| Horsted Keynes | |
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  Horsted Keynes shown within West Sussex |
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| Population | 1,507 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 40.8 miles (66 km) |
| District | Mid Sussex |
| Shire county | West Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | REDHILL |
| Postcode district | RH17 |
| Dialling code | 01825 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | Mid Sussex |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| Website: HorstedKeynes.com | |
| List of places: UK • England • West Sussex | |
Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is located about 5 miles (8km) north east of Haywards Heath, and lies on the southern edge of the Weald. The civil parish is largely rural, covering 1581.46ha, and has a population of 1507 persons (2001 census) Horsted Keynes is centred around its village green with its pubs, Post Office and village store. The Post Office is interesting as it was to be closed down for lack of use but was bought up by a group of villagers who invested in its continued use for the community. It is now proving very popular and serves a large rural area. An interesting historical note is that just a couple of months before being assassinated, President John F. Kennedy actually slept in the Parish when he stayed one Saturday night at Birch Grove, the home of the former Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan. A whole article could be written about how the American Secret Service closed the village that night, siting their communication hub in the Lounge Bar of "The Crown Inn". The two principal churches are: the Anglican Parish Church dedicated to St Giles and the final resting place of former British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan; and the Roman Catholic church of St Stephen which is unoccupied and controlled from the nearest town, Haywards Heath. The railway station, three-quarters of a mile from the village, is now owned and operated by the Bluebell Railway, which is largely run by volunteers and operates using vintage steam trains. The station originally also had a connection with Haywards Heath, between 1883 and 1963.
On the 1st July 2003 a lightning bolt struck the electricity pole beside The Crown public house on the village green which has stood there for at least 300 years and probably much longer. The roof and much of the building was destroyed in one of the largest fires in the area for many years. More than three years on, the building is still swathed in plastic sheeting bringing a desolate feel to one of the most beautiful villages in England. It is only good fortune (and good design) that prevented the fire spreading to the petrol storage tanks of the adjacent Crown Garage. Had these exploded the heart would easily have been torn from the village. A smaller incident occurred in May 2007 when a telephone pole was struck removing communications from much of the village. Several homes in Lewes Road were left without telephone for over one month whilst permission was sought to dig on private land to relay a cable. Unfortunately like many other English villages Horsted Keynes is losing businesses that have been there for many years. After the closure of the main village store "Sayers and Carter" in 1992, and the more recent loss of the butcher "Maynards", followed by the village hairdresser and photographer. The village garage closed down in June 2007. It was only 20 years ago that the village had two garages, now it has none leaving the nearest petrol retailer more than 6 miles away. Planning permission is being sought to turn the garage site into residential accommodation. Many think that it will become occupied by yet more "weekend residents", who will take up yet more parking space and marking an every increasing decline in a once thriving Sussex village community. This part of Sussex was known for its iron industry long before the industrial revolution and the coming of the railways. Little remains of this now, except for the hammer ponds and other traces of this activity dotted around the surrounding countryside, although iron working is remembered in many local place names.
External links
- HorstedKeynes.com - website for the village
- St Giles Church, Horsted Keynes
- The Bluebell Railway
