Explore East Grinstead
The station is just a short walk from the centre of town, where you can stroll along the traditional High Street, thought to date back around 800 years.
Much of the town’s heritage has been perfectly preserved, with many buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries still standing, including several half-timbered townhouses.
As it’s also surrounded by miles of beautiful countryside, East Grinstead serves as a good base if you’re looking to head into the great outdoors on the Worth Way or the High Weald Landscape Trail.
Find out more about facilities at East Grinstead station.
Things to do in East Grinstead
Call in at Standen House
Set in 12 acres of gorgeous grounds on the edge of Ashdown Forest, Standen House is one of the town’s most popular attractions.
The Grade I listed building is a feast for the eyes both inside and out, with its four-storey central tower and an interior designed by William Morris that’s just as it would have been in 1925.
Throughout the year, the house plays host to plenty of family-friendly activities such as adventure trails and treasure hunts, as well as exhibitions and hands-on workshops covering things like photography.
There’s also a great café in an 18th-century barn with its own wood burner offering hearty homemade food and refreshing drinks – perfect for a bite to eat before you catch the train back home.
Make tracks to the Bluebell Railway
Climb aboard the Bluebell Railway at East Grinstead station for an 11-mile trip through the Sussex countryside on a renovated steam train.
Travelling from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park, the journey takes around 40 minutes each way, with a stop at Horsted Keynes.
Along the way the past is brought back to life with period stations, staff dressed in old uniforms and the chance to see the carriages themselves being restored at the workshop in Horsted Keynes.
At Sheffield Park, meanwhile, there’s the biggest collection of trains and rolling stock outside of the National Railway Museum, with the oldest dating back to 1872.
Ashdown Forest
If you are in the mood for beautiful views over the Sussex countryside, then you should not miss Ashdown Forest. It is designated and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it was originally a deer hunting forest in Norman times. It is, however, probably most famous for the being the setting of AA Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh.
Hop on a Thameslink train to East Grinstead, and continue to Ashdown forest by catching a bus from East Grinstead Station.