East Grinstead
Encyclopedia
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex
, West Sussex
in England
near the East Sussex
, Surrey
, and Kent
borders. It lies 27 miles (43 km) south of London
, 21 miles (34 km) north northeast of Brighton
, and 38 miles (61 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester
. The civil parish covers an area of 2443.45 hectares (6,035 acres) and had a population of 23,942 persons in the 2001 census. Nearby towns include Crawley
to the west, Tunbridge Wells to the east and Redhill
and Reigate
to the northwest. The town is continuous with the village of Felbridge
to the northwest. Until 1974 East Grinstead was the centre for local government - East Grinstead Urban District Council - and was located in the county of East Sussex. East Grinstead, along with Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill
, as part of the former Cuckfield Rural District Council, came together as Mid-Sussex; moving to the jurisdiction of West Sussex County Council. The town has many historic buildings and is located on the Greenwich Meridian. It is located in the Weald
and Ashdown Forest
lies to the south of the town.
, the sandstone
almshouse
built in 1609 where the Christmas carol
"Good King Wenceslas
" was written by John Mason Neale
. The college has sweeping views towards Ashdown Forest
. The adjacent St Swithun's Church, stands on the highest ground in the town and was rebuilt in the eighteenth century (the tower dating from 1789) to a perpendicular design by James Wyatt; its imposing building dominates the surrounding countryside for many miles around. In the churchyard are commemorated the East Grinstead Martyrs; and in the south-east corner is the grave of John Mason Neale
. The Greenwich Meridian runs through the grounds of the historic 1769 East Court mansion, home of the Town Council, giving the visitor an opportunity to stand with a foot in both the east and west. The mansion stands in a parkland setting. In 1968 the East Grinstead Society was founded as an independent body both to protect the historically important buildings of East Grinstead (and its environs) and to improve the amenities for future generations.
On the outskirts of the town is Standen
, a country house belonging to the National Trust, containing one of the best collections of arts and crafts movement
furnishings and fabrics. Off the A264 to Tunbridge Wells, there is a 1792 historic house called Hammerwood Park
(the first work of the future architect of the United States Capitol
) which is open to the public twice a week in summer. East Grinstead House is the headquarters of the (UK and Ireland) Caravan Club
.
Local attractions include Ashdown Forest
(where the Winnie-the-Pooh
stories are set) and the Bluebell Railway
, a preserved heritage line with steam locomotives. The town is also the site of Queen Victoria Hospital
, where famed plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe
treated burns victims of World War II
and formed the Guinea Pig Club
. The town is well located to visit Chartwell
the country home of Sir Winston Churchill
, Hever Castle
home of Henry VIII
's second wife Anne Boleyn
, and Penshurst Place
home of the Sidney
family. Kidbrooke Park (today Michael Hall School), a home of the Hambro family, was restored by the noted Sussex architect and antiquarian, Walter Godfrey
, as was Plawhatch Hall.
During the Second World War, the town became a secondary target for German
bombers which failed to make their primary target elsewhere. On the afternoon of Friday the 9th of July 1943, a Luftwaffe
bomber became separated from its squadron, followed the main railway line and circled the town twice, then jettisoned seven bombs. Two bombs, one with a delayed-action fuse, fell on the Whitehall Theatre, a cinema on the London Road, where 184 people at the matinée show were watching a Hopalong Cassidy
film before the main feature. A total of 108 people were killed in the raid, including children in the cinema, many of whom were evacuees; and some twenty Canadian servicemen stationed locally, who were either in the cinema when it was hit, or arrived minutes later to help with rescuing survivors. This was the largest loss of life of any single air raid
in Sussex
.
In 2006, the East Grinstead Town Museum was moved to new custom-built premises in the historic centre of the town, and successfully re-opened to the public. The Chequer Mead Community Arts Centre includes a modern 349-seat purpose-built theatre, which stages professional and amateur plays and music (local rock groups to chamber music
orchestras), opera
, ballet
, folk music
, tribute band
s, and talks. The centre has a large art gallery
for temporary exhibitions.
In addition to the nearby Ashdown Forest
, East Grinstead is served by the Forest Way
and Worth Way linear Country Parks which follow the disused railway line from Three Bridges
all the way through to Groombridge
and which are part of the Sustrans
national cycle network. To the south of the town lies the Weir Wood
Reservoir which offers sailing and a nature reserve which attracts an interesting assortment of birdlife. It is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
s have places of worship in the town, and several others used to be represented; Protestant
Nonconformism
has featured especially prominently for the last two centuries, in common with other parts of northern Sussex. Several other religious groups have connections with the town, from merely owning property to having national headquarters there.
The Church of England
has four places of worship in the town. St Swithun's Church
was founded in the 11th century. Architect James Wyatt
rebuilt it in local stone in 1789 after it became derelict and collapsed. Near the entrance to the church, three stones mark the supposed ashes of Anne Tree, Thomas Dunngate and John Forman who were burned as martyr
s on 18 July 1556 because they would not renounce the Protestant
faith. John Foxe
wrote about them in his 1,800-page Foxe's Book of Martyrs
. Two other churches are in St Swithun's parish. St Luke's Church in Holtye Avenue on the Stone Quarry estate was built in 1954 to serve the northeast of the town. St Barnabas' Church in Dunnings Road serves the south of the town; the present wooden structure of 1975 replaced an older church built in 1912. The fourth church, in the northwest of the town, is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Built by W.T. Lowdell over a 21-year period beginning in 1891, the Decorated Gothic church was consecrated in 1905. It was established by adherents of the Oxford Movement
, and services still follow a more Anglo-Catholic
style than East Grinstead's other Anglican churches.
Roman Catholics worship at the Church of Our Lady and St Peter, founded in 1898 by Edward Blount of the Blount baronetcy
, a resident of nearby Worth
. East Grinstead's first Nonconformist
church was the Zion Chapel, built in 1810 for the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
. The small evangelical Calvinistic
group owned the church until 1980; it is now used by Baptists and is called West Street Baptist Church
. Trinity Methodist Church is the much-expanded successor to older places of Methodist
worship in the town; the community dates back to 1868. The United Reformed Church
community meets in the Moat Church, a former Congregational
chapel built in the Early English style in 1870. Jehovah's Witnesses
worship at a modern Kingdom Hall
; the community, established in 1967, previously used a former Salvation Army
building. The meetinghouse of the LDS Church on Ship Street was built in 1985. A 2007 book also noted the New Life Church—a New Frontiers evangelical
charismatic church—the Kingdom Faith Church, another independent charismatic congregation, and the Full Gospel Church.
The Opus Dei Prelature have a conference centre at Wickenden Manor near the town , and Rosicrucians also have a presence in nearby Greenwood Gate. The United Kingdom headquarters of the Mormon
s, the London England Temple
, is just over the Surrey
border at Newchapel
; and the United Kingdom (and former world) headquarters of the Church of Scientology
is at Saint Hill Manor
on the southwestern edge of East Grinstead. Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard
bought the Georgian
mansion and its 24 hectares (59.3 acre) of grounds from the Maharaja
of Jaipur
in 1959, and lived in the town until 1967.
In 1994, a documentary entitled Why East Grinstead? was produced for Channel 4
's Witness strand of documentaries. It sought to examine and explain the convergence of such a wide variety of religious organisations in the East Grinstead area. The documentary, produced by Zed Productions and directed by Ian Sellar, reached no definite conclusion: explanations ranged from the local presence of ley line
s to the more prosaic idea that religious leaders had settled there because they liked the views.
, was built on its current site in the 1930s. During the World War II
the hospital was developed as a specialist burns unit by Sir Archibald McIndoe
. It became world famous for pioneering treatment of RAF and allied aircrew who were badly burned or crushed and required reconstructive plastic surgery. Most famously, it was where the Guinea Pig Club
was formed in 1941, as a club which then became a support network for the aircrew and their family members. The club still provides assistance for Guinea Pigs, and meets regularly in East Grinstead. The Duke of Edinburgh
is the current President of the club. Queen Victoria Hospital remains at the forefront of specialist care today, and is renowned for its burns treatment facilities and expertise throughout England.
During the War a German bombing run had targeted the town and a bomb hit the Whitehall Cinema where the city’s school children were taking shelter killing 108 and injuring 235. The town was devastated almost everyone in the town knew someone who lost or had a child injured. As such the townspeople became very supportive of the patients at the Queen Victoria Hospital. Even though horribly disfigured often missing limbs, and in the worse cases faces made up of burn tissue the townspeople would go out of their way to make the men feel normal even though they were horribly disfigured. Families invited the men to dinner and girls asked them to go on dates. Patients of the burn units remember the and cherish the charity received by the townspeople of East Grinstead.
In the winter of 2010, Claque Theatre produced the East Grinstead Community Play, which focussed on the bombing of the town in 1943, the work of Archibald McIndoe
and his team at the hospital and on the Guinea Pig Club
and its members. It was performed by local residents.
The East Grinstead Town Centre Master Plan was adopted on 10 July 2006 as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The scheme arranges regeneration of the town centre in association with Thornfield Properties PLC. As of September 2007 Thornfield Properties has submitted plans to the council for the start of an ambitious development of the Queens Walk and West Street area. It is expected that other redevelopment companies will fulfil targets outlined in the SPD over the next 20 years. Landowners and developers are being encouraged to put forward plans achieve the vision set out in the SDP. The Master Plan is part of a larger scheme which will also see the redevelopment of the Haywards Heath
and Burgess Hill
town centres.
The East Grinstead Town Centre Master Plan was adopted on 10 July 2006 as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The scheme arranges regeneration of the town centre. A legacy of 1970s buildings followed by decades of under-investment and short term planning have left the town with outdated retail spaces. The plan envisions a complete reconstruction of large parts of the town centre with a new town square as its focal point, a mix of commercial retail space, increased active shop frontage, and new residential properties. The clear priority as stated by Mid Sussex District Council is the regeneration of the town centre, Queensway car park, Queens Walk and West Street.
As of September 2007 Thornfield Properties plc had submitted plans to Mid Sussex District Council for the start of an ambitious development of the Queens Walk and West Street area. The Company collapsed in 2009 putting the future of the entire redevelopment scheme in doubt though the District Council is continuing to negotiate with other developers. It is expected that other redevelopment companies will fulfil targets outlined in the SPD over the next 20 years. Landowners and developers are being encouraged to put forward plans to achieve the vision set out in the SDP. The Master Plan is part of a larger scheme which will also see the redevelopment of the Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill town centres.[25]
The problems the town faces have directly affected the volume of trade and the town's economic well-being. Residents do much of their non food shopping out of town, which has resulted in some retailers in the town centre closing down and commercial premises being left vacant as they cannot compete with the more attractive shopping centres in Crawley and Tunbridge Wells with their better transport infrastructure and larger shop areas.[26] No public money is being spent, with the SPD being a guide for private developers and landowners to pursue the ideas. The SPD helps as in essence it shows locations in town which have been given an arbitrary planning permission for projects as long as they fulfil the guidelines set out in the SPD.
The County Council is seeking to invest in the roads infrastructure with emphasis on the key junctions along the A22 between the Town and Felbridge. This is considered essential to ease congestion. Plans for a new bypass, which attracted significant community opposition due to the scale of new housing required to fund it, have now been shelved by the principal authorities as undeliverable and unaffordable in the economic climate. A projected increase in population from new housing developments and an increase in tourism from the proposed linking of the town with the heritage Bluebell Railway will help service the plans to regenerate the town centre. These plans have been welcomed by many, although various public consultations made it clear that any development must retain the town's character. The railway station will also be redeveloped as its simple concrete construction, built to replace a grand wooden Victorian-era railway station that was sold and moved to the USA, is seen as an unattractive gateway into the town. The Station quarter is also due to be enhanced.
and Biggin Hill Airport are both within half an hour's drive. Hammerwood Park
has a helicopter landing site for visiting pilots (3.5 miles from the town).
has been a railway terminus since 1967, after the line from Three Bridges
, to Royal Tunbridge Wells
was closed under the Beeching Axe
, a rationalisation of British Railways' branch lines based on a report by Dr Richard Beeching
, a resident of the town at that time. (See also East Grinstead railway station
for history of rail lines). The closure of the line to Lewes
, part of the Bluebell Railway
, occurred in 1958.
In the late 1970s the town's inner relief road was built along a section of one of the closed railway lines and is named "Beeching Way". It is rumoured that this road, which runs through a cutting, was intended to be called "Beeching Cut", but that the name was altered at the last minute in the interests of formality. Much of rest of the trackbed of the disused Three Bridges to Groombridge line
now forms the route of the Worth Way and Forest Way
, highly prized linear Country Parks allowing easy access to the beautiful Wealden countryside.
line is being re-constructed by the Bluebell Railway
, a nearby preserved standard gauge railway. The extension work is being carried out in stages, and work on what will be the northernmost section of the line (which connects to the main national network at East Grinstead) is nearing completion. This includes the construction of a new Bluebell Railway station at East Grinstead, just to the south of the existing main-line station. However this does not mark the end of the project as a significant gap in the line remains in the form of the land-filled Imberhorne Cutting, which the Bluebell Railway aim to excavate. Fundraising and engineering work on this project are ongoing:
and A264 road
s. For just over a mile, from just to the north of the Town Centre to Felbridge
village in Surrey
, the two routes use the same stretch of single carriageway road. This is one of the principal causes of traffic congestion in the town.
The town is within commuting distance of London
(about 30 miles) and Crawley
/Gatwick (about 10 miles) by road. According to the 2001 Census
, one in eight residents commuted to Crawley for work with over 98% travelling by car.
County Council
provides seven primary schools along with two secondary schools. All these schools are co-educational and comprehensive. Private secondary education is provided by several day and boarding schools in the surrounding areas straddling Kent and Sussex.
with the towns of: Bourg-de-Péage
, France
Sant Feliu de Guíxols
, Spain
Mindelheim
, Germany
Schwaz
, Austria
Verbania
, Italy
are 8 metres (26.2 ft) tall sandstone crags in the south of the Parish. They are of interest as they reveal a three dimension picture of the sedimentary make up of the surrounding geology.
. The King's Centre leisure centre, currently owned and operated by Mid Sussex District Council is located on this land, which was left to the town by a local benfactor. The centre includes an indoor swimming pool and other facilities such as a gym and sports hall. The Council is currently reviewing the provisions of this facility and as part of this is looking at contracting out the management. There are floodlit tennis courts and bowling green at Mount Noddy and also tennis courts and a variety of pitches at East Court. East Grinstead is also home to East Grinstead Hockey Club
and east grinstead lacrosse club. The Super Adventure Club situates north of Saint Hill.
The local community radio station is 107 Meridian FM, found on 107 FM and also online.
Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex is a local government district in the English county of West Sussex. It contains the towns of East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill....
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
near the East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
borders. It lies 27 miles (43 km) south of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 21 miles (34 km) north northeast of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, and 38 miles (61 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. The civil parish covers an area of 2443.45 hectares (6,035 acres) and had a population of 23,942 persons in the 2001 census. Nearby towns include Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
to the west, Tunbridge Wells to the east and Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
and Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
to the northwest. The town is continuous with the village of Felbridge
Felbridge
Felbridge is a civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey. The village is forms a continuous settlement with East Grinstead.-External links:****...
to the northwest. Until 1974 East Grinstead was the centre for local government - East Grinstead Urban District Council - and was located in the county of East Sussex. East Grinstead, along with Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
, as part of the former Cuckfield Rural District Council, came together as Mid-Sussex; moving to the jurisdiction of West Sussex County Council. The town has many historic buildings and is located on the Greenwich Meridian. It is located in the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
and Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
lies to the south of the town.
Places of interest
The High Street contains one of the longest continuous runs of 14th-century timber-framed buildings in England. Other notable buildings in the town include Sackville CollegeSackville College
Sackville College is a Jacobean almshouse in town of East Grinstead, West Sussex, England.It was founded in 1609 with money left by Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset...
, the sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
built in 1609 where the Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
"Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas
"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen . During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step,...
" was written by John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale was an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn-writer.-Life:Neale was born in London, his parents being the Revd Cornelius Neale and Susanna Neale, daughter of John Mason Good...
. The college has sweeping views towards Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
. The adjacent St Swithun's Church, stands on the highest ground in the town and was rebuilt in the eighteenth century (the tower dating from 1789) to a perpendicular design by James Wyatt; its imposing building dominates the surrounding countryside for many miles around. In the churchyard are commemorated the East Grinstead Martyrs; and in the south-east corner is the grave of John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale
John Mason Neale was an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn-writer.-Life:Neale was born in London, his parents being the Revd Cornelius Neale and Susanna Neale, daughter of John Mason Good...
. The Greenwich Meridian runs through the grounds of the historic 1769 East Court mansion, home of the Town Council, giving the visitor an opportunity to stand with a foot in both the east and west. The mansion stands in a parkland setting. In 1968 the East Grinstead Society was founded as an independent body both to protect the historically important buildings of East Grinstead (and its environs) and to improve the amenities for future generations.
On the outskirts of the town is Standen
Standen
Standen is an Arts and Crafts house located near East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. The house and its surrounding gardens belong to the National Trust and are open to the public.-The house:...
, a country house belonging to the National Trust, containing one of the best collections of arts and crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
furnishings and fabrics. Off the A264 to Tunbridge Wells, there is a 1792 historic house called Hammerwood Park
Hammerwood Park
Hammerwood Park is a grade I listed country house near East Grinstead, Sussex, England at and Grade 1 listed of historical interest.- History :It was the first work of the architect Benjamin Latrobe...
(the first work of the future architect of the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
) which is open to the public twice a week in summer. East Grinstead House is the headquarters of the (UK and Ireland) Caravan Club
Caravan Club
The Caravan Club is an organisation representing caravanners in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1907 and now represents nearly 1 million members.-History:...
.
Local attractions include Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
(where the Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
stories are set) and the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
, a preserved heritage line with steam locomotives. The town is also the site of Queen Victoria Hospital
Queen Victoria Hospital
The Queen Victoria Hospital, located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital...
, where famed plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe
Archibald McIndoe
Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
treated burns victims of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and formed the Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
. The town is well located to visit Chartwell
Chartwell
Chartwell was the principal adult home of Sir Winston Churchill. Churchill and his wife Clementine bought the property, located two miles south of Westerham, Kent, England, in 1922...
the country home of Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Hever Castle
Hever Castle
Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever near Edenbridge, Kent, south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century...
home of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's second wife Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, and Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place is a historic building near Tonbridge, Kent, south east of London, England. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier, Sir Philip Sidney. The original medieval house is one of the most complete examples...
home of the Sidney
Sidney
Sidney may refer to:-United States:* Sidney, Arkansas* Sidney, Illinois* Sidney, Indiana* Sidney, Iowa* Sidney, Kentucky* Sidney, Maine* Sidney, Montana* Sidney, Nebraska* Sidney , New York** Sidney , New York* Sidney, Ohio...
family. Kidbrooke Park (today Michael Hall School), a home of the Hambro family, was restored by the noted Sussex architect and antiquarian, Walter Godfrey
Walter Godfrey
Walter Hindes Godfrey CBE, FSA, FRIBA , was an English architect, antiquary, and architectural and topographical historian. He was also a landscape architect and designer, and an accomplished draftsman and illustrator...
, as was Plawhatch Hall.
During the Second World War, the town became a secondary target for German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
bombers which failed to make their primary target elsewhere. On the afternoon of Friday the 9th of July 1943, a Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bomber became separated from its squadron, followed the main railway line and circled the town twice, then jettisoned seven bombs. Two bombs, one with a delayed-action fuse, fell on the Whitehall Theatre, a cinema on the London Road, where 184 people at the matinée show were watching a Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of popular short stories and twenty-eight novels based on the character....
film before the main feature. A total of 108 people were killed in the raid, including children in the cinema, many of whom were evacuees; and some twenty Canadian servicemen stationed locally, who were either in the cinema when it was hit, or arrived minutes later to help with rescuing survivors. This was the largest loss of life of any single air raid
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
In 2006, the East Grinstead Town Museum was moved to new custom-built premises in the historic centre of the town, and successfully re-opened to the public. The Chequer Mead Community Arts Centre includes a modern 349-seat purpose-built theatre, which stages professional and amateur plays and music (local rock groups to chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
orchestras), opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, tribute band
Tribute band
A tribute act is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act - sometimes one which has disbanded, ceased touring or is deceased. Probably the largest class of tributes acts are Elvis impersonators, individual performers who mimic the songs and style...
s, and talks. The centre has a large art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
for temporary exhibitions.
In addition to the nearby Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
, East Grinstead is served by the Forest Way
Forest Way
The Forest Way is a linear Country park providing walking, cycling, horse riding and the quiet enjoyment of the countryside. It runs for around 16 km from East Grinstead to Groombridge....
and Worth Way linear Country Parks which follow the disused railway line from Three Bridges
Three Bridges
Three Bridges is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley, in the county of West Sussex in England.-History:Three Bridges was a tiny hamlet, which first began to grow with the coming of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841...
all the way through to Groombridge
Groombridge
thumb|right|A house in GroombridgeGroombridge is a village of about 1,600 people. It straddles the border between Kent and East Sussex, in England. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells, about away by road....
and which are part of the Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
national cycle network. To the south of the town lies the Weir Wood
Weir Wood
Weir Wood Reservoir is a long stretch of water, situated close to Forest Row, East Sussex, England, on the north-western margins of Ashdown Forest. It has a full water capacity of , covering a site of . The reservoir was built over the period 1951-54, a process which involved damming the valley of...
Reservoir which offers sailing and a nature reserve which attracts an interesting assortment of birdlife. It is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Religious organisations
East Grinstead has an unusually diverse range of religious and spiritual organisations for a town of its size. A broad range of mainstream Christian denominationChristian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
s have places of worship in the town, and several others used to be represented; Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Nonconformism
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
has featured especially prominently for the last two centuries, in common with other parts of northern Sussex. Several other religious groups have connections with the town, from merely owning property to having national headquarters there.
The Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
has four places of worship in the town. St Swithun's Church
St. Swithun's Church, East Grinstead
St. Swithun's is a church in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. A Grade II* listed building.The site had a church since the 11th century. It was struck by lightning in 1772 and after it was rebuilt by James Wyatt it was opened in 1789. It is situated on a hill-top site near entrance to town,...
was founded in the 11th century. Architect James Wyatt
James Wyatt
James Wyatt RA , was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical style, who far outdid Adam in his work in the neo-Gothic style.-Early classical career:...
rebuilt it in local stone in 1789 after it became derelict and collapsed. Near the entrance to the church, three stones mark the supposed ashes of Anne Tree, Thomas Dunngate and John Forman who were burned as martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s on 18 July 1556 because they would not renounce the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
faith. John Foxe
John Foxe
John Foxe was an English historian and martyrologist, the author of what is popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, , an account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history but emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants and proto-Protestants from the fourteenth century through the...
wrote about them in his 1,800-page Foxe's Book of Martyrs
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
The Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe, more accurately Acts and Monuments, is an account from a Protestant point of view of Christian church history and martyrology...
. Two other churches are in St Swithun's parish. St Luke's Church in Holtye Avenue on the Stone Quarry estate was built in 1954 to serve the northeast of the town. St Barnabas' Church in Dunnings Road serves the south of the town; the present wooden structure of 1975 replaced an older church built in 1912. The fourth church, in the northwest of the town, is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. Built by W.T. Lowdell over a 21-year period beginning in 1891, the Decorated Gothic church was consecrated in 1905. It was established by adherents of the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
, and services still follow a more Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
style than East Grinstead's other Anglican churches.
Roman Catholics worship at the Church of Our Lady and St Peter, founded in 1898 by Edward Blount of the Blount baronetcy
Blount Baronets
The Blount Baronetcy of Sodington, [Mamble] in the County of Worcester, was created in the Baronetage of England on 5 October 1642 for Walter Blount, High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1619 and Member of Parliament for Droitwich from 1624 to 1625. He later fought as a Royalist in the Civil War. He...
, a resident of nearby Worth
Worth, West Sussex
The civil parish of Worth, which includes the villages of Copthorne, West Sussex and Crawley Down, covers an area of and has a population of 9888 persons. The ecclesiastical parish was one of the larger West Sussex parishes, encompassing the entire area along the West Sussex/Surrey border between...
. East Grinstead's first Nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
church was the Zion Chapel, built in 1810 for the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina, Countess of Huntingdon as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist Methodist movement of George Whitefield...
. The small evangelical Calvinistic
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
group owned the church until 1980; it is now used by Baptists and is called West Street Baptist Church
West Street Baptist Church, East Grinstead
West Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church in East Grinstead, a town in the district of Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex...
. Trinity Methodist Church is the much-expanded successor to older places of Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
worship in the town; the community dates back to 1868. The United Reformed Church
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
community meets in the Moat Church, a former Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
chapel built in the Early English style in 1870. Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
worship at a modern Kingdom Hall
Kingdom Hall
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii...
; the community, established in 1967, previously used a former Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
building. The meetinghouse of the LDS Church on Ship Street was built in 1985. A 2007 book also noted the New Life Church—a New Frontiers evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
charismatic church—the Kingdom Faith Church, another independent charismatic congregation, and the Full Gospel Church.
The Opus Dei Prelature have a conference centre at Wickenden Manor near the town , and Rosicrucians also have a presence in nearby Greenwood Gate. The United Kingdom headquarters of the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
s, the London England Temple
London England Temple
The London England Temple is the 12th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Newchapel, Surrey, England....
, is just over the Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
border at Newchapel
Newchapel, Surrey
Newchapel is a village in Surrey, England. It lies on the A22 between Godstone and East Grinstead. It is the location of the London England Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The temple, only open to followers of that religious group, has a visitors' centre where the...
; and the United Kingdom (and former world) headquarters of the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
is at Saint Hill Manor
Saint Hill Manor
Saint Hill Manor is a country house at Saint Hill Green, Mid Sussex, near East Grinstead, West Sussex, England that serves as the location of the head office for the Church of Scientology in the United Kingdom.-Early history:...
on the southwestern edge of East Grinstead. Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
bought the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion and its 24 hectares (59.3 acre) of grounds from the Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
in 1959, and lived in the town until 1967.
In 1994, a documentary entitled Why East Grinstead? was produced for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Witness strand of documentaries. It sought to examine and explain the convergence of such a wide variety of religious organisations in the East Grinstead area. The documentary, produced by Zed Productions and directed by Ian Sellar, reached no definite conclusion: explanations ranged from the local presence of ley line
Ley line
Ley lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical and historical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords...
s to the more prosaic idea that religious leaders had settled there because they liked the views.
In World War II
In 1863, the then cottage hospital, Queen Victoria HospitalQueen Victoria Hospital
The Queen Victoria Hospital, located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital...
, was built on its current site in the 1930s. During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the hospital was developed as a specialist burns unit by Sir Archibald McIndoe
Archibald McIndoe
Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
. It became world famous for pioneering treatment of RAF and allied aircrew who were badly burned or crushed and required reconstructive plastic surgery. Most famously, it was where the Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
was formed in 1941, as a club which then became a support network for the aircrew and their family members. The club still provides assistance for Guinea Pigs, and meets regularly in East Grinstead. The Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
is the current President of the club. Queen Victoria Hospital remains at the forefront of specialist care today, and is renowned for its burns treatment facilities and expertise throughout England.
During the War a German bombing run had targeted the town and a bomb hit the Whitehall Cinema where the city’s school children were taking shelter killing 108 and injuring 235. The town was devastated almost everyone in the town knew someone who lost or had a child injured. As such the townspeople became very supportive of the patients at the Queen Victoria Hospital. Even though horribly disfigured often missing limbs, and in the worse cases faces made up of burn tissue the townspeople would go out of their way to make the men feel normal even though they were horribly disfigured. Families invited the men to dinner and girls asked them to go on dates. Patients of the burn units remember the and cherish the charity received by the townspeople of East Grinstead.
In the winter of 2010, Claque Theatre produced the East Grinstead Community Play, which focussed on the bombing of the town in 1943, the work of Archibald McIndoe
Archibald McIndoe
Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
and his team at the hospital and on the Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
and its members. It was performed by local residents.
Redevelopment
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
and Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill
Burgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
town centres.
The East Grinstead Town Centre Master Plan was adopted on 10 July 2006 as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The scheme arranges regeneration of the town centre. A legacy of 1970s buildings followed by decades of under-investment and short term planning have left the town with outdated retail spaces. The plan envisions a complete reconstruction of large parts of the town centre with a new town square as its focal point, a mix of commercial retail space, increased active shop frontage, and new residential properties. The clear priority as stated by Mid Sussex District Council is the regeneration of the town centre, Queensway car park, Queens Walk and West Street.
As of September 2007 Thornfield Properties plc had submitted plans to Mid Sussex District Council for the start of an ambitious development of the Queens Walk and West Street area. The Company collapsed in 2009 putting the future of the entire redevelopment scheme in doubt though the District Council is continuing to negotiate with other developers. It is expected that other redevelopment companies will fulfil targets outlined in the SPD over the next 20 years. Landowners and developers are being encouraged to put forward plans to achieve the vision set out in the SDP. The Master Plan is part of a larger scheme which will also see the redevelopment of the Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill town centres.[25]
The problems the town faces have directly affected the volume of trade and the town's economic well-being. Residents do much of their non food shopping out of town, which has resulted in some retailers in the town centre closing down and commercial premises being left vacant as they cannot compete with the more attractive shopping centres in Crawley and Tunbridge Wells with their better transport infrastructure and larger shop areas.[26] No public money is being spent, with the SPD being a guide for private developers and landowners to pursue the ideas. The SPD helps as in essence it shows locations in town which have been given an arbitrary planning permission for projects as long as they fulfil the guidelines set out in the SPD.
The County Council is seeking to invest in the roads infrastructure with emphasis on the key junctions along the A22 between the Town and Felbridge. This is considered essential to ease congestion. Plans for a new bypass, which attracted significant community opposition due to the scale of new housing required to fund it, have now been shelved by the principal authorities as undeliverable and unaffordable in the economic climate. A projected increase in population from new housing developments and an increase in tourism from the proposed linking of the town with the heritage Bluebell Railway will help service the plans to regenerate the town centre. These plans have been welcomed by many, although various public consultations made it clear that any development must retain the town's character. The railway station will also be redeveloped as its simple concrete construction, built to replace a grand wooden Victorian-era railway station that was sold and moved to the USA, is seen as an unattractive gateway into the town. The Station quarter is also due to be enhanced.
Geography
Crime
Crime rates in East Grinstead are lower than the national average.| Offence | Locally | Nationally |
|---|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.32 | 1.85 |
| Theft of a motor vehicle | 1.79 | 4.04 |
| Theft from a motor vehicle | 5.34 | 9.59 |
| Sexual offences | 0.62 | 1.17 |
| Violence against a person | 11.28 | 19.97 |
| Burglary | 2.58 | 5.67 |
Air
Gatwick Airport is 10 miles from the town, whilst Redhill AerodromeRedhill Aerodrome
Redhill Aerodrome is located southeast of Redhill, Surrey, England, in green belt land.Redhill Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee .-Early history:The airfield came into use in the...
and Biggin Hill Airport are both within half an hour's drive. Hammerwood Park
Hammerwood Park
Hammerwood Park is a grade I listed country house near East Grinstead, Sussex, England at and Grade 1 listed of historical interest.- History :It was the first work of the architect Benjamin Latrobe...
has a helicopter landing site for visiting pilots (3.5 miles from the town).
Rail
East GrinsteadEast Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...
has been a railway terminus since 1967, after the line from Three Bridges
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
, to Royal Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells railway station
Tunbridge Wells railway station serves Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by Southeastern. It is located directly on the double-tracked electrified Hastings Line....
was closed under the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, a rationalisation of British Railways' branch lines based on a report by Dr Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
, a resident of the town at that time. (See also East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...
for history of rail lines). The closure of the line to Lewes
Lewes railway station
Lewes railway station serves the town of Lewes in East Sussex, England. It has five platforms and is on the East Coastway Line. Train services are provided by Southern.The station has a café and a newsagent, and there is a taxi office on the main forecourt...
, part of the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
, occurred in 1958.
In the late 1970s the town's inner relief road was built along a section of one of the closed railway lines and is named "Beeching Way". It is rumoured that this road, which runs through a cutting, was intended to be called "Beeching Cut", but that the name was altered at the last minute in the interests of formality. Much of rest of the trackbed of the disused Three Bridges to Groombridge line
Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
The Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line was a railway line running from Three Bridges in West Sussex to Tunbridge Wells Central in Kent via East Grinstead in East Sussex, a distance of . Opened in 1855, the main section of the line was a casualty of the Beeching Axe the last train ran on...
now forms the route of the Worth Way and Forest Way
Forest Way
The Forest Way is a linear Country park providing walking, cycling, horse riding and the quiet enjoyment of the countryside. It runs for around 16 km from East Grinstead to Groombridge....
, highly prized linear Country Parks allowing easy access to the beautiful Wealden countryside.
Bluebell Railway connection
A part of the LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
line is being re-constructed by the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
, a nearby preserved standard gauge railway. The extension work is being carried out in stages, and work on what will be the northernmost section of the line (which connects to the main national network at East Grinstead) is nearing completion. This includes the construction of a new Bluebell Railway station at East Grinstead, just to the south of the existing main-line station. However this does not mark the end of the project as a significant gap in the line remains in the form of the land-filled Imberhorne Cutting, which the Bluebell Railway aim to excavate. Fundraising and engineering work on this project are ongoing:
Road
The town lies on the junction of the A22A22 road
The A22 is one of the two-digit major roads in the south east of England. It carries traffic from London to Eastbourne on the East Sussex coast...
and A264 road
A264 road
The A264 is an east-west road in southern England that runs from Pembury in west Kent to Five Oaks in West Sussex.There have been a number of notable changes in this important east-west route which follows the north Sussex border with Kent and Surrey....
s. For just over a mile, from just to the north of the Town Centre to Felbridge
Felbridge
Felbridge is a civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey. The village is forms a continuous settlement with East Grinstead.-External links:****...
village in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the two routes use the same stretch of single carriageway road. This is one of the principal causes of traffic congestion in the town.
The town is within commuting distance of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(about 30 miles) and Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
/Gatwick (about 10 miles) by road. According to the 2001 Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, one in eight residents commuted to Crawley for work with over 98% travelling by car.
Education
Education in the town is provided through both state and independent schools. West SussexWest Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
provides seven primary schools along with two secondary schools. All these schools are co-educational and comprehensive. Private secondary education is provided by several day and boarding schools in the surrounding areas straddling Kent and Sussex.
State primary schools
- Baldwins Hill Primary School - a 100-pupil primary school in buildings opened in 1898. It is federated with Halsford Park Primary
- Blackwell Primary School - a 200-pupil primary school opened in 1955, moving into new buildings in 2006.
- Estcots Primary School - a 400-pupil primary school built in the 1970s
- Halsford Park Primary School - a 400-pupil primary school, opened in 1958 and now federated with Baldwins Hill Primary
- Meads Primary School - a 250-pupil primary school
- St Mary's CE Primary School - a 200-pupil Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
primary school, originally opened in 1885 moving to current buildings in 1955 - St Peter's RC Primary School - a 200-pupil Roman Catholic primary school, originally opened in 1885
State secondary schools
- Imberhorne SchoolImberhorne SchoolImberhorne School is a comprehensive school with specialist Language College status situated in East Grinstead, West Sussex in England. The school caters for children between the ages of 11 and 18. The school roll totals 1650 including 300 in the Sixth Form, and the school is situated on two...
- Sackville School
Twin towns
The town is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the towns of: Bourg-de-Péage
Bourg-de-Péage
Bourg-de-Péage is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-International relations:Bourg-de-Péage is twinned with: Schwaz, Austria Mindelheim, Germany Verbania, Italy Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain East Grinstead, United Kingdom-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Sant Feliu de Guíxols is a municipality in the comarca of the Baix Empordà inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the Costa Brava and is an important port and tourist centre. The district abuts to the north, the upmarket s'Agaró resort built round the Sant Pol Beach. In addition to tourism and the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Mindelheim
Mindelheim
Mindelheim is a town in the German Bundesland of Bavaria. The town is the capital of the Unterallgäu district. At various points in history it was the chief settlement of an eponymous state.- Geography :...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Schwaz
Schwaz
Schwaz is a city in Tyrol, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Schwaz district . Schwaz is located in the lower Inn valley, and has a population of about 13,000....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
Verbania
Verbania
Verbania is a city and comune on the shore of Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, in northwest Italy, about north-west of Milan and about from Locarno in Switzerland.-Overview:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Landmarks
There are some Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the parish. Stone Hill RocksStone Hill Rocks
Stone Farm Rocks are a series of sandstone crags and a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the county of West Sussex, England. The site consists of high sandstone crags...
are 8 metres (26.2 ft) tall sandstone crags in the south of the Parish. They are of interest as they reveal a three dimension picture of the sedimentary make up of the surrounding geology.
Famous residents
- Dr. Richard BeechingRichard BeechingRichard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
- W. H. DaviesW. H. DaviesWilliam Henry Davies or W. H. Davies was a Welsh poet and writer. Davies spent a significant part of his life as a tramp or vagabond in the United States and United Kingdom, but became known as one of the most popular poets of his time...
with wife Helen (first home at Tor Leven, Cantelupe Road, after marrying at the Register Office). - Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
- Ted HuttTed HuttTed Hutt is a British music producer, musician, and song writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for Flogging Molly...
- Jane LeevesJane LeevesJane Leeves is an English film, stage, and television actress, comedienne and dancer.Leeves made her screen debut with a small role in the 1983 popular British comedy television show The Benny Hill Show. Leeves moved to the United States, where she performed in small roles until she secured a...
, actress - Rev. Dr. John Mason NealeJohn Mason NealeJohn Mason Neale was an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn-writer.-Life:Neale was born in London, his parents being the Revd Cornelius Neale and Susanna Neale, daughter of John Mason Good...
- Sir Archibald McIndoeArchibald McIndoeSir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who worked for the Royal Air Force during World War II. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.-Background:...
- Sir Patrick MoorePatrick MooreSir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS is a British amateur astronomer who has attained prominent status in astronomy as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter of the subject, and who is credited as having done more than any other person to raise the profile of...
(lived at Glencathara, Worsted Lane, 1929–1965) - Louise RedknappLouise RedknappLouise Elizabeth Redknapp is an English singer and media personality. She was a member of the girl group Eternal from 1992 to 1995, before becoming a solo singer . She has presented several television shows and served as a judge on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance...
- Andrew SullivanAndrew SullivanAndrew Michael Sullivan is an English author, editor, political commentator and blogger. He describes himself as a political conservative. He has focused on American political life....
- Johnny WaldronJohnny WaldronJohnny Waldron , also known as "Big Bad" Johnny Waldron, was a Light Heavyweight professional boxer based in Great Britain and Germany during the 1970s and early 1980s...
- George GodleyGeorge GodleyGeorge Albert Godley was a police officer of the Metropolitan Police who was involved in the hunt for Jack the Ripper in 1888....
- Right Said FredRight Said FredRight Said Fred is an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli. The group is named after a song of the same name which was a hit for Bernard Cribbins in 1962...
- Peter AndrePeter AndréPeter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...
- Martin White
East Grinstead in literature
- East Grinstead is the destination of the adulterous lovers Norman and Annie in Alan AyckbournAlan AyckbournSir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their...
's trilogy of plays entitled The Norman Conquests. It was chosen because Norman, after some effort, couldn't get in at Hastings. In the 1978 BBC T.V. version of the trilogy, Norman and Annie were portrayed by Tom ContiTom ContiThomas "Tom" Conti is a Scottish actor, theatre director and novelist.-Early life:Born Thomas Conti in Paisley, Renfrewshire, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but he considers himself anti-religious...
and Penelope WiltonPenelope WiltonPenelope Alice Wilton, OBE is an English actress.-Life and career:Penelope Alice Wilton was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a former actress mother and a businessman father. She is a niece of actors Bill Travers and Linden Travers and a cousin of the actor Richard Morant...
.
- East Grinstead also features in Christopher FowlerChristopher FowlerChristopher Fowler is an English thriller writer. In addition to his numerous horror, satire and crime novels, he has also written a Sherlock Holmes audio drama for BBC 7 entitled The Lady Downstairs...
's novel, Psychoville (1995), in which the town features as harbouring the fictional Invicta Cross, as well as the eventual New Invicta. The town of New Invicta was later used by Jo Amey in Heist as a safehouse
- East Grinstead is mentioned in the lyrics to British musician Robyn HitchcockRobyn HitchcockRobyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
's song, Listening To The Higsons. ("The Higsons come from Norwich, but I prefer East Grinstead.")
- East Grinstead is the home of Harry Witherspoon, one of the lead characters in a musical comedy by Flaherty and Ahrens called "Lucky Stiff".
- East Grinstead is mentioned a couple of times in Monty Pythons Flying Circus. It was mentioned that several letters come from the "East Grinstead Friday."
- East Grinstead is the hometown of Katie Castle in the chick lit novel The Favours and Fortunes of Katie Castle (US title: Slave to Fashion) by Rebecca Campbell.
- East Grinstead features in "the East Grinstead Song" by RHnineteen
- East Grinstead is mentioned and has scene's set in the town in TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
Children of Earth.
Sports and social clubs
East Grinstead is well served by local sports and social clubs. Municipal facilities include the King George's Field, named as a memorial to King George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. The King's Centre leisure centre, currently owned and operated by Mid Sussex District Council is located on this land, which was left to the town by a local benfactor. The centre includes an indoor swimming pool and other facilities such as a gym and sports hall. The Council is currently reviewing the provisions of this facility and as part of this is looking at contracting out the management. There are floodlit tennis courts and bowling green at Mount Noddy and also tennis courts and a variety of pitches at East Court. East Grinstead is also home to East Grinstead Hockey Club
East Grinstead Hockey Club
East Grinstead Hockey Club is a field hockey club, founded in 1897. It is based in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. The men's 1st XI play in the English Hockey League Premier Division, while the women's 1st XI play in the South Club's Women Hockey Division 3B...
and east grinstead lacrosse club. The Super Adventure Club situates north of Saint Hill.
Media
The local weekly newspaper is the East Grinstead Courier & Observer, published each Thursday.The local community radio station is 107 Meridian FM, found on 107 FM and also online.