Crawley
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Crawley (disambiguation).
| Borough of Crawley | |
|---|---|
| Image:WestSussexCrawley.png Shown within West Sussex | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Borough |
| Region: | South East England |
| Admin. County: | West Sussex |
| Area: - Total | Ranked 308th 44.97 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Crawley |
| ONS code: | 45UE |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2004 est.) - Density | Ranked 223rd 98,700 2,195 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 88.5% White 8.3% S.Asian 1.1% Afro-Carib. |
| Politics | |
| Crawley Borough Council http://www.crawley.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Labour |
| MP: | Laura Moffatt |
| Neighbourhoods of Crawley | |
Template:GBmap Crawley is a town and local government district in West Sussex, England. It covers an area of 44.97 km² and has a population of 99,744 people (2001 census). It is bordered by the Sussex Local Authorities of Mid Sussex and Horsham Districts; and by the Surrey authorities of Mole Valley and Tandridge Districts, and the Borough of Reigate & Banstead.
Contents |
Administration
The town is an unparished borough, a two-tier area, also coming under the remit of West Sussex County Council. It encompasses the original West Sussex parishes of Ifield and part of Worth.
History
The area now known as Crawley was peopled by Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlers, as remains show. During the Roman times the iron industry flourished. The Saxons first named the settlement craw leah (crow infested clearing); both Ifield and Worth are mentioned in the Domesday Book; Worth church is Saxon. A weekly market charter was granted in 1203.
Crawley's position on the turnpike to Brighton helped to boost its population. It was, however, the coming of the railway in 1848, when the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway opened the line from Three Bridges on the line to Brighton to Horsham railway station that started the real town growth. Some 900 houses were added between the two world wars, bringing to population to around 10,000 people by World War II, mainly clustered around the main London to Brighton road (by then the A23). Crawley is now bypassed by the M23.
Other local developments included the opening of Gatwick Racecourse in 1891; and an aerodrome, later to become Gatwick Airport, opened in the 1930s. Ifield railway station was opened in 1907.
Second World War
Crawley area was considered far enough away from London to be a safe place, a few children and some businesses moved into the town. Later in the war Crawley suffered two fatal attacks:
- 4 February 1943 a line of bombs fell on the town centre killing two people.
- 10 July 1944 two V-1 flying bombs landed on the town. One caused seven deaths, but the other failed to explode.
Nearby Gatwick Airport was requisitioned by the RAF and mainly used for aircraft maintenance and repair.
Development as a New Town
In 1947, Crawley was designated as a New Town area under the New Towns Act of 1946. Its development then ballooned during the 1950s and 1960s, bringing it to a population of around 60,000. Crawley New Town was based around three communities: Crawley itself, Ifield and Three Bridges. The Act allowed expansion as required: and since its beginnings, the town has continued to grow, incorporating neighbouring settlements. Six square kilometres were added in 1983; and a further neighbourhood to the north-east of the town is planned.
During the boom of the 1980s the town boasted the lowest level of unemployment in the UK.
Structure
Crawley's 13 neighbourhoods are as follows:
- Bewbush
- Broadfield
- Furnace Green
- Gossops Green
- Ifield
- Langley Green
- Maidenbower
- Northgate
- Pound Hill
- Southgate
- Three Bridges
- Tilgate
- West Green
Other areas within Crawley include:
- Manor Royal - An industrial zone (falls under Northgate)
- Worth - A disputed area falling within Pound Hill. The historic parish of Worth also falls in Mid Sussex, which contains the whole of the modern parish of Worth.
- Gatwick - The area surrounding London Gatwick Airport (falls under Langley Green). Includes the old village of Lowfield Heath which was largely cleared to make way for the airport. The old church building survives within the airport boundary.
Local attractions, culture, and facilities
- LaserHub - Lasertag gaming centre- [www.laserhub.co.uk]
- The Hawth - a theatre offering a range of entertainment.
- CineWorld - a megaplex cinema.
- Tilgate Park - a large forest, with a rare breeds centre and many visitor facilities.
- Leisure park - a large complex with Bowling, Cinema, restaurants, bars and a health club. Commonly known by residents as "The Megaplex".
- Broadfield Stadium - football stadium owned by Crawley Borough Council[1]. Also the home of Crawley Town F.C., who pay rent to the council.
- A Library.
- Central Sussex College - Crawley campus of the Further Education College (formerly Crawley College), in the town centre.
- County Mall - A large covered shopping area, the main retail area of the town.
- K2 Crawley - Leisure centre and sports complex.
Famous residents
- Mark Lemon - First editor of Punch magazine
- John George Haigh - 'The Acid Bath Murderer'
- Lucy Brown - Writer. Now and Heat magazine
- Peter Treagus - Photographer. Award winning press photographer.
- Peter Vaughan - Actor. Most famous role was Harry Grout in Porridge (TV). The house he lived in is now the Goffs Manor pub
- The Cure - formed in Crawley in 1976, members of the band went to St Wilfrid's School.
- Gareth Southgate - footballer, attended Hazelwick School
- Nadia Almada - Contestant in Big Brother UK series 5
- Eugene Sully - Contestant in Big Brother UK series 6
- Chico - Contestant from The X Factor UK series 2
- 2D - Lead singer/keyboardist of Gorillaz.
- Simon Calder - Independent travel writer and presenter for BBC travel programmes
- The Feeling
Transport links
A large influence on the town's recent development has been the nearby international airport, London Gatwick, which is contained within the borough's boundaries. The airport is now the busiest single-runway airport in the world, and the sixth busiest overall. Crawley also has 3 railway stations; Crawley, Three Bridges, and Ifield. Crawley is located on the southern end of the M23 motorway, which bypasses the town. The M23 motorway ends just to the south of Crawley near Pease Pottage Service station.
Fastway bus project
See main article: Crawley Fastway
A new guided bus public transport service linking parts of Crawley to Gatwick Airport.
See also
Local Towns:
Elsewhere:
External links
- Local Webs Guide to Crawley
- In Crawley (Guide to Crawley)
- Crawley Borough Council
- Crawley Online (Fan Site) Template:Mmuk mapho25
- Crawley Neighbourhood Watch
- Crawley Observer (Local Newspaper)
- Crawley News (Local Newspaper)
- Knowhere Guide to Crawley
- Takeaways and restaurants in Crawley
