St Wilfrid's Church, Haywards Heath

Until the mid-19th century, Haywards Heath—now a town of 30,000 people—did not exist as a settlement. In the medieval period, the area was heathland supporting some small farms and crossed by roads to the nearby villages of Cuckfield and Lindfield—both of which had churches by the 12th century. The heath itself was first named in documents in the early 16th century. It was used to muster troops during the Restoration, when King Charles II re-established the English monarchy, and as a venue for the sale of pigs. Most of the land belonged to large estates held by influential local families. In the early 19th century, railway-building techniques were pioneered. One of the first routes planned…

St Wilfrid's Church was built in the Decorated Gothic style, popular in the mid-19th century. Locally quarried sandstone was the main building material; the roof was tiled. rises in three stages and is topped with a shallow octagonal cap. warden of Sackville College in nearby East Grinstead who also translated and wrote many hymns and carols, including "Good King Wenceslas".