Hassocks

About

Hassocks is a attractive village situated just to the north of the South Downs in Sussex, some 7 miles from Brighton. It is ideally situated, having links by both road and rail to London and the Sussex Coast, and direct access to the South Downs. The two ancient parishes of Clayton and Keymer, records of which go back to the Doomsday Book, contain the village of Keymer and the hamlet of Clayton.

The modern village of Hassocks (the name means rough tussocks of grass) grew up around the railway station built in 1841. Local legend has it that the Southern Railway Company asked the Clayton and Keymer Parish Councils to choose a name for the new station. But as they could not agree, the railway company in desperation decided to call the station 'Hassocks Gate' after a farm by the toll gate on the road to Hurstpierpoint. Over the years Hassocks has expanded whilst the hamlet of Clayton with its Saxon church nestling below the Downs has changed little.
Hassocks has good shopping and community facilities including four churches, three schools, five pubs, two Post Offices and its own Library. The village boasts a wide range of interesting and useful shops, including a delicatessen, fish & chip shops, restaurants, off licenses, a craft shop, newsagents, and a supermarket.

There is an Age Concern Day Centre, opened by HRH the Duchess of Kent, and close by is a busy Health Centre. There are also a large number of local societies and clubs catering for many varied interests, including a Golf Club and a Racquets Club.

Adastra Park in the centre of Hassocks was given to the Parish Council by the late E.D. Stafford, in memory of his son who was killed in the 1914-1918 war whilst service in the Royal Flying Corp. It contains two large recreational fields used for cricket, stoolball and football, children's play areas, tennis courts, a Bowls Club, and a Garden of Remembrance. The superb Adastra Hall is the scene of many activities including table tennis, short mat bowls and various evening entertainments.