| Haywards Heath | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Haywards Heath Location withinWest Sussex | |
| Area | 9.75 km2 (3.76 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 22,800 [1] (2001 Census) 33,845[2] (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 2,338/km2 (6,060/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ335245 |
| • London | 34 miles (55 km)N |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| 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 |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | haywardsheath |
| |
Haywards Heath (/ˈheɪwərdzˈhiːθ/ ⓘHAY-wərdzHEETH) is a town inWest Sussex, England, 36 miles (58 km) south of London, 14 miles (23 km) north ofBrighton, 13 miles (21 km) south ofGatwick Airport and 31 miles (50 km) northeast of the county town,Chichester. Nearby towns includeBurgess Hill to the southwest,Horsham to the northwest,Crawley northwest andEast Grinstead northeast. With a decently small number of jobs available in the immediate vicinity, mostly in the agricultural or service sector, residents work remotely or commute daily via road or rail to London, Brighton, Crawley orGatwick Airport.[3]
The first element of the place-name Haywards Heath is derived from theOld Englishhege +worð, meaning hedge enclosure, with the later addition ofhǣð. The place-name was first recorded in 1261 asHeyworth, then in 1359 asHayworthe, in 1544 asHaywards Hoth (i.e. 'heath by the enclosure with a hedge'), and in 1607 asHayworths Hethe.[4][5]
There is a local legend that the name comes from ahighwayman who went under the name of Jack Hayward.[6][7]
Haywards Heath's Muster Green was the site of theBattle of Muster Green, a minor battle that took place in early December 1642 during theFirst English Civil War between aRoyalist army underEdward Ford,High Sheriff of Sussex, and a smaller (but more disciplined)Parliamentarian army underHerbert Morley. Due to the fact that neither side possessedfield guns, hand-to-hand combat ensued and after roughly an hour of fighting and 200 Royalists killed or wounded, the Parliamentarians emerged victorious androuted the Royalist army.[8]
Haywards Heath is located in the east of the ancient parish ofCuckfield. A separate civil parish andurban district of Haywards Heath was created in 1894. From 1934 to 1974 Cuckfield, Haywards Heath andLindfield were combined to form Cuckfield Urban District,[9] but since 1974 the three settlements have had separate councils again.
Haywards Heath as a settlement is a relatively modern development. Following the arrival of theLondon & Brighton Railway in 1841, its size increased considerably.Haywards Heath railway station opened on 12 July 1841 and served as the southern terminus of the line until the completion ofBrighton station on 21 September. The position of Haywards Heath, and its place on both this railway and near themain 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.[3]
Other noted historical events in the town's history include:
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 theRoman 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).
ThePriory of Our Lady of Good Counsel on Franklynn Road was built in 1886 and is Grade II listed.[10]
Haywards Heath was inEast Sussex, but a change to the county boundary in 1974 brought it under the jurisdiction ofWest Sussex.Haywards Heath Town Hall was completed in 1990.[11]
On May 9, 1946, delegates from thirteen countries, including representatives of theBritish and Foreign Bible Society, met in Haywards Heath to establish theUnited Bible Societies.[12] Headquartered inSwindon, this society numbered in 2025 more than 150 chapter (national) societies and worked in more than 200 countries, translating and publishing Bibles.
Haywards Heath has a town council, consisting of 16 councillors. As of May 2025, the council is run by the Liberal Democrats, with seats held as follows:
| Political party | Seats held |
|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 12 |
| Conservative | 1 |
| Green | 1 |
The current mayor of Haywards Heath is Cllr Duncan Pascoe.
In 2022, Haywards Heath Town Council endorsed thePlant Based Treaty, a global climate action initiative similar to theFossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.[13][14]
In 1934 the architects Berthold Lubetkin and Tecton obtained planning permission for some modernist-style houses. Unconventionally, they are built with brick and with flat roofs. Seven buildings were built of which a pair were semi-detached. The walls were built of cavity brick walls but certain features were built in concrete window frames, balconies, built-in flower boxes and porches. The houses were originally sold at £975- £1200 each.[15]
Housing in Haywards Heath expanded significantly in the first decade of the 21st century due to the creation of Bolnore Village, located to the southwest of the existing town. Planning permission was first granted in the late 1990s for 780 new homes on agreenfield site. The first house was completed in October 2002. Since then, phases 1, 2, 3, 4a and 5 have been built by the house buildersCrest Nicholson in conjunction with several other developers. Housing was followed by the construction of various commercial units and Bolnore Village Primary School, which was the country's first self-governing parent-promoted primary school in September 2010.
The decision to grant planning permission for Bolnore Village was somewhat controversial since the Ashenground and Catts Woods on that site formed aSite of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
As a condition for planning permission, the developers were required to build a relief road for the town, often referred to as the Haywards Heath by-pass, which has rerouted theA272 to the south side of the town. Construction work on the relief road commenced in 2012; on its completion in August 2014, the previous A272 route through Haywards Heath was renumbered the B2272.
In 2008, local residents won a bid to set up and run their own primary school for the village.[16] The new school opened in September 2008.
As Bolnore village's construction has nearly finished the majority of new housing for Haywards Heath has been on the southern side of the A272, the site is commonly referred to as Sandrocks after the house that was previously there. This area has 6 main development areas, of which 2 have been completed as of Summer 2018.
New housing developments have also appeared on the northern side of the town. Both of them allow approx 400 new dwellings to be built. The first one is on the northern end of Penland Road and south of Hanlye Lane and started development in 2017. The other one is between Lindfield and Walstead. This started in 2015.[needs update]
There are also plans that the land around Hurstwood Farm will be built on, with the provision of a new primary school, Country Park and allotments included in the master plan which has received planning permission.[17]
Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on theBrighton 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.
Haywards Heath has trains terminating at:London Victoria,Bedford,Cambridge,Brighton,Eastbourne andLittlehampton.
Haywards Heath is primarily served by theA272 road, which runs around the south side of the town. This is the new Haywards Heath by-pass, which was opened (ahead of schedule) in August 2014. It diverts town centre traffic south of the town, just south of Bolnore Village, Ashenground and the Princess Royal Hospital. The old A272 through the town centre is now the B2272. Following the A272 to the west, it joins theA23trunk road which runs both toBrighton to the south andLondon to the north via theM23.
The town is also connected to Burgess Hill to the south via the A273, B2036 and B2112.
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Oathall Community College is a secondary school for the town and surrounding area. Facilities include a school farm. Additionally, in the nearby village of Cuckfield,Warden Park Secondary Academy (part of the Sussex Learning Trust) provides education to c. 1500 students from the surrounding areas, including the village where it's situated - Cuckfield - as well asHaywards Heath, Ansty, Bolnore, Balcombe and other towns and villages.
Haywards Heath is also home to a number of local primary schools, one of which is St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, located on Hazelgrove Road near the centre of the town. Additionally, other nearby schools include St Wilfrid's, Harlands Primary School, Warden Park Primary Academy, Lindfield Primary Academy and Bolnore Village Primary School.
In September 2020, a newChichester College campus opened, called Haywards Heath College. The college uses the oldCentral Sussex College Haywards Heath campus on Harlands Road which closed in Summer 2017.[20] The current principal is the formerWorthing College principal.[21]
Haywards Heath is twinned with:
The section of the A272 that runs south beside Bolnore Village has been named Traunstein Way and there is a German postbox outside the Town Hall to commemorate the link.
Haywards Heath has twoNon-League football clubs,Haywards Heath Town F.C. who play at Hanbury Park andSt Francis Rangers F.C. who play at The Colwell Ground.
Haywards Heath is home to No5 (Haywards Heath) Detachment, C Company of the SussexArmy Cadet Force,[22] a volunteer youth organisation, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, which accepts cadets aged between 12 and 18 years of age.[23]
Haywards Heath also has a rugby union team.
The area has twohockey clubs nearby: St Francis Hockey Club and Mid Sussex Hockey Club. They both play their home games at The Triangle leisure centre in Burgess Hill and have a shared clubhouse based in Haywards Heath.[24][25]
Haywards Heath is also home to the Dolphin Leisure Centre. Managed by Places Leisure, amenities include a swimming pool, sports halls, gymnasium and park.[citation needed]
Please note ... we are in no way directing residents to follow the basis of the Treaty...
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