Enjoy a taste of the English countryside in Haywards Heath. Set between London and Brighton, the town combines rural charm with easy access to urban centres. Shop and dine in the charming town centre, visit an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and tour the ultra-modern Millennium Seed Bank.
Things to do in Haywards Heath
Discover more than 200 hectares of storybook gardens at Wakehurst. The National Trust property is managed by Kew Gardens and boasts an extraordinary collection of flora from around the world. Walk around a garden inspired by high-altitude Himalayan ecosystems and go behind the scenes of the Millennium Seed Bank. Woodland walks offer a chance to spot badgers, butterflies and other British wildlife. At the heart of the property is a magnificent Elizabethan manor house built in the 16th century.
The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is at your doorstep in Haywards Heath. Within minutes, you can discover a postcard-perfect landscape of rolling hills and woodlands. Explore the AONB on foot or climb aboard a vintage steam train and ride the Bluebell Steam Railway. It calls at Sheffield Park, a whimsical garden designed by famous English landscape architect, Capability Brown.
Haywards Heath boasts some of the best country pubs in West Sussex. Settle into a cosy dining room and order British classics like shepherd’s pie, jacket potatoes and bangers and mash. Visit on weekends to enjoy scrumptious Sunday roasts with all the trimmings, including homemade gravy, honey-glazed carrots and fluffy Yorkshire puddings.
Getting around Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath is compact and easy to get around on foot. The town is in West Sussex, a two-hour drive from London and 30 minutes from Brighton. Mainline trains run between Haywards Heath and Central London in under one hour and Brighton in 20 minutes. Gatwick Airport is a 30-minute drive away.