Families Invited to Take Part in Hailsham Heritage Walk Event

Families in Hailsham and the surrounding area are invited to take part in a heritage walk and quiz trail around the town on Friday 18th or Saturday 19th August.

The Hailsham Heritage Walk will offer an enjoyable and educational experience for people of all ages and will feature a self-guided walking tour, historical talks, quizzes and activities for children.

By following the directions on the Quiz Trail sheet provided, those taking part in the walk will follow a route around the town, visiting sites of historical and heritage importance, to seek the solutions to a series of questions dotted around the route. QR codes will be stationed at each site which when scanned with a smartphone will provide a link to further information and clues to quiz questions.

Children under the age of 12 will receive a free Hailsham Heritage Walk Activity Leaflet, which will include games, various challenges, a scavenger hunt and more.

Those who wish to participate in the event can choose from one of the dates specified above and will be required to meet at the Hailsham Heritage Centre & Museum (in Blackman’s Yard at the rear of the Town Council Offices in Market Street) at 10am on either day.

The event will kick off with a short talk on the town’s heritage from Hailsham Historical Society members, who will also be on hand to answer any questions regarding the heritage trail and walk.

Those wishing to take part in either of the two scheduled walks and to be eligible to enter associated competitions will need to purchase a copy of the Hailsham Heritage Trail Map & Guide, priced at £2 per person.

Prizes will be given for winners of the heritage quiz and children’s activity leaflet lucky dip, details of which will be announced soon.

“Town Council staff and members of Hailsham Historical Society invite people to take part in a walk exploring the town’s eventful history,” said Deputy Town Clerk & Business Enterprise Manager, Mickey Caira. “Those taking part are guaranteed to enjoy the event, which includes a self-guided walk taking walkers on a fascinating journey around the historic sites of Hailsham, telling the story of the town’s heritage. The event will also feature presentations from the local historical society and a chance to win prizes through the quizzes and children’s activities which will be available to those purchase copies of the Hailsham Heritage Trail Map & Guide.”

“Don’t forget to dress for the weather on the day, wear comfortable shoes apply sunscreen and bring bottled water and a camera with you to take photos!

In partnership with local historian Paul Endersby, principal writer of the Hailsham Heritage Trail guide, a range of buildings and other locations of interest of historical importance were identified by the Town Council, the majority of which have been included in the Trail which was launched in 2012.

The guide includes historical photos and a description of each of the 27 buildings or locations of interest that make up the Hailsham Heritage Trail. The map itself directs people around the town centre and its outskirts visiting such sites as ‘The Stone’, a Grade II listed building, originally built in the 1320s and probably the oldest house in the town and Hailsham Parish Church (formerly St Mary’s Parish Church), a Grade I listed building dating back to the early 15th century.

The Trail also covers the ‘Fleur de Lys/Inglenook’ in Market Street – which was originally built in the reign of Elizabeth I (1542) as part of the original hostelry of the town and ‘Cortlandt’ in George Street, a Grade II listed building originally occupied by American Philip van Cortlandt who fought on the British side in the American War of Independence, before ceasing to be a residence in 1932 when it was bought by the then Hailsham Rural District Council for use as offices.

Other sites of interest include the Old Court House, Hailsham Pavilion, Wellington Lodge, the old Village School and the site of the former Hailsham Railway Station.

“Despite the rapid growth in the town over recent years, Hailsham retains much of its historical past,” added Mr Caira. “The Trail offers an excellent insight into the town’s rich and eventful history, presenting the wide variety of things to see and do around the town that are of historical importance, whilst encouraging visitors to spend more time in the town when they visit.”