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 East
Grinstead is situated halfway between London and the south coast
on the Greenwich meridian. Its population is around 25,000. The
town lies in the middle of the Weald, on a hill over 400 feet above
sea level. Its ancient heart remains unspoilt, ringed by modern
housing and surrounded by farms, woodland and the great open space
of Ashdown Forest.
The town was founded as a borough some 780 years ago. The High Street,
planned in the early 13th century, still has an almost unbroken
line of timber-framed buildings along its southern side. Some are
over 650 years old and boast fourteen of the open-hall type. It
is officially classified as an outstanding conservation area.
The parish church, designed by James Wyatt, replaced a medieval
building destroyed by the fall of the tower in 1785. The churchyard,
closed in 1868, contains many interesting gravestones, including
the memorial to John Mason Neale, the hymn-writer. He was Warden
of nearby Sackville College, an early 17th century almshouse, which
is still in residential use. This Grade I listed building is open
to the public in summer. Neale also founded the Society of St Margaret,
whose old convent, in Moat Road, has been converted to private housing.
East Court, on the edge of the town, is a former private house built
in 1769, and now houses the Town Council. East Grinstead Museum,
in Cantelupe Road, displays the town’s history in a new state
of the art building . London Road is a popular shopping area and
is well served by both old-established family businesses and well-known
high street names. A farmers market is held on the 1st & 3rd
Thursday each month in the historic High Street.
Olympos East Grinstead is well equipped, with a Health Club, swimming
pool and sports facilities. Nearby is an Xtreme Action area for
in-line skaters, skate boarders and BMX riders. There are also many
other outdoor sports facilities including Mount Noddy, which has
a play area and tennis courts. East Grinstead also has several sports
clubs, a mountain bike park, a cinema and two nightclubs. The modern
public library is well stocked and there are several halls for meetings
and functions. The Chequer Mead Arts Centre and Theatre, converted
from a former school, houses a well equipped theatre and meeting
rooms.
To the north of the town, the Queen Victoria Hospital serves as
a general hospital for the area and has an international reputation
for plastic surgery, burns and ophthalmic surgery dating back to
World War II.
The East Grinstead Society acts as a watchdog on amenity and conservation
matters and the Town Twinning Association promotes a variety of
links with towns in five European countries. Other organisations
cater for a range of interests and there is a flourishing adult
education programme.
East Grinstead has its own rail link to London (30 miles to London
Bridge or Victoria), via East Croydon. Gatwick Airport is 7miles
away. Bus services link East Grinstead with nearby towns and the
villages in between.
South of the town, Standen House, built by Philip Webb between 1891-94,
is run by the National Trust and is open from April to October.
Weir Wood Reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
for ornithology, and is also a sailing and coarse fishing centre.
The Bluebell Railway, currently being extended to East Grinstead
from Kingscote (just outside the town), is the country’s oldest
standard gauge preserved passenger steam line.
The town is surrounded by magnificent views and unspoilt countryside,
notably Ashdown Forest’s 25 square miles of heathland. The
town and its countryside are best explored on foot, using the public
bridleways and footpaths and aided by the leaflets and books of
walks, which are available from the Tourist Information Point in
East Grinstead library.
The Worth Way, west of East Grinstead, with the Forest Way to the
east, was a millennium project forming part of the National Cycle
Network, a visionary project to provide an 8,000-mile network of
cycle routes giving access to towns and countryside.
For further information regarding East Grinstead tourism, contact:
Simon Kerr, East Grinstead Tourism Officer. Tel: 01342 410121.
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Foreword
