is a
Town in the
Wealden district of
East Sussex ,
England . It has a population of over 18,000.
The town originally grew as an
Agricultural centre but is now mostly a
Commuter Town . There is currently much controversy over the sale of Hailsham Cattle Market and its redevelopment into a supermarket. Hailsham was originally granted it's charter for a market in 1252 by Henry III. The market is one of few remaining cattle markets along the south coast, and if closed, would probably be a great loss to the town. The local MP,
Charles Hendry , has got involved and is fighting to keep the market open.
Local Public Houses and Inns that have vanished over the years are: The Good Intent, The Fox, The Black Horse Inn, The Swan Inn, The Market House, The Cow, and The Brewers Arms (formerly the Railway Arms).
The Quintins shopping centre was opened in the late 1980s and was named after
Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham Of St Marylebone . At the centre of the centre is the
Co-op (supermarket) . There is a
Waitrose supermarket nearby in Vicarage Fields, which was previously
Somerfield .
The town has several primary schools. It has one secondary comprehensive school,
Hailsham Community College .
Hailsham used to have a railway station on the Cuckoo line, running from
Polegate to
Tunbridge Wells . The line from
Polegate was opened in May 1849 and closed as part of the Beeching cuts in 1968. The southern 12 miles of disused line is now a valued cycleway and footpath between Polegate and
Heathfield .
