Haywards Heath
OS Grid Reference:
Administration
District:	Mid Sussex
County:	West Sussex
Region:	South East England
Nation:	England
Other
Ceremonial County:	West Sussex
Traditional County:	Sussex
Post Office and Telephone
Post town:	HAYWARDS HEATH
Postcode:	RH16
Dialling Code:	01444

Haywards Heath is situated almost 20 miles north of Brighton in West Sussex, England.

Contents

1 Origins 2 Post WWII 3 Famous Residents 4 External links

Origins

• • Haywards Heath is a town and civil parish formed out of Cuckfield, Dec 28, 1894 … archdeaconry of Lewes,diocese of Chichester. … it is now controlled by an Urban District Council … the church of St Wilfred … consecrated Jun 5, 1865
    • extracted from Kelly’s Directory of Sussex, 1905

From the above extracts it will be seen that, as a town, Haywards Heath is relatively modern foundation. Its beginnings were heralded by the London & Brighton Railway, when it built its main line from London. The station opened on July 12 1841; until September 21 it was the southern terminus of the line, on which date the line to Brighton was completed. Before the railway, Haywards Heath was little more than wasteland belonging to the Manor of Hayworth.

The name Hayward comes from OE meaning hedge enclosure. The heath upon which its name comes was the scene of many raids by a highwayman who went under the name of Jack Hayward. Some settlement had already taken place long before then: nereby are two 15th century houses, Great Hayward and Little Hayward.

The History of Haywards Heath gives details of the consequent growth of the settlement; the following is an outline:

• 1841 the railway
• 1859 the opening of the Sussex County Lunatic Asylum (later St Francis Hospital)
• c1860 brick-making; cottages for labourers built
• 1867 Bannister's cattle market (12th largest in UK) opened; closed 1989
• Victorian & Edwardian villas built; many City workers moved to the town: "A colony of Cockney villas" (1894).
• 1920s: experimental settlement to help families on low incomes to become self-sufficient
• 1930s: Franklands village built - affordable rental housing

The railway was electrified in 1933, giving impetus to more growth of the town.

Post WWII

In the 1960s and 1970s, two light industrial estates were built, and later, office development added to the population, which from the early 1850s, when the figure was less than 200, rising to 2452 in 1891, has now reached today's population of approaching 25,000, making it one of the largest towns in West Sussex. Haywards Heath was in East Sussex: the moving of the county boundary westward in 1974 brought it under the jurisdiction of West Sussex.

It now self-proclaims itself to be "The Heart of Mid-Sussex" although the Knowhere guide (see external links) would have one believe that there is "absolutely nothing for anyone to do"!

Haywards Heath has recently developed a cafe culture with the addition of several bars and restaurants on Broadway. The local council are planning to pedestrianise this area during the summer months.

Famous Residents

Sussex is abound with celebrities; from TV & Radio's Jamie Theakston to the almost-dead Dame Vera Lynn. However, one of Mid-Sussex's best kept secrets is the Internet "celebrity" and Haywards Heath resident Jon Norris

Star of over 400 "adult" films broadcast on every internet from Mid-Sussex to Mid-India, Norris' work is without equal.

Norris' success over the years has lead him to be hailed as "a ground-breaking lover" Terry Wogan, 1998 and "England's best kept online secret" Krishnan Guru-Murphy, Channel 4 News, 2003

If you see him on the streets of Mid-Sussex, shake his hand.

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External links

• History of Haywards Heath
• Haywards Heath - Local Webs UK guide to Haywards Heath

and two links with a somewhat biased view?:

• Knowhere guide to Haywards Heath Very tongue-in-cheek
• ThisIsHaywardsHeath.com - All about Haywards Heath