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

With easy access to the seaside, 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.

Haywards Heath was once known as Haywards Hoth, dating back to 1544 and meaning “heath by the enclosure with a hedge,” and Haywards Heath was mentioned during the English Civil War in 1642. The town’s population increased significantly after the arrival of the railway station in 1841.

Haywards Heath has long been popular with families. It has a strong community spirit and a good range of schools and shops, while maintaining a peaceful atmosphere. Lying 14 miles north of Brighton, Haywards Heath has excellent transport links via road, A23, or rail to London, Brighton, Crawley or Gatwick, with Burgess Hill southwest and Horsham to the northwest.

Buildings of interest include the Parish Church, dedicated to St Wilfrid, and the Roman Catholic church of St Paul. The Grade II listed Priory of Our Lady of Good Counsel was built in 1886 but converted to a restaurant and offices in the late 1970s.

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.

It is this relaxed living that has helped Cuckfield grow in popularity. The large village and civil parish is on the southern slopes of the Weald. Though the name’s meaning is debated, it is generally associated with the village’s emblem, the cuckoo.

Cuckfield grew as a market town and an important coaching stop between London and Brighton as it lays on the turnpike. In 1820, local landowners protested the proposed railway route so it was built through neighbouring Haywards Heath instead.

Cuckfield is home to one of the oldest schools in the UK, Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School and the Parish Church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, built in the 13th century but which has Norman foundations.

In 1822, Mary Ann Mantell found the first known iguanodon fossils at Whitemans Gree where a monument to her husband Dr Gideon Mantell stands.

Picturesque Ditchling is a village and civil parish contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park. Ditchling Beacon, one of the highest points on the South Downs, overlooks the village. Ditchling Common, north of the village, is the source of the eastern River Adur which flows on to the English Channel at Shoreham.

Ditchling was first recorded as Dicelinga in 765. The Domesday Book mentions a church and mill in Ditchling as counts the population as approximately 150 households.

Like other Mid Sussex towns and villages, Ditchling has much community spirit and has several community groups and societies.

Notable residents include illustrator and author Raymond Briggs, writer Peter James, singer Dame Vera Lynn and TV and radio presenter Jamie Theakston.

Lindfield lies north-east of Haywards Heath and stand on the upper reaches of the River Ouse. Its name means open land with lime trees and Lindfield lives up to its name being classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Lindfield has a rich historic and architectural heritage. On the ancient High Street, All Saints parish church dates back to 1098 along with many medieval timber-framed houses and one of the oldest houses in the village, Church House, formerly known as The Tiger. At the bottom of the High Street lies Lindfield Pond, a natural spring-fed pond with fish, ducks and herons. Nearby Lindfield Common is central to the village and hosts celebrations and leisure activities including fairs, festivals and sports, including cricket which has been played there since 1747.