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Haywards Heath is the administrative centre of Mid Sussex. It has a population of approximately 23,000. Many of its residents commute each day to London, Brighton, Crawley, and Gatwick but many people also work in the town, which is a thriving commercial centre in its own right.

In 1841 the first railway link between London and Haywards Heath was opened, giving rise to a new period of growth and prosperity. In the 1960s and 70s two modern light industrial estates were built near the station and there was a large increase in house building. At this time the commercial element of the town began to gain momentum with many new office developments. The Orchards Shopping Centre, situated off the main shopping thoroughfare in South Road, opened in 1980.

In The Orchards pedestrian precinct are the main Post Office and a wide variety of shops. Together with The Broadway, Sussex Road and Commercial Square, there is a good range of facilities catering for all needs. Sainsburys is on the site of the former cattle market, which had operated in Haywards Heath since 1866. The town also has a good selection of restaurants to suit all tastes.

Muster Green is a Conservation Area, and with its traditional ornamental flowerbeds, bordered by Victorian and Edwardian houses with the War Memorial at the apex, forms a splendid entrance to the town. The town has 48 listed buildings and one of the oldest, The Dolphin Public House built in the 16th century, overlooks the Green. Opposite The Dolphin Public House are the North Downs Division Police Headquarters and the Magistrates Courts, which serve the whole of Mid Sussex.

St. Paul’s RC Church and St Wilfrid’s Parish Church are the two most prominent ecclesiastical buildings. St Wilfrid’s, with it’s fine old Sussex design of tower, caps the ridge in the centre of the town and forms a focal point when approaching from Muster Green.

The town has two hospitals; The Princess Royal, which was built within the grounds of the former St Francis Psychiatric Hospital, a listed building; and the private Ashdown Nuffield.

The town is well equipped with leisure facilities. Olympos Haywards Heath provides a state of the art health club, two pools and facilities for indoor sports. There are also many outdoor sports pitches and courts around the town. Victoria Park, in the town centre, includes a children’s play area, paddling pool, and an Xtreme Action area for BMXing, bikes, roller blading and skate boarding. On the edge of the town is Beech Hurst Gardens, an attractive public park with a wildflower meadow, picnic lawn, croquet, petanque, tennis and pitch & putt facilities. A steam-driven miniature railway runs through the park.

Fox Hill with its adjacent Townscape Protection Area runs towards Wivelsfield down the sandstone ridge to the south of the town, past the remnants of ancient Anscombe Wood. From here you can see tempting glimpses of open countryside and of the Downs above Ditchling and Plumpton.

Mid Sussex District Council’s offices are situated in Oaklands Road and offer an information Help Point service to residents and visitors. The Town Council offices, in the Town Hall, Boltro Road also provide a Help Point Service, and has meeting rooms available for hire. The Town Council supports many organisations, including the Town Twinning Association. The Town is twinned with Traunstein in Bavaria and with Bondues in northern France (7 miles from Lille).

Further details, including an official guide and street plan of Haywards Heath are available from the Town Council offices, open hs to the public from 10am to 4pm each weekday, telephone: 01444 455694.