Famed for the 14th-century timber-framed buildings that line its High Street, East Grinstead is a historic town in West Sussex. During World War II, the town’s Queen Victoria Hospital was established as a specialist burns unit by Sir Archibald McIndoe and became famed for its pioneering reconstructive plastic surgery.
Things to do in East Grinstead
Tracing the history of the town from the medieval period to the present day is the East Grinstead Museum, which houses a fascinating array of artefacts and old photographs across its permanent exhibitions. Of particular note are the objects related to the Queen Victoria Hospital’s “Guinea Pig Club”, detailing its role in the development of modern plastic surgery.
Nearby is Sackville College, a Jacobean almshouse built in 1609 where John Mason Neale composed “Good King Wenceslas”. In front of the building is a memorial to Sir Archibald McIndoe, the New Zealand plastic surgeon who conducted pioneering treatments on RAF and allied aircrew in East Grinstead. Adjacent is the Grade II-listed St Swithun's Church, which was rebuilt on the designs of James Wyatt in the 1780s.
A short drive south of East Grinstead is Standen House and Garden, a National Trust-owned property designed in the 1890s by Philip Webb. Constructed from locally quarried sandstone, the Arts and Crafts-style house is decorated with textiles, wallpapers and furnishings by William Morris. The hillside gardens boast an award-winning plant collection and sweeping views across the surrounding countryside.
Getting around East Grinstead
East Grinstead is around 15 minutes’ drive from Crawley and one hour from the centre of London. Heathrow Airport is also an hour away and has flights to destinations across the globe. Regular trains connect to the East Grinstead railway station and the town is compact enough to explore on foot.