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Arts & Entertainment
One of Mid Sussex’s
greatest assets is the opportunity for the enjoyment of a variety
of cultural activities from nationally renowned events, to arts
festivals and garden open days. Town and Parish Councils and local
charities are also active in organising celebrations, festivals,
village days and fetes.
The district provides a number of small arts venues; Chequer Mead
Theatre & Arts Centre; Clair Hall; and Martlets Hall; which
host touring and local theatre productions, a variety of music genres,
comedy clubs, cinema screenings and exhibitions throughout the year.
There is also a particularly strong and dedicated voluntary sector
with local clubs and societies providing many cultural activities,
events and facilities. Arts Gigantic, the Mid Sussex District Council
Arts Festival runs during May and June each year.
The South of England Showground at Ardingly is host to a number
of shows throughout the year, including the famous South of England
Show. The All England Show Jumping Course at Hickstead hosts international
and national fixtures, whilst the London to Brighton Cycle Ride
passes through the district on its way south to the coast.
Leisure Activities
Offering a vast choice of activities to help maintain a healthy
and active lifestyle, Mid Sussex District Council runs Olympos leisure
centres in the three towns.
All three centres have health clubs, swimming pools, a full programme
of fitness and aquafit classes, and run children’s activities
throughout the school holidays. See town pages 28 - 39 for more
information.
There are a number of Xtreme Action sites dotted around the district,
which are safe, specialised areas designed specifically for Roller
Bladers, Scooters, Skate Boarders and BMX riders.
As well as the leisure centres, there are plenty of other activities
on offer in the area, including; mountain biking through Gravetye
Forest; sailing and fishing at Ardingly and Weir Wood Reservoirs;
tennis throughout the district; or golf on one of the many stunning
courses.
Sussex Downland
Mid Sussex is known for its beautiful unspoilt  countryside,
and over half the district is designated an Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty. From the rolling hills of the South Downs to the
ancient woodlands and heathland of the High Weald in the north,
there are a wide variety of landscapes and tranquil walking areas.
The beauty of the South Downs has been recognised and it is hoped
to soon become England’s newest National Park.
The district’s trails and bridleways are excellent for walkers,
cyclists and horse riders alike. Devils Dyke, near Poynings attracts
visitors every year as does the High Weald in the north with its
magnificent and complex landscape of hills, ridges, valleys and
majestic woodlands which, between the 13th and 17th Centuries, was
the centre of the early iron industry.
The 101-mile South Downs Way cuts through the District on its way
from Eastbourne to Winchester. The path follows what is believed
to have been a Stone Age flint-trading route. The High Weald Landscape
Trail stretches 90 miles from Rye to Horsham, and circular walks
that link with the trail go from East Grinstead to West Hoathly
and Horsted Keynes, and Balcombe to Ardingly and Handcross.
 The
7-mile Worth Way follows a disused railway line between Three Bridges
and East Grinstead. Part of the SUSTRANS national cycle route 21,
it is a pleasant country walk and is suitable for horse riding and
cycling. Linking to the Worth Way in East Grinstead, and connecting
with the Vanguard Way and Sussex Border Path is the Forest Way,
which flows east from East Grinstead to Groombridge in East Sussex.
As well as these nationally recognised routes, there are also many
circular and local walks to enjoy.
The district’s natural beauty provides a haven for flora and
fauna, and it is blessed with a wide variety of parks and open spaces.
Nature Reserves provide a quiet oasis and a haven for wildlife and
rare plants, and are free to visit. Many of the Nature Reserves
are designated as sites of conservation and scientific importance.
Scrase Valley, near Haywards Heath, covers 15 acres of tranquil
woodland, grassland, marsh  and
scrub that provide a haven for wildlife and rare plants. Eastern
Road, a rambling nine-acre reserve near Lindfield, was left to grow
wild for 30 years, and is now home to many birds and wildlife.
Bedelands Farm, with woodlands, ponds and wild flower meadows, is
part of the ‘Green Crescent’, a series of attractive
open spaces around Burgess Hill.
Ashplats Wood, East Grinstead is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty. The woodland, much of it centuries old, is typical
of the High Weald landscape, with oak and ash trees and a coppice
of hazel, holly and hawthorn. In spring the wood is carpeted with
bluebells and wood anemones, and wildlife includes the protected
great crested newt and the dormouse.
Other reserves and woodlands can be found at; Ardingly Reservoir,
Blunts Wood and Paiges Meadow, near Haywards Heath; and Weir Wood
Reservoir and Gravetye Forest near East Grinstead.
Out and About
With miles of stunning countryside, a wealth of historic houses,
celebrated gardens, family attractions and sporting amenities, there
is something to suit everyone in Mid Sussex.
Mid Sussex is home to the Great Gardens of Sussex, gardens linked
by history, plant explorers and collections; Borde Hill near Haywards
Heath, High Beeches and Nymans at Handcross and Wakehurst Place
and the Millennium Seed Bank in Ardingly, managed by Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, offer beauty, colour and tranquillity all year round.
Mid Sussex is also home to some award-winning wine estates, Ridgeview
near Burgess Hill, and Bookers at Bolney.
Historic buildings worthy of a visit include: The Priest House,
an early 15th Century timber framed hall-house in West Hoathly;
Sackville College, a Jacobean Almshouse in East Grinstead; Standen,
near East Grinstead, which is filled with the distinctive furniture,
wallpapers and textiles of William Morris; and Newtimber Place,
a 17th century moated house.
Two of the area’s most famous landmarks are Jack & Jill
Windmills at Clayton. Jill Mill has been fully restored to working
order by volunteers, and is open to the public, while Jack is a
private home.
Find out more about the history of the area, including the discovery
of the world’s first iguanodon, at Cuckfield local museum,
and the Second World War Guinea Pig Club’s pioneering plastic
surgery at East Grinstead town museum.
Young children will love meeting the animals at Washbrooks Family
Farm, or following the amazing “maize maze” at Tulleys
Farm.
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Foreword
