Hailsham, the largest of the main towns in the Wealden District of East Sussex, is an inviting market town, rich in industrial and agricultural history. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, ropemaking was a major local industry and it still continues in the town today. Granted a Market Charter in 1252 by Henry III, this town has a long and varied heritage with weekly livestock markets, a monthly farmers’ market and weekly street markets continuing to operate in the town and which also serve the wider rural population. St Mary’s Church, a mainly fifteenth-century building with an attractive chequerwork stone and knapped flint tower, still stands in the heart of the town. In 2012 Hailsham Market was saved from development after the freehold of the site was purchased, ending over a decade of uncertainty regarding the future of the market. Many areas in and around Hailsham have changed through time, especially in recent years when housing developments have stretched the town boundaries and new shopping precincts have been built in the town centre. However, there are still many original buildings, some of which are believed to date back to the fifteenth century, in and around the High Street and Market Square. In this volume, the members of the Hailsham Historical Society provide readers with an insight into the history of the area and show what life was like for past residents through this fascinating selection of old and modern photographs.
