Welcome to East Grinstead
On a sandstone ridge beside the Ashdown Forest, East Grinstead is capital of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Come and explore our ancient market town with its Medieval High Street, discover its fascinating history and the people who shaped it.
The town has something for every visitor – the ancient buildings are now home to a variety of friendly independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants – including a historic coaching inn. For lovers of the great outdoors, the town has a wealth of waymarked paths and a national long distance trail runs through the town on the Greenwich Meridian.
We can’t wait to welcome you to our special town…
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POPULAR TOURIST HOT SPOTS
Millennium Stone & Meridian Line
The Millennium Year 2000 was marked by the placing of a beacon just near East Court Mansion and by the installation, on the Meridian Line...
McIndoe Memorial Statue
On Monday 9 June 2014, after 3 years of hard work and fundraising by the Steering Committee, Martin Jennings’ statue in memorial to Sir Archibald McIndoe...
Hammerwood Park
Located 3½ miles east of East Grinstead, Hammerwood Park was built in 1792 by Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764 – 1820), architect of the White House and US Capitol Building in Washington D.C...
Weir Wood Reservoir Nature Reserve
WEIR WOOD RESERVOIR Weir Wood Reservoir in the Ashdown Forest is mostly water, surrounded by strips of open grassland, scrub and woodland. Low lying meadows also form part of [...]
THE TOWN’S HISTORY
East Grinstead has a long tradition of weekly markets. It’s broad High Street is testimony to this. Even before a town existed, several ancient tracks converged on this area and people would probably have met to transact their business. Possibly in goods and animals.
The town was given a charter by Henry III in 1247 to have a weekly Monday market and an annual fair. In 1655 the market moved from Monday to Thursday predominately for the sales of corn, but joined in 1703 by cattle sales. Thursday has remained the day of the popular farmer’s market ever since. The cattle market thrived until December 1970 when the last ‘Fat Stock Show’ was held.
