St Richard's Church, Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath's development from an area of heathland with isolated farmhouses into one of central Sussex's largest residential and commercial centres happened after the London and Brighton Railway Company built its London–Brighton railway line through the area in the early 1840s. By 1863, enough money was available to build an Anglican church, which became the centre of a parish covering the whole of the growing settlement. St Wilfrid's Church, south of the railway station, was consecrated in 1865. More land was required for development, and a long-established but dilapidated farm near the station, Southlands Farm, was bought and demolished in 1888 to make way for new roads and houses…

The unusual architectural style of St Richard's Church has been described as having elements of Art Deco and the Scandinavian style. It is also built almost entirely of reinforced concrete—not often found in British churches, but used here on the advice of the Diocese as a cost-saving measure. The church is cruciform, long and low; ribs of reinforced concrete run along its length. The nave is of five bays and has north and south aisles; the chancel has a further three bays; the north transept houses a side chapel, organ gallery and seating for the choir; and there is a baptistery in the south transept, which also has the entrance door. Outside, the entrance area has a steep gabled roof with…

St Richard's Church belongs to the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England. The church is a member of The Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda, an association for traditionalist Anglo-Catholics that rejects the ordination of women as priests and bishops. As of 2024, the vicar is Fr David King SSC and the parish has a permanent deacon, The Revd Canon Rebecca Swyer.