About Haywards Heath in West Sussex

Haywards Heath is a town in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It lies 36 miles (58 km) south of London, 14 miles (23 km) north of Brighton, and 18 miles (29 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Hassocks to the southeast and Lindfield to the northeast.

The town was originally a small village which lay in the parish of Cuckfield. Haywards Heath as it is today started to develop in the late 19th century when the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway built a branch line from Three Bridges to Brighton. With the coming of the railway came commuters and businesses, which resulted in rapid growth for the village.

By 1934 Haywards Heath had outgrown its original parish church and a new larger church, St Wilfrid's, was built on the edge of town. The old church became a chapel of ease known as All Saints.

During World War II Haywards Heath was home to several anti-aircraft sites which protected the key industries in the South East of England. The sites were manned by both military personnel and civilians, many of whom were women.

In 1943 an RAF bomber crashed in woodland off Bentswood Road, killing all seven crew members. A memorial plaque was erected at the site in 2004.

In 1961 Haywards Heath was designated a New Town, and rapidly expanded with the building of new housing and infrastructure. The population of the town grew from around 5,000 in 1961 to over 28,000 by 1981.

Today Haywards Heath is a thriving town with a population of over 45,000. It has a variety of shops and businesses, as well as leisure facilities and parks. The town centre is pedestrianised and there is a regular market held in the High Street.