Hassocks Area Guide

Hassocks is a vibrant village in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, nestled at the foot of the South Downs, set in the sweet spot halfway between London and Brighton. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields.

With glorious views of the South Downs, Hassocks has clearly appealed to settlers down the centuries. The village’s roots stretch back far into prehistory, testified to by the discovery of Neolithic clay spoons and Stone Age flint tools. Bronze Age settlers arrived in the area some 4,000 years ago, followed by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. A large Roman cemetery was discovered near what is now the Stonepound Crossroad. The Saxons decided on the vista at nearby Clayton for the site of St John the Baptist Church, the chancel arch of which is 900 years old, and the church has yielded medieval wall paintings of national importance. However the most impactful arrival came in the 1840s – the railway. The opening of Hassocks Gate as the station in 1841 heralded the beginning of the village as it is it today, followed by housing development in the centre to cater for commuters.

Today, Hassocks combines the quiet rural life with all modern services and communications and its past is too often overlooked. But on closer examination parts of the fascinating history and unique character of the village can still be glimpsed. The Friars Oak Inn in London Road was used by Sherlock Holmes’ creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as the setting for his adventure tale Rodney Stone. Originally, the pub stood on the other side of the road and had connections dating back 500 years. It was named after a big oak tree beneath which monks from a long-gone monastery handed out food to the local poor.

Fittingly for its railway connections, Hassocks also boasted two famous sons of the railway world – John Saxby, who invented the signals and points system and Magnus Volk, the German designer of Brighton’s Palace Pier to Black Rock electric railway.

The railway also made Hassocks a handy destination for the pleasure-seekers of the Edwardian age and the village’s same picturesque surroundings remain today. There are wonderful views of the Downs and the famous Jack and Jill windmills from the village. From Ditchling Beacon and ridge there are further, spectacular views to the North Downs and to the south coast.

All this and a mainline station with fast and frequent services to London and the South Coast make Hassocks a superb place for people of all ages and stages to put down roots.

Property

Hassocks has all the quality of life of a semi-rural location with the convenience of easy commuting and excellent facilities for family life including great schools and a unique selection of properties with gardens. With many of the houses have stunning views of the South Downs, it's easy to see why people want to move to the village. There are new build family homes and executive homes and apartments existing nicely alongside the more traditional and period properties. Hassocks has a pretty yet suburban high street, surrounded by mostly thirties bungalows and fifties semis. Hassocks may be more suburban than rural but house prices have risen 13 per cent year-on-year. Buyers come to Hassocks for value and then funnel what they save into private schooling.

Education

Schools rated as 'good' or 'outstanding', within 3 miles of the centre of Hassocks include: Hassocks Infant School and Windmill Junior then Downlands Community School for senior level students. Other notable schools in the area are St Lawrence C of E Primary School in Hurstpierpoint, St Margaret’s in Ditchling, Woodlands Mede in Burgess Hill and St Paul’s Catholic College as well as independents including Hurstpierpoint College, Lancing College and Brighton College.

Shopping

Hassocks has a bustling High Street with a wide range of interesting and useful shops including some great restaurants. The Friars Oak, a Tudor-style pub with elegant decor and log fires, serves comfort food and cask ales. Hassocks is also just a short distance away from a Michelin-commended restaurant, the Ginger Fox, which is one of the jewels in Sussex's culinary crown. There is a local fish and chip shop, delicatessen, plenty of coffee shops, off licences and eclectic outlets selling gifts, crafts, clothing, jewellery, vintage furniture and more. The community facilities are excellent including four churches, three schools, five pubs, two Post Offices and its own library.

There’s also a monthly Farmers Market in Hassocks, where you can sample and buy delicious local produce. The high street is attracting some new and interesting, high quality independent retailers and now has a fantastic cycling café. A Sainsbury Local is useful for a quick essential shop together with a newsagent and a larger superstore is located in nearby Burgess Hill.

Entertainment

Hassocks has plenty of entertainment on offer for all age groups and its communication links to Brighton means that increases three fold. There’s plenty of social clubs and societies to join, from a ramblers club to archery, tennis, a film society, bridge club, dance clubs, and a jazz club. There is a plethora of sports clubs including ladies and men’s football, lawn tennis, bowling, netball, angling, cricket, golf, badminton, squash, running and cycling.

Adastra Park in the centre of Hassocks contains two large recreational fields used for cricket, stoolball and football, children's play areas, tennis courts, a Bowls Club, and a Garden of Remembrance. The superb Adastra Hall is the scene of many activities including table tennis, short mat bowls and various evening entertainments.

Hassocks is the land of Windmills, on the South Downs above Clayton village are the famous Jack and Jill windmills and Oldland Windmill is an 18th century post-mill situated just north of Hassocks.

One of the main draws of living in Sussex is its fantastic countryside, so where better to live than Hassocks? Hassocks is in a prime location to get closer to nature; the village is just a short drive from both the South Downs National Park and the High Weald Area of Natural Beauty. This makes Hassocks perfectly situated to take advantage of the best countryside in the southeast.

The surrounding villages of Hurstpierpoint, Ditchling, Albourne, and Sayers Common also offer easy access to the rolling countryside for keen walkers, cyclists, horse riders and dog owners.

Travel

Hassocks is the ideal commuter village. The modern village was born in the 1840's from its place on the London to Brighton main train line, giving Hassocks a premium spot on one of the few north/south transport links in Sussex. Situated right in the heart of Sussex, it is also a very short drive from both Brighton and Crawley, and not far at all from the M23 to Gatwick airport and towns to the north. For a village that feels very rural, it is extraordinarily well served in the way of roads for driving and all forms of public transport.