Broadbridge Heath
| Broadbridge Heath | |
 St John's Church |
|
  Broadbridge Heath Broadbridge Heath shown within West Sussex | |
| Area | 2.16 km2 (0.83 sq mi) [2] |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,021 [2] 2001 Census |
| - Density | 1,401 /km2 (3,630 /sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ150315 |
| - London | 31 miles (50 km) NNE |
| Civil parish | Broadbridge Heath |
| District | Horsham |
| Shire county | West Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HORSHAM |
| Postcode district | RH12 |
| Dialling code | 01403 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Horsham |
| Website | Parish Council |
| |
Broadbridge Heath is a village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. It is about two miles (3 km) west of Horsham itself, being just on the other side of the A24 road
History
The village began life as a scattered group of houses around an unenclosed common before the 19th century, and by 1844 there were about twelve houses and an inn there. However, despite the enclosure of the heath in the 1850s, there was little development until the late 1880s when land along the main Horsham to Five Oaks Road was offered for sale and large numbers of semi-detached houses were built there over the next 13 years.[3]
After the Second World War, the pace of development increased and many large housing estates were built to the south of the village between then and the 1980s. At about this time, bypasses were built to the south and west of the village, reducing traffic congestion in the village, and a supermarket and leisure centre were built on the land left vacant by the closure of an army camp (formerly the UK Bomb Disposal Unit Headquarters) on Wickhurst Lane.
In 1964, a sculpture of Jesus Christ, created by Edward Bainbridge Copnall was placed on the church. In December 2008 it was removed and was put in Horsham Museum.
In June 2012 construction work began for around a thousand houses on land south of the village, under the name Wickhurst Green.
Facilities
Shops & Businesses
- A post office and convenience store (One Stop)
- Barber's and Hairdresser's
- A dry cleaners
- A Shell petrol station and shop
- A large Tesco supermarket with its own petrol station and car wash to the south of the village on the other side of A264
- A retail park with branches of Halfords, Homebase and Carpet Right, also to the south of the village
- A public house (The Shelley Arms)
- A Škoda dealership
- The Lawson-Hunt industrial estate
- Newbridge Nurseries, a retail garden centre on the A264, which is to the south west of the village.
- Stook's Cafe, part of the aforementioned Newbridge Nurseries, which opened as an extension to the centre in 2012.
Social
- A village centre and social club.
- A scout hall, home to several Scouting organisations, but also used for charity and social functions.
- Several playground areas in Findon Way, Charrington Way and the Village Green; a large recreation ground with a pond known locally as "The Ducky"
Religion
- St John's Church (Anglican) - a modern church built in the 1960s.
- The Brethren's Meeting Room.
Education
Shelley County Primary School, located on Wickhurst Lane provides mainstream education for boys and girls aged between 4 and 11 years.
Sport and leisure
Broadbridge Heath has a Non-League football club Broadbridge Heath F.C. who play at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre. The Centre consists of a full size running track, athletic facilities and football pitch as well as the District's Indoor bowls Centre. The Grenadian Olympic Team trained at the Centre in the weeks preceding the London 2012 Olympic Games, at which Kirani James won Grenada's first Olympic gold medal in the men's 400m.
Broadbridge Heath also has a cricket club whose teams play in the West Sussex Invitation Cricket League. They also have a junior section. Closely linked with the cricket club is the Broadbridge Heath Stoolball Club. On the same site, Broadbridge Heath Tennis Club have two courts. All these three clubs are situated at the 'Top Common' in the village.
Horsham Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (HAODS) are also based at Broadbridge Heath Leisure Centre.
Transport
The village is situated at the junction of the A24 and the A264 road. The village is served extensively by public transport by the Metrobus and Compass bus companies. The nearest railway station is at Christ's Hospital although Horsham has more frequent services. The nearest airport is London Gatwick.
Geography
 |
Cranleigh | Dorking | Warnham, Crawley | |
| Slinfold |  |
Horsham | ||
| ||||
 | ||||
| Billingshurst | Christ's Hospital, Southwater | Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath |
Notable residents
The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, was born at Field Place, which stands about a mile to the north of the village.
The bestselling novelist Georgette Heyer lived at the Swan Ken, Broadbridge Heath, for several months in 1931.
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Broadbridge Heath. |
- ↑ Brethren's Meeting Room Built in 1908 as a daughter church of 382506 it was known as Broadbridge Heath Free Church until the late 1990s/early 2000s when its congregation had dissipated. It was the home of Busy Bees pre-school until the Unitarian church sold the property to its current owners. Under the left-hand window is a commemorative stone made almost illegible by countless layers of paint. It reads, "This stone was laid by Mr Samuel Barrow of Burningfold Hall July 16th 1908"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish". West Sussex County Council. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ↑ Hudson, T. P. (editor) (1986) A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6. (Part 2 Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) including Horsham.)
| |||||||||||