to build a relief road for the town, often referred to as Haywards Heath by-pass, which will re-route the A272 south of the town centre. Although the first section of the relief road has already been built, it remains incomplete after the economic downturn, which heavily impacted property developers. Construction work on the relief road is now expected to commence in 2013, with completion expected in 2015. The next stage of the relief road will see a bridge over the railway and across the south east part of Haywards Heath, eventually joining the A272 (Lewes Road).
In 2008, local residents won a bid to set up and run their own primary school for the village.[4] The new school opened in September 2010 (after operating on a temporary basis at St Wilfrid's CE Primary School since September 2009). The school building has strong green credentials, having achieved BREEAM excellence status by adopting technologies such as a living sedum plant roof and a ground source heat pump. The school has a strong environmental ethos, including a forest school programme in its curriculum through which pupils can explore the local woodlands.
[edit] Future
The Mid Sussex District Council are planning to further modernise the town centre, and have published a Haywards Heath Masterplan which includes renovation plans for the railway station ticket office and new shared parking facilities.[5] The next steps for the redevelopment are currently unclear since the council's chosen developer, Thornfield Properties, went into administration in early 2010.[6] However, the council remains committed to achieving the redevelopment through alternative developers.
A further 685 homes are due to be built in the final phases of Bolnore Village (phases 4 and 5), and new homes are also expected to be built in the town centre as part of the Haywards Heath Master Plan.
The Haywards Heath by-pass, which is expected to be completed in 2015, will divert the A272 traffic south of the town through Bolnore Village, which the district council hopes will improve the current traffic situation through the town centre.
[edit] Geography
 |
Cuckfield, Horsham | Balcombe, Crawley | Lindfield, East Grinstead | |
| Ansty |  |
Scaynes Hill, Uckfield | ||
 Haywards Heath  |
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 |
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| Burgess Hill | Wivelsfield | North Chailey, Newick |
[edit] Climate
Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) similar to almost all of the United Kingdom,with pleasant mild winters and warm summers with limited humidity.
| Climate data for Haywards Heath | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8 (46) |
8 (46) |
11 (52) |
13 (55) |
17 (63) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
19 (66) |
15 (59) |
11 (52) |
8 (46) |
15 (59) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2 (36) |
2 (36) |
3 (37) |
3 (37) |
6 (43) |
9 (48) |
11 (52) |
11 (52) |
8 (46) |
7 (45) |
4 (39) |
2 (36) |
6 (43) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 69.5 (2.736) |
64.5 (2.539) |
43.7 (1.72) |
48.6 (1.913) |
56.9 (2.24) |
32.0 (1.26) |
51.3 (2.02) |
37.0 (1.457) |
46.9 (1.846) |
103.8 (4.087) |
91.7 (3.61) |
90.7 (3.571) |
736.6 (29) |
| Source: [7] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport links
[edit] Rail
Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line. Some of the train services divide at Haywards Heath before continuing their journey to the south, or join other services before continuing north.
[edit] Road
Haywards Heath is primarily served by the A272 road, which runs through the centre of the town. Following the A272 to the west, it joins the A23 road which runs both to Brighton to the south and London to the north.
[edit] Local attractions, culture and facilities
- Bars and restaurants in Broadway
- Victoria Park
- Clair Hall - community centre/event centre
- Haywards Heath Leisure Centre
- Borde Hill Gardens
- Beech Hurst Gardens
- Haywards Heath Recreation Ground
- Haywards Heath Library
Haywards- Heath Cadet Centre
- "Town Day" - celebrated in early September each year including fireworks in the evening at Victoria Park.
- Walking - one of the best known walks close to the town starts just north of the railway station and runs to Ardingly Reservoir, approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) north of the town.
[edit] Education
[edit] State schools
- Central Sussex College
- Oathall Community College
- Lindfield Primary School
- The Acorns Nursery School
- Bolnore Village Primary School
- Heyworth Primary School
- Harlands Primary School
- St Wilfrid's CEP School
- Court Meadow School
- Blackthorns C.P School
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
- Northlands Wood Community Primary School
[edit] Private schools
[edit] Twin towns
Haywards Heath is twinned with:
Bondues, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
A major road in the Bolnore Village area of the town has been named Traunstein Way.
[edit] Famous residents
Noted celebrities with connections to the Haywards Heath area include:
- Mathew Bose (actor), best known for playing Paul Lambert in ITV 1's Emmerdale, grew up in Haywards Heath and attended Haywards Heath Sixth Form College.
- Kaya Scodelario (actress/model), best known for playing the role of beautiful but troubled Effy Stonem on the double BAFTA-winning UK TV show Skins, was born in Haywards Heath.
- Professor Sir Jack E. Baldwin. Organic Chemist[citation needed].
- Brett Anderson. Suede Singer/Songwriter, lived in Newton Court Lindfield, and attended Oathall School and Haywards Heath Sixth Form College[citation needed].
- Mat Osman. Suede Bassist, attended Oathall School and Haywards Heath Sixth Form College[citation needed].
- Robert Kazinsky. Actor, best known as Sean Slater in EastEnders[citation needed].
- Matthew Waterhouse. Actor, best known as Adric in Doctor Who[citation needed].
- Eddie Shah. Founder of Today newspaper, went to nearby Oathall School
- Frank Reginald Carey. War hero[citation needed].
- David James. Author, Politician and Adventurer lived in nearby Wivelsfield Green whilst Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown[citation needed].
- Greta Scacchi. Actress, attended Haywards Heath Grammar School for a while[citation needed].
- Leslie Ash and her husband Lee Chapman[citation needed].
- Robert Slade Lucas. Cricketer who played for Middlesex, died in Franklands Village, Haywards Heath[citation needed].
- Anna Sewell. Writer of Black Beauty, lived in New England Road[citation needed].
- Daley Thompson. Olympic decathlete, was a member of Haywards Heath Harriers Athletics Club[citation needed].
- Tommy Cook. England footballer, born in Cuckfield[8] played for Haywards Heath F. C., Arsenal F. C.[citation needed].
- Samantha Marie Sprackling, more commonly known as Saffron. Lead singer of the electronica band Republica, attended Oathall School[citation needed].
- Graham Moseley. Footballer. Goalkeeper for Brighton & Hove Albion F. C.. Lived in Northlands Avenue.
- Natasha Bedingfield. Singer-songwriter. Nominated for 4 BRIT awards and won 5 separate awards in other areas.
- George Billingham. Went to Oathall and is a Fanatic Fulham Fan.
In fiction, Haywards Heath is the home of the Jennings family.
[edit] See also
- Haywards Heath Living Memories, Author: Wilfrid Jackson, ISBN 1-85937-913-3. Published by Frith Book Company Ltd.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish". West Sussex County Council. http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communityandliving/census2001/pop_parish_summary.pdf. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ Webster's Dictionary Retrieved 2009-12-27
- ^ http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/timelines/1642
- ^ Curtis, Polly (2008-06-12). "Parents win right to set up eco-school in village woodlands". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jun/12/schools.greenbuilding. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
- ^ http://www.midsussex.gov.uk/page.cfm?pageID=4313
- ^ http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4846682.Sussex_regeneration_plans_in_doubt_after_developer_goes_bust/
- ^ "Averages for Haywards Heath". http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:UKXX0631&q=Haywards+Heath%2c+GBR+forecast:averagesm.
- ^ Tommy Cook profile
[edit] External links
- Haywards Heath Council website
- Mid Sussex Times History of Haywards Heath
- Haywards Heath Town Masterplan
- BBC News - Town redevelopment moves forward
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