UK breaks in East Grinstead, West Sussex
The historical West Sussex market town of East Grinstead is a popular tourist destination due to it’s London rail connections, proximity to a world-famous forest and medieval high street.
East Grinstead is located on the West Sussex border adjacent to East Sussex, Kent and Surrey, and is under 1 hour by train away from London. With the M23 only 6 miles away, a day-trip to Brighton is simple to plan. Another benefit of East Grinstead’s location is it’s proximity to nearby Gatwick Airport. Just two stops up the line from East Grinstead by train is Lingfield Racecourse.
In and around East Grinstead Town
East Grinstead High Street contains the longest continuous terrace of 14th-century timber-framed buildings in England. Other notable buildings in the town include Sackville College, the sandstone almshouse built in 1609 where the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" was written by John Mason Neale and St Swithun’s Church that dominates the skyline from the highest point in the area.
The Greenwich Meridian line runs through the grounds of the historic 1769 East Court mansion, home of the Town Council (and an attractive park popular with local families), giving the visitor an opportunity to stand with a foot in both the east and west.
For visitors with an open-minded approach to religion, the town is of significant interest due to the diversity of the religious organisations established in and around the town. The UK (and former world) headquarters of the Church of Scientology can be found at Saint Hill Manor on the southwestern edge of East Grinstead and likewise, the Mormons have also situated their leading UK temple just outside of the town. Opus Dei, who received international attention due to the novel The Da Vinci Code, also have premises in East Grinstead. The town is also said to be a magnet for religious interest due to a series of ley-lines that emit psychic and mystical energy.
For families looking for things to do in the area of East Grinstead, there are plenty of places to explore – especially in the Summertime. Standen, owned by the National Trust, is a country house and garden found on the town’s outskirts, while Wakehurst Place is located by the agricultural village of Ardingly to the south. Other local historical gems that can be reached within a short driving distance to East Grinstead include Hammerwood Park, Chartwell the country home of Sir Winston Churchill, Penshurst Place and Hever Castle home of Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn.
Families for young children will be pleased to learn that the Ashdown Forest, which can be viewed from the town, is the inspiration behind A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories. The forest is great for treks, horse-riding and picnics. Cycle and walking paths connect local towns and villages via several of the South’s National Cycle Network routes with public footpaths off of the routes leading to farmland walks.
Active days and nights
Dears Leap Park near Saint Hill has 240 acres of dedicated mountain bike tracks comprising all-weather and un-surfaced dirt trails. Only a few hundred yards down the road are the Standen rocks, an outcrop of rocks suitable for abseiling, and just across the lane is the Weir Wood Reservoir, location for bird-watching and sailing. The aforementioned cycle network in the area comprises the Worth Way adjoining East Grinstead to Crawley, and the Forest Way connecting the town by 10 miles of path to Groombridge near Tonbridge Wells.
After a day visiting the historical homes in the area or checking out the scenic paths around the forest, you’ll no doubt want to let your hair down a bit. Catering for all, the pubs of East Grinstead range from those in the outskirts and old High Street - public houses offering fine ales and rose-scented beer gardens and decked areas, to centrally located pubs in close proximity to the other associated nightspots and fast-food joints.
Equal to the vast number of pubs in the town are the restaurants serving some decent dining options with a choice of menus from around the world. The best restaurants can be found in the old historical part of East Grinstead – the High Street, and for fine-dining head out to the country manors dotted around the surrounding villages.
Providing a great base for an active holiday in the Southeast of England, with close links to London, Brighton and Gatwick, book your UK break in East Grinstead with lowcostholidays.com.