Crawley

St John's Church, Crawley, West Sussex

A bustling modern town with ancient roots, Crawley dates back to the Saxon period. It was a quiet market town until it became a stopover point for high society on their way between London and the popular resorts of the south coast.

Much more recently it has thrived as the nearest urban centre to Gatwick Airport, and there are a wide variety of accommodation possibilities in and around Crawley. Just outside the town is Buchan Country Park, a 69-hectare oasis of peace and quiet.

History

Crawley's name comes from a combination of Old English words meaning a clearing where crows lived. In 1202 Crawley was granted the right to hold a weekly market, and in 1279 an annual fair was added.

Throughout the Middle Ages Crawley was little more than a sleepy market town, but all that changed in the late 18th century when Brighton became a popular seaside resort and coach loads of Londoners journeyed to the south coast. Crawley was perfectly situated at the halfway point between London and Brighton and was transformed into a busy coaching point.

In 1930 a civilian aerodrome was built at Crawley. This aerodrome was used by the RAF during WWII, but returned to civil use after the war's end and later expanded to become Gatwick Airport.

The next transformation of Crawley came after the Second World War, when it was chosen as a 'new town' site to reduce urban congestion and deal with post-war housing shortage. London residents and industries in central London were encouraged to relocate to a series of New Towns, including Crawley.

Nine new neighbourhood hubs were created (there are now more), each operating as a self-contained hub, with its own shops, churches, schools, and leisure facilities. The layout of Crawley as we see it today is based on these neighbourhoods, including West Green, Northgate, Three Bridges, Langley Green, Pound Hill, Ifield, Tilgate, Southgate, and Gossops Green.

Crawley is now a thriving modern town, based around an almost invisible ancient core.