Sussex.. things to do!

[CatLady93]

Hi all,

My partner & I are figuring out a probable move to Sussex from London with our little girl some time in the next couple of years. We adore Brighton, but we'd like to live in a more rural setting. I was wondering if anyone who knows the area has any tips on lovely places to live (think villages/rural locations 5-10 mins from a town), 30-45 mins from Brighton, good schools, and any recommendations of things like large retail parks with leisure facilities, amazing soft plays, pools with slides, health clubs, our little girl is nearly 1 so when we move she'd be prime age for all that stuff.

Any tips and nuggets of info would be so appreciated!! Likewise if anyone wants any tips on SW London I'm your gal! Xx

I would look at Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Ditchling. All close to Burgess Hill, Brighton and Haywards Heath. Burgess Hill has The Triangle Leisure Centre with a good swimming pool. There is various soft play centres around Sussex. Not much in the way of large retail parks with leisure facilities with them, but Crawley has a Leisure Park with Cineworld, Hollywood Bowl and various restaurants, plus a retail park not far from it, easy to access off the A23.

That's a big area, OP. I think you'll get more responses if you narrow it down. Are you thinking East or West Sussex? coast or inland? what size of town? do you need to commute to London?

Horsham is a lovely town, good schools, great shopping and eateries. Has a bus to Brighton, train station, garden centres, lots of woodland walks.

@badgerhead This is so helpful, thank you!

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow We're early in the process of looking. Occasional London commute (few times a month) so not an integral feature of the location. We're interested in villages/rural areas close to nice towns. East/West Sussex not sure - but as I said 30-45 mins from Brighton as we'd like to have easy access when we want it

I lived in Haywards heath and worked in Brighton. Loved it. Good mix of town and country, easy travel.
For entertainment, can't beat Drusilla's. Get a membership.

How about Lewes?
I'm tempted to move there myself honestly

I live in East Sussex. I live outside Newhaven (Newhaven has a terrible reputation, however outside like Denton, South Heighton, Bishopstone, seaford are all nice.)

I think you would like Lewes though.

Lewes is lovely

Check out Paradise Park for softplay, garden centre, koi ponds, museum, gardens, crazy golf....

https://www.paradisepark.co.uk/

Hey! there are so many things to do in Sussex if you like the outdoors!

Things to do for couples.

Things to do when it rains.

Garden Centres! :)

Bird watching!

Visiting the top 20 pretty towns in Sussex.

Definitely worth moving to Sussex, but I'm bias!