THIS POPULAR AND FAST-GROWING COMMUTER TOWN HAS FLOURISHED IN THE PAST CENTURY
Burgess Hill originated in the parishes of Clayton, Keymer and Ditchling – all of them mentioned in the Domesday Book. The town’s name originated from the Burgeys family, when the name John Burgeys appeared in the tax rolls – by Elizabethan times a community had established itself around the Burgeys family.
There had been a brick-making industry in the area since at least the 16th century, but up until the 19th century much of Burgess Hill was still agricultural land. The town centre was known as St John’s Common and was the site of a Midsummer Fair from medieval times, up until 1913.
The arrival of the London and Brighton Railway in 1840s was an important milestone in the town’s history and development and after World War II, the development of the Victoria Industrial Estate on the site of the former Victoria Pleasure Gardens gave a huge boost to the area.
Burgess Hill is one of the fastest growing towns in West Sussex. It is home to many large businesses and has a wide range of shops, plus the popular Triangle Leisure Centre and the independent, art deco Orion cinema. NewRiver’s £65m redevelopment of the Martlets is set to regenerate the area even further.
This story is from the August 2018 edition of Sussex Life.
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This story is from the August 2018 edition of Sussex Life.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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