Heathfield is a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
and former
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
, now in the parish of
Heathfield and Waldron, in the
Wealden District
Wealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England. Its council is based in Hailsham, the district's second largest town. The district also includes the towns of Crowborough, Polegate and Uckfield, along with numerous villages an ...
of
East Sussex
East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...
, England. The town had a population of 7,667 in 2021. Locals know it by "Heffle".
Location
Heathfield lies near the junction of two main roads: the
A267 between
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly Tunbridge Wells) is a town in Kent, England, southeast of Central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the Weald, High Weald, whose sand ...
and
Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...
; and the
A265 from
Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The village is located close to the border with East Sussex, around south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells and within the High Weald Area of Outstanding N ...
. It is almost equidistant from Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne: approximately 16 mi (26 km).
History
Historically, Heathfield lay on an ancient
trackway
Historic roads (or historic trails in the US and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient track ...
connecting the
South Downs
The South Downs are a range of chalk hills in the south-eastern coastal counties of England that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, in the ...
with the
Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Kent. It has three parts, the sandstone "High W ...
.
The Manor of Heathfield lies in the parish of the same name. The earliest known record for the manor is a market grant given to
Ralph, Bishop of Chichester by
Henry III in 1234. The rights to a fair were granted in February 1316 during the reign of
Edward II
Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
to
John, Bishop of Chichester. In 1559, the Government of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
passed the Act of Exchange, seizing the possessions of the Bishops of Chichester in return for other payments. Heathfield was one of 73 manors taken by the Crown, which was subsequently granted to
Thomas Sackville, the Earl of Dorset. The Manor remained in possession of the Sackville family until the death of the last Duke of Dorset, when it was acquired by the family of the Lords
De La Warr through
Elizabeth Sackville, Countess of De La Warr, whom married
George Sackville-West, the 5th Earl De La Warr. The Manor left the possession of the De La Warr estate in the 1980s. The current Lord of Heathfield is Christopher Repetsky, a physician.
The
Wealden iron brought prosperity to the town during the 16th and the 17th centuries. The coming of the railway (the
Cuckoo Line
The Cuckoo Line is an informal name for the now defunct railway service which linked Polegate and Eridge in East Sussex, England, from 1880 to 1968. It was nicknamed the Cuckoo Line by drivers, from a tradition observed at the annual fair at ...
) in 1880 gave it another new lease of life. The latter was not a financial success, and the branch line between
Eridge
Rotherfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is one of the largest parishes in East Sussex. There are three villages in the parish: Rotherfield, Mark Cross and Eridge. The River Rother, which ...
and
Polegate
Polegate is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Wealden District, Wealden District of East Sussex, England, United Kingdom.OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampt ...
closed in 1968. The trackbed is now named the
Cuckoo Trail, part of the
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network (NCN) was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout the United Kingdom, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the charity Sustrans who were aided by a £42.5 million N ...
.
The original village, Old Heathfield, is now only part of the town, which has expanded over time.
In 1961 the parish had a population of 3244. On 1 April 1990 the parish was abolished and merged with
Waldron to form "
Heathfield and Waldron".
Crime
The crime rates in Heathfield were lower than the national average:
Landmarks
The parish church in Heathfield is dedicated to All Saints: an example of a Harmer
terracotta
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
decorated gravestone is in the churchyard. The town is the home of Heathfield Park Cricket Club, formed in 1878, and enjoying one of the most scenic positions of any cricket ground in Sussex.

The nearby mansion of
Heathfield Park dates from the seventeenth century. In a corner of the estate stands a memorial named the Gibraltar Tower. To the north-east, on the edge of the parish, Braylsham Castle is a modern house begun in 1993 using traditional materials and building techniques, built in imitation of a moated medieval manor house, complete with working drawbridge.
Approximately one mile from the town is the
Heathfield transmitting station, a 145 m high mast (135 m to the bottom of the antenna shroud) which broadcasts TV and radio signals to East and West Sussex, as well as parts of south Kent.
Culture
The town holds an annual
fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...
named the Heffle Cuckoo Fair each April,this has not been held since 2019 and the annual Heathfield Agricultural Show takes place each summer. Heathfield is the home of
Heathfield Community College, several primary schools in the area and 2 pre-Schools. Opposite the college is a leisure centre,the leisure centre is owned by the school and runs very limited public classes,it does not have open access. There is an Anglo/French market called Le Marché held every year on the
August Bank Holiday. There is a fairly large football field, and beside it a playground. At Cross-in-Hand, there is a rugby club for adults and children.
Heathfield Detachment - Sussex Army Cadet Force
Heathfield has an
army cadet force detachment that is part of the
Sussex Army Cadet Force group. This
detachment is based in the Youth Centre on High Street, and is affiliated to
Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment.
The Detachment meets on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 19:00 to 21:30 each week.
[
]
Heathfield Silver Band
The Heathfield Silver Band is a silver band headquartered in Heathfield with a history dating back as far as 1880. The band has a large membership, with members spanning the ages of 9 to 80. Although women were not allowed to participate in years past, the band now accepts members regardless of gender.
The rehearsal site on Alexandra Road in Heathfield was extended and refurbished following a steady increase in band membership. TV presenter David Dimbleby
David Dimbleby (born 28 October 1938) is an English journalist and former presenter of current affairs and political programmes, best known for having presented the BBC topical debate programme '' Question Time''. He is the son of broadcaster ...
officially opened the newly extended band room on 3 September 2005.
The Heathfield Silver Band plays at weddings, garden parties, church functions, and fetes and regularly gives concerts. They are also a marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...
, taking part in the local bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used for waste disposal or as part of a religious feast, such as Saint John's Eve.
Etymology
The earliest attestations date to the late 15th century, with the Catholicon Anglicum spelling i ...
celebrations. During September–November they march in Uckfield
Uckfield () is a town in the Wealden District, Wealden District of East Sussex in South East England. The town is on the River Uck, one of the tributaries of the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse, on the southern edge of the Weald.
Etymology
"Uck ...
, Crowborough
Crowborough is a town and civil parish in East Sussex, England, in the Weald at the edge of Ashdown Forest and the highest town in the High Weald AONB, High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It is located south-west of Royal Tunbridge ...
, Mayfield, Lewes
Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...
, and East Hoathly carnivals, as well as for their hometown Heathfield & District Bonfire Society. They also march on Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in Nov ...
, St. George's Day
Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, regions, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, England, Ethiopia, Greece, Georgia, Port ...
, and at Heathfield's Heffle Cuckoo Fair.
Heathfield & District Bonfire Society
Reformed in 2018 by a group of local enthusiasts (Founders Steve Thomas, Dave Shoebridge, Thomas Keep, Rachel Keep, Ken Brewster and Halina Keep), HDBS aims to enhance the sense of community in their town and surrounding area by holding the traditional celebration of bonfire and torchlight procession and joining in the annual season of events around Sussex representing Heathfield & District at other societies bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used for waste disposal or as part of a religious feast, such as Saint John's Eve.
Etymology
The earliest attestations date to the late 15th century, with the Catholicon Anglicum spelling i ...
events.
HDBS is a non-profit organisation so any surplus money goes back into the community to help local charities and groups.
2019 was the first official HDBS Bonfire Night in 62 years to the day, bringing bonfire back to Heathfield. HDBS hopes to put on more bonfire nights for the community and are looking forward to building on and creating more connections with local organisations, businesses & schools in Heathfield.
Media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South East and ITV Meridian. Television signals are received from the nearby Heathfield TV transmitter.
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Sussex
BBC Radio Sussex is the BBC's local radio station serving the counties of East and West Sussex.
It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on Queens Road in Brighton.
According to RAJAR, BBC Radio Surrey and BBC R ...
on 104.5 FM, Heart South on 102.4 FM and Ashdown Radio, a community based radio station which broadcast from its studio in Uckfield
Uckfield () is a town in the Wealden District, Wealden District of East Sussex in South East England. The town is on the River Uck, one of the tributaries of the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse, on the southern edge of the Weald.
Etymology
"Uck ...
on 105 FM.
The town's local newspaper is ''The Heathfield News'', which publishes online.
Notable people
Famous residents include Olympic gold medallist Jayne Torvill
Jayne Torvill, OBE (born 7 October 1957) is a British professional ice dancer and former competitor. She and her partner Christopher Dean are considered amongst the greatest ice dancers of all time. The pair won a gold medal at the 1984 Wint ...
, England rugby international Joe Marler
Joseph William George Marler (born 7 July 1990) is an English former rugby union player who played as a Prop (rugby union), prop for Premiership Rugby club Harlequin F.C., Harlequins. He played for the England national rugby union team, Englan ...
, former ''Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' actor Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for having played the Fourth Doctor, fourth and longest-serving incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television ...
, guitarist Fred Frith
Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as a founding member of the English avant-rock group Henry ...
, musician and singer-songwriter Mark Hollis, national badminton player Heather Olver, Radio DJ Neil Jones and singer-songwriter Rag'n'Bone Man
Rory Charles Graham (born 29 January 1985), known professionally as Rag'n'Bone Man, is an English singer. He is known for his deep baritone voice. His first hit single, "Human", was released in 2016, and his first album ''Human'' was released ...
.
See also
* List of current places of worship in Wealden
References
External links
A page about George Augustus Eliott (Baron Heathfield)
Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council
Heathfield Silver Band
Heathfield & District Bonfire Society
{{authority control
Towns in East Sussex
Market towns in East Sussex
Former civil parishes in East Sussex
Wealden District