Heathfield is a market town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Heathfield and Waldron, in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The town had a population of 7,732 in 2011. Location Heathfield lies near the junction of two main roads: the A267 between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne; and the A265 from Hawkhurst. It is almost equidistant from Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne: approximately 16 mi (26 km). History Historically, Heathfield lay on an ancient trackway (The Ridgeway), connecting the South Downs with the Weald. Its market charter was granted in February 1316 during the reign of Edward II. The Wealden iron brought prosperity to the town during the 16th and the 17th centuries. The coming of the railway (the Cuckoo Line) in 1880 gave it another new lease of life. The latter was not a financial success/ and the branch line between Eridge and Polegate closed in 1968. The trackbed is now named the Cuckoo Trail, part of the National Cycle Network. The original village, Old Heathfield, is now only part of the town, which has expanded over time. In 1961 the parish had a population of 3244. On 1 April 1990 the parish was abolished and merged with Waldron to form "Heathfield and Waldron". Crime The crime rates in Heathfield were lower than the national average: Landmarks The parish church in Heathfield is dedicated to All Saints: an example of a Harmer terracotta decorated gravestone is in the churchyard. The town is the home of Heathfield Park Cricket Club, formed in 1878, and enjoying one of the most scenic positions of any cricket ground in Sussex. The nearby mansion of Heathfield Park dates from the seventeenth century. In a corner of the estate stands a memorial named the Gibraltar Tower. To the north-east, on the edge of the parish, Braylsham Castle is a modern house begun in 1993 using traditional materials and building techniques, built in imitation of a moated medieval manor house, complete with working drawbridge. Approximately one mile from the town is the Heathfield transmitting station, a 145 m high mast (135 m to the bottom of the antenna shroud) which broadcasts TV and radio signals to East and West Sussex, as well as parts of south Kent. Culture The town holds an annual fair named the Heffle Cuckoo Fair each April, the annual Heathfield show takes place each May in the summer.