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A Brief History of East Grinstead
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Early Days The area of "Grenestede" is mentioned in the Domesday book (1086) as containing 12 settlements. (At that time Southern England was covered in woods and forests and Grenestede means "green clearing".) As the woods were felled the "clearing" became larger and the town developed some time in the early 13th Century, being mentioned as a borough in 1235. |
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Elizabethan Times By 1564 the borough apparently contained some 300 inhabitants and trades included a forge, a leather dressing house, a slaughter house and a windmill for grinding corn, as well as a weekly market (first mentioned in 1247) and fairs, with cattle being driven from as far away as Wales. |
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The Town Grows... As roads developed, East Grinstead became first an overnight stopping place for travelers on their way to the South from London, and as travel became faster, the place for a noon meal, with 12 inns by 1781. |
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...And then declines
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... Then grows again It was not until after the 1850s when the railway lines were opened to Three Bridges, Tunbridge Wells, Lewes and finally to Croydon and London direct, that the town began expanding again, with a population of over 7,500 by 1891. In 1894 the Urban District of East Grinstead was established and this lasted till 1974 when it became part of Mid Sussex District. |
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During the war East Grinstead did not stay free of damage. Bombs fell on the town on July 9th 1943, also hitting the High Street but causing most damage in London Road where the Whitehall Cinema was hit, resulting in many fatalities. |
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Since the War As road traffic increased, the rail links were closed except for the line to London (Victoria) via Croydon which remains to this day, and may soon be invigorated by completion of the last link to East Grinstead of the Bluebell Vintage Steam Railway. The population of the town has grown from the 1891 figure of 7,500 to approximately 24,000 today. |
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Today While the towns people travel to work in London, Crawley and elsewhere, by far the the majority work locally and enjoy the tranquil pace of this historic town. The town participates in the South-East in Bloom competition, and hosts shows, art expeditions and other productions at Chequer Meads Art Centre. The town has grown radically over the years. Business have come and gone but C.R Wickendens (a tobacconists and sweet shop) has been trading since 1907 and is still going strong! |
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