Haywards Heath, The Recreation Ground c.1950

Photo ref: H252003

More about this scene

Other sports are popular in the town, notably cricket, and the club's ground is certainly in a very attractive setting; it has enthralled appreciative crowds since 1894. The attractive grassed terraces were completed by 1897 as an apt memorial for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The well-known cricketer Maurice Tate went to school in Haywards Heath, and was at his sporting peak during the 1920s and 1930s, playing in Test matches both at home and abroad. He last played for Sussex in 1937. His father Fred Tate played here; he who was also the landlord of the nearby Burrell Arms pub! The recreation ground was created from a part of the extensive grounds of what was originally a private house called St Clair. The house would later become a private school - there were many of these in the town. The house was later demolished. Cricket is not the only activity at the recreation ground today, as the nearby outdoor play area for children and the arts centre Clair Hall testify.