East Grinstead Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of West Sussex, and around 30 miles south of central London, is the town of East Grinstead.

The name 'Grinstead' literally translates to 'green place', with 'east' added to distinguish it from its namesake West Grinstead around 20 miles away. Geographically it sits at the northwestern fringe of the High Weald AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), with the Greenwich Meridian passing directly through.

At the centre of the town is St Swithun's Church, whose history dates back to the 11th century. The current edifice was rebuilt in the late 18th century following a lightning strike that destroyed the original. The tower was completed in 1812.

In 1247 a market charter was granted to East Grinstead by Henry III. It was in the early 13th century that the town was laid out. It is said to contain the greatest number of jettied timber-framed Tudor and medieval buildings continuously along one street in all the country.

In 1609 Sackville College was founded. This is the Jacobean almshouse seen at the eastern end of the High Street. It was built with funds left by Robert Sackville, Earl of Dorset, for the housing of 21 poor men and 10 poor women. Today it provides sheltered accommodation for the elderly.

From the 17th to 19th century, East Grinstead thrived as a coaching stop for travellers headed to Lewes and the south coast from London and vice versa. A number of coaching inns, where horses would be changed and stagecoach passengers would be provided with refreshment and possibly a bed for the night, received a significant amount of custom in the town, up until the arrival of the railways.

It was in 1855 that the first railway station in East Grinstead opened. This was followed by another station in 1866 and a third in 1882, which is the current station. This is one of the termini of the Oxted Line which connects northwards to London, and branches in two directions south of Oxted - one to Uckfield, and one to here in East Grinstead. There is also a heritage line here known as Bluebell Railway, where steam trains run from here to Sheffield Park around 10 miles to the south.

In 1943 East Grinstead suffered a bombing attack by the German Luftwaffe. The Whitehall Theatre on London Road was hit by a lone bomber during a screening of a Hopalong Cassidy western called Undercover Man. 184 people were in attendance at the time. The attack killed 108 and injured a further 235.

In the aftermath of the bombing, many of those injured were taken to Queen Victoria Hospital about a mile north of the town centre. A specialist burns unit was led by Archibald McIndoe to treat those who had been subject to facial disfigurements. This pioneering service, along with an effort to make those injured feel normal, e.g. inviting them to dinner, led to East Grinstead becoming known as 'The Town That Did Not Stare'. A commemorative statue of McIndoe and a patient is situated at the eastern end of the High Street.

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Filmed: 14th October 2022

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/hZffnyTFUMVz2DHs9

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Cantelupe Road
0:29 High Street
1:38 St Swithun's Church
2:24 St Swithun's Church grounds
3:36 Church Lane
4:30 High Street
4:58 Sackville College
5:10 High Street
5:26 Sir Archibald McIndoe Memorial Statue
5:44 Sackville College
5:50 High Street
7:56 Middle Row
8:42 High Street
10:34 Judges Terrace
10:59 West Street
11:37 London Road
14:17 King Street
15:12 London Road
17:44 Railway Approach