From the busy commuter towns of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, to the picturesque villages of Lindfield and Hurstpierpoint, Mid Sussex has so much to offer as a place to live.

With easy access to the seaside, the South Downs National Park, Brighton and Gatwick, and good rail links to the coast and London, it has the best of everything on its doorstep. It also ranks among the best places to live for a long and healthy life, and has some of the lowest recorded crime figures in the UK.

According to the Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life survey Mid Sussex regularly features in the top 20 best places to live.

Jennifer Clark of Savills’ Haywards Heath office, said: “Demand for village and country property in Mid Sussex has traditionally been driven by the excellent commuting and in recent years the area’s superb schooling has become an equally important factor for buyers. Family houses are therefore the core market here, although the excellent choice of property ranges from bijou cottages to substantial estates.

“This is rural living at its most civilised, with the coast at Brighton just a short distance away and the glorious South Downs on the doorstep. Outdoor pursuits range from a highly active equestrian scene – riding in the Ashdown Forest, showjumping at Hickstead and racing at Plumpton – to strolls through the famous gardens of Nymans, Wakehurst Place and Sheffield Park. The agricultural showground at Ardingly hosts the famous South of England Show and country fairs throughout the year.”

Burgess Hill has long been popular with young families. It has a strong community spirit, good schools and leisure facilities, a modern business park and a busy town centre with a wide range of shops.

Since the early 19th century when it was a small town based on the local brick and tile industry it has expanded and is now a thriving community of some 30,000 residents and has the second largest business park in Sussex. It is a compact town and a nice place to live with good amenities.

The villages of Mid Sussex are more than just pretty places to live, they are great places to shop too. No shoving and pushing, every shop has a friendly welcome atmosphere and customers are more than just a face in a queue.

In Hurstpierpoint the High Street shops offer good old fashioned friendliness and a good variety of businesses. The butcher, the baker, the greengrocer and the fashion shops are all there alongside banks, health specialists, plumbers and builders.

It is this atmosphere that has helped Hurstpierpoint grow in popularity.

The pattern is repeated in picturesque Lindfield with its traditional High Street beautiful old houses, quaint shops, churches, pubs and, of course, the famous village pond.

Henfield is another of Sussex’s desirable locations. Even though it is a small town it offers a good mix of shops, pubs and restaurants, a library and a village hall containing an excellent local museum run by Henfield Parish Council.

The town is flourishing and there are several new housing developments on its fringes making it extremely popular with young families and people looking for a quieter lifestyle than in the coastal towns and cities.

Among the many historic buildings is Parsonage House, once the home of Henry Bishop, the man who set up the postal service. Bishop owned the property during the 17th century, bought the title of Postmaster General of Great Britain and Ireland in 1660 and was the first to introduce a type of postmark to date the letters when they left London.

Nathaneil Woodard, founder of Lancing College, Ardingly College and Hurstpierpoint College among other famous public schools, lived in Martyn Lodge in Church Street until his death in 1891.

Simon Henkel, partner with Haywards Heath estate agents Batcheller Monkhouse, says that for many people moving to the area it is the proximity of the London to Brighton railway line.

“Fast and frequent services to London from stations such as Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hassocks ensure easy access to the City. Gatwick Airport is also close, together with easy access to the motorway network, making Mid Sussex one of the most accessible areas in the country.

“Next on most people’s list will be the choice of schools. Be it at state or private level, Mid Sussex boasts an abundance of excellent schools from village primaries to larger institutions like Hurstpierpoint and Ardingly Colleges, both part of the Woodard Group of schools.

“Beyond schools and trains though, Mid Sussex offers a wonderfully varied countryside of gently rolling hills with a backdrop dominated by the South Downs National Park. The sea is never far away, be it in bustling Brighton or the calmer estuary at Cuckmere and there are beautiful villages with good local pubs and strong communities.

“Lindfield and Cuckfield are most often requested by buyers along with villages supporting a good number of local shops, such as Horsted Keynes, Newick and Hurstpierpoint also being high on the list.”