Lindfield, Ardingly and the Bluebell Railway walk

The Mid Sussex Times was and remains the local weekly newspaper for this area, printed and published from Haywards Heath. When I grew up, it was still a market town, with a busy animal market every week on a site now occupied by Sainsbury. The iconic oval bus station to the other side of the railway has been replaced by Waitrose. Signs of the times perhaps.

The former market town has long been a very popular and busy commuter location. It has been developing rapidly for years, but with the construction of the A272 bypass the construction seems to have accelerated. It is also close to the A/M23 and its fast rail link includes Gatwick Airport only three stops away. It is also where trains from far to the East and West converge on the route from Brighton towards London. 

There are two very attractive satellite places around this town, Cuckfield to the West and the larger Lindfield to the East. While the former is still separated by a strip of countryside, the latter is pretty much integrated but retains its villagey feel perhaps due to its very pretty high street and village pond.

Our walk will take us to Horsted Keynes which is not far from Ashdown Forest, Ardingly reservoir, the Bluebell Railway and Lindfield.