Did you know - Cuckfield has been listed as one of the best places to live in the South-East by the Sunday Times?

The Mid Sussex village appeared in the Sunday Times’ Best Place to live in their Guide for 2019. It has been praised for its colourful high street packed with beautiful old houses dating back to medieval times. The picturesque village of Cuckfield is nestled between the bustling commuter towns of Haywards Heath and Burgess

Hill and has much to offer as a place to live. With easy access to the seaside, South Downs National Park, Brighton and Gatwick Airport, and good rail links to the coast and London, it has the best of everything on its doorstep. What’s more, it's one of the safest places to be, as it has some of the lowest recorded crime stats within the UK according to the UK police website

CUCKFIELD - A VILLAGE BURSTING WITH RICH HISTORY

• The name Cuckfield has a Saxon ending - field “a clearing where forest trees were felled”. The “Cuck” element stems from the Cuckoo Bird and is the village emblem.
• In 1761 the first direct road from Cuckfield to London was made, re-routing the road to Brighton. The earliest London to Brighton stagecoach was in 1780 when the Brighthelmstone & Cuckfield machine left London at 5 am. The fare to Cuckfield was 10s 0d!
• World War I meant that 463 Cuckfield men left the village to serve their country.
• Cuckfield also played a role during World War II and housed around 100 evacuated children and both Cuckfield Park & Ockenden House were used to house Canadian troops. In 1940 a bomb fell in the road in Brook Street and in 1944 the first flying bomb in England fell at Mizbrooks Farm. After the war, Mr & Mrs Eggers moved to Ockenden House and opened Ockenden “Manor” as a restaurant & guest house. Ockenden Manor is now a 28 bedroom luxurious hotel with an award winning spa.
• Since the Independent State of Cuckfield was first suggested in 1966 by Peter Bowring, each year a few people step forward to be elected as Mayor of the village and the community can vote for as many candidates as they like at 1p a time! The candidate who receives the most votes will then be elected as the Mayor of the Independent State of Cuckfield and all proceeds raised in the election go to supporting local causes.
  Cuckfield is twinned with Aumale in Normandy since 1993 and Karlstadt in Bavaria since 1998.
  

TOP THINGS TO DO IN CUCKFIELD

CUCKFIELD BONFIRE NIGHT

Throughout Sussex, there are many spectacular bonfire night events and Cuckfield is no exception. Their firework evening takes place in Cuckfield Park with a huge bonfire, fireworks, hotdogs, hog roasts attracting a big crowd each year and what’s more all proceeds go to Holy Trinity School and other local charities.  Click here to find out more about the event.  

CUCKFIELD CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL

The first festival was held in 2003 and to date has raised a tremendous amount of money for charities (at the date of this publication the figure stood at £76,866). Held every year in the local parish Holy Trinity, local shops, businesses, schools and societies are invited to decorate a tree either to a theme or to reflect their organisation.  Click here to find out more about the event.  Marcus Grimes are delighted to be the main sponsors of this event.  

CUCKFIELD MUSEUM 

Cuckfield Museum is well worth setting aside time to visit on any trip to Cuckfield. It’s situated upstairs in the Queen’s Hall on London road and tells a story unique to Cuckfield which, amongst many other things, houses displays on one of the earliest finds of dinosaur bones in the world made by Dr Gideon Mantell and his wife.   

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH

An Anglican church founded in the 11th century and has continued to serve the local community with weekly worship and also the hub for many local community events.  Click here for more details on worship services and events.

TOP 5 PLACES TO EAT 

No. 1 Broad Street

1. The building was originally built in the 19th century and has been many things in it’s past however now it houses a beautiful relaxed contemporary restaurant with a delicious seasonal and sustainable menu.  The restaurant also has a private dining space so is an ideal venue for family celebrations such as weddings or birthdays. Click here to make a reservation.  

The Talbot

2. The Talbot won the Top 20 best pub grub in Sussex in 2019 and also came in Top 10 Sussex Finest Restaurants Award in 2019.  This restaurant offers a range of great pub classics from their famous Talbot 8oz homemade burger to their catch of the day so you can be sure to find something for everyone.  They are also famous for their hearty Sunday Roasts every Sunday from 12pm-5pm and booking is definitely advisable! Click here to make a reservation.

Rose and Crown Cuckfield  

3. A family run restaurant located in the village serves a modern British menu along with a fabulous choice of wines and local ales.  Recently refurbished the restaurant also has a lovely spacious beer garden to enjoy those long summer evenings. Click here to make a reservation.

Ockenden Manor Restaurant

4. The perfect place for a special treat - using all of the finest sourced local ingredients, perfect for afternoon tea or for a special occasion.  You can choose to either sit in the magnificent drawing room or if the weather allows it, eat whilst basking in the sun outside on the beautiful terrace and gardens.  Click here to make a reservation.  

Lockhart Tavern

5. A British GastroPub serving traditional pub food all prepared freshly onsite along with a great selection of craft beers, wines and spirits. There are plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options available which makes it a great all rounder!  Phone to make a reservation - Tel: 01444 440696

LOCAL SCHOOLS

Holy Trinity Primary School

A CE church situated in the heart of Cuckfield, rated “good” in their last Ofsted inspection in May 2018, it’s ethos is to create “happy, confident and caring community where children are motivated to achieve their full potential in a supportive learning environment, underpinned by a strong Christian ethos”  

Warden Park Secondary Academy

Warden Park Secondary Academy is for young people aged from 11-16 based in Cuckfield, West Sussex. The Academy operates as an independent school maintained by government funding. Parents do not pay fees.   Warden Park's maxim, The Best from All sums up our mission to encourage students to make the most of the many opportunities here."

NATURAL LANDSCAPES

Cuckfield lies on the edge of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and so the opportunities for those who love the great outdoors are endless! The High Weald Landscape Trail stretches for 90 miles from Rye to Horsham and crosses the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

Here are some top gardens and places to visit: 

Nymans Garden

“An outstanding plant collection in an inspirational garden setting; A 'theatrical' garden design full of variety, surprises and delight; Delightful woodland walks through leafy glades, past cascades and lakes”

Wakehurst Place

“Kew's 'country garden', with plants from across the world. 500 acres of walled and water gardens, woodland and wetland conservation area. The Wellcome Trust Millennium Building, adjacent to Wakehurst Place, aims to house seeds from 10% of the world's flora by 2009 to save species from extinction in the wild.”

Sheffield Park

“Magnificent 'Capability' Brown landscaped garden; Waterfalls, cascades and four large lakes; Profusion of colour all year, including bluebells, rhododendrons and trees with spectacular autumnal colours”

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