By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group
Two residents on meeting in the High Street were overheard discussing all the new housing being built in Lindfield and whether facilities could cope and the character change. The conversation didn’t take place recently but in 1901. For many centuries Lindfield village comprised little more than the High Street. Through roads such as today’s Lewes Road, Denmans Lane, Hickmans Lane, Sunte Avenue, West Common and Summerhill Lane existed as little more than tracks with the occasional isolated cottage and all bordered by fields. The prosperity of the Victorian era and the coming of the London to Brighton railway line created the need for new housing, especially for working class families. Lindfield started to grow with short rows of cottages appearing around the village. The more affluent built villas on Black Hill. By the last years of Queen Victoria’s reign and the early Edwardian years, new roads were being constructed, most notably Eastern Road, Luxford Road (originally called Western Road) and Compton Road. Leading local businessmen, and those with money to invest, either commissioned houses to be built on these roads or purchased houses constructed speculatively by builders. All were participating in ‘Buy to Rent’, as most people could not afford to buy. The tradesmen and shopkeepers recognised that an increased population meant more business. It was at this time the Haywards Heath and District Building Society, established in 1890, started to prosper (merging with the Yorkshire in 1992). Housing commenced along Lewes Road, and in 1906 local businessmen Charles Wood and Frederick Beeny (the great-grandfather of TV property developer Sarah Beeny) started the West View development. Originally planned for 30 houses but, beset by problems mainly relating to drainage, only 17 were built, including a corner shop. On completion it was nicknamed White City. In little more than half a century the number of dwellings in Lindfield village more than doubled. However this growth came to an abrupt stop with the Great War. The coming of peace brought a mood to create a ‘Land fit for Heroes’. Lindfield Women’s Institute made representations to the local authority that many new houses were needed for working families, but disappointingly only six were subsequently built.
The country being impoverished by the war, together with the economic depression, resulted in few new houses during the 1920s. The next decade saw housebuilding start again, with the 1937 Ordnance Survey map showing ‘infill’ housing in Luxford Road, Eastern Road and elsewhere. Most new properties were developed plot by plot along existing roads, on the Haywards Heath side of the village, such as Backwoods Lane, West Common, Summerhill Lane, Sunte Avenue plus the new Denmans Close and Oak Bank, Brook Lane and Roundwood Lane. These roads comprised mainly detached houses, with many designed by the respected architect Harold Turner. He undertook a wide range of commercial commissions across Britain and abroad but is best known locally for his high quality domestic architecture with ‘arts and crafts’ period features. The late 1930s saw the infrastructure put in place ready for housebuilding in Chestnuts Close, Summerhill Drive and Meadow Lane. However, the Second World War delayed completion of these schemes. The building during this pre-war period added around 270 houses.
Again war impoverished the country and building was slow to recommence apart from a few houses. Most notably in Hickmans Lane were the 12 semi-detached St Johns Cottages on land given by Maud Savill to the District Council for demobbed servicemen and their families. It was in the early 1950s that the local authority acquired the land of Box’s Nursery and erected housing in Chaloner Road and the first sections of Newton Road. The next ten years saw larger scale private housing developments start on new roads such as Dukes Road (also built on Box’s Nursery land), West Common Drive, Appledore Gardens, Pelham Road, Beckworth Lane and Close, Oakfield Close, Finches Park Road and the first section of Savill Road. Collectively, in the 20 years up to 1965, some 400 houses were built in the village In Lindfield’s rural area to the west of the village, a few houses existed along Gravelye Lane. However, during this period significant housebuilding commenced in this area, with the construction of William Allen Lane and adjacent roads south of Gravelye Lane. These residential schemes, all completed by the mid-1960s added a further 100 houses. The map of Lindfield had changed dramatically and more growth and change was on its way. During the next ten years much needed building land became available through the demolition of the Mid Sussex Steam Laundry, the County Hotel (previously Finches) and The Welkin, following closure of the preparatory school. The most controversial proposal was for the Welkin site, with a plan to construct a large high-rise apartment block comprising nine storeys. Residents were horrified and following much protesting, that ultimately led to the formation of the Preservation Society, the scheme was scrapped and the dwellings as seen today built. The land previously occupied by the other demolished buildings, and land that became available, resulted in the completion by the mid-1970s of the Meadow Drive development, second parts of Savill and Finches Park roads, By Sunte, Finches Gardens, Blackthorns, Shenstone, Brookway, Fieldway, Pickers Green plus others totalling well over 650 houses.
Around this time national house-builders such as CALA Homes were looking covetously at the farmland between Gravelye Lane, Scamps Hill and Lyoth Lane. Following the earlier successful Welkin protests, campaigning started again. Local newspaper articles liberally used the word ‘battle’ and the campaign took the style of ‘The Battle to Save Lindfield’. Victory was again achieved and development plans were put on hold for another day. Effectively, a ‘red line’ drawn down Gravelye Lane made land to the south and other pockets of land the only possible potential developments. Developers were quick to acquire and build on the land south of Gravelye Lane resulting in Westlands Road, The Hollow and nearby roads with about 150 houses being completed by the beginning of the 1980s.
The demise of Lindfield Nursery, better known locally as ‘the mushroom factory’, provided land for the Noahs Ark Lane development. Two more nurseries went the same way, resulting in Harvest Close and Linden Grove. These totalled 150 new homes. During the 1980s and 1990s, the scarcity of available land resulted in a reduction in housebuilding, the main developments being Summerhill Grange, on land that had been part of Tavistock and Summerhill School, and Portsmouth Wood Close. These totalled nearly 60 new detached houses. An ever increasing demand for housing in the new century encouraged the national house-builders to again set their sights on Lindfield and encroachment on to agricultural land. The fields once part of Luxford Farm, behind Newton Road, became the target. Archaeological evidence showed the fields had been farmland for over 1,300 years. Despite some opposition, it was not long before 125 dwellings at The Limes were being lived in. Attention then turned once more to the Gravelye Lane, Scamps Hill and Lyoth Lane triangle that had been vociferously fought over in the 1970s. This time planning permission was granted for the Heathwood Park development, with construction continuing today towards 230 dwellings on completion. Last year saw ground being broken, further down Gravelye Lane, for 130 homes at the ironically named Lindfield Meadows. There will no doubt be more building in the future. But it certainly isn’t new phenomenon!