Crawley is a medium sized town in West Sussex, situated midway between London and Brighton and with a current population of around 110,000. It is best known as being a post war ‘new town’, that is a town that saw rapid development following the end of World War 2 in order to accommodate families from London who were living in poor or damaged housing. It is also home to Gatwick Airport, the second busiest single runway airport in the world.

To many people that is Crawley and the story would end here, but what many don’t realise is that the town has a long and rich history. Having been inhabited since the Stone Age, it was a major ironworking centre during the Roman Occupation and it is believed that permanent settlement of the area commenced late in the 9th century. Indeed, the Saxon built St Nicholas Church, in Worth, has been dated to 871 (and was later gifted by William the Conqueror to his son in law, William de Warenne, whose coat of arms is still visible in the stained glass windows of the church). The Ifield area of the town also appears in the Domesday book.


Worth Church

By the 13th Century, Crawley was starting to develop as a market town and, through the 14th and 15th centuries, a High Street started to take shape around the main London to Brighton coaching route as wealth began to be accumulated by those living and working in the area.

The towns new found prosperity, gained principally from ironworking and farming, meant that families had become wealthy enough to start constructing substantial timber buildings, some of which survive to this day. The Tree House, a timber framed hall house at the northern end of the High Street, was the original Manor House of Crawley and is believed to be late 14th century in origin. Most of its timbers are now hidden from view behind more modern brick walls and roof. It will soon be open to the public as it is currently being prepared as the new home of the Crawley Museum.


The Tree House


Just south of The Tree House is The Old Punchbowl, a 5 bay timber-framed Wealden hall-house built in the early 15th Century. Originally a farmhouse it has since served time as subdivided labourers cottages, a tea room and a bank. It is currently a pub.


The Old Punch Bowl


300 yards south of The Old Punchbowl, is The Ancient Priors, a mid 15th century 4 bay timber-framed Wealden hall-house, but with parts hidden from everyday view that date back to the 14th Century. The Ancient Priors was originally built as a private house, most likely for the use of the priest from the nearby church. Later, it would be a pub and was then used by a variety of tradespeople. In the early 20th century it was used as an antique shop before being allowed to fall into disrepair. Indeed, it became so dilapidated that in the 1930’s demolition was considered, but thankfully the building was restored and has now been a restaurant, under various ownerships, for several decades. It’s interesting to note that secret rooms, the purpose of which has never been confirmed, were discovered in the 19th century.


The Ancient Priors


Opposite The Ancient Priors, is The George Hotel, probably Crawley’s most famous building. The oldest parts of the hotel are commonly said to date from 1450, but it is thought that the centre section, an open hall house, may be 60 or 70 years older. It is thought that the structure has always served as an inn and famous guests include Lord Nelson, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.


The George Hotel

Other medieval period buildings in the High Street include number 39, a 16th century timber framed hall house which was re-modelled and clad with bargeboards and tiles in the mid 1800’s and now serves as an Estate Agents. Opposite number 39 is 44-48 High Street, a four-bay timber-framed hall-house which was built in around 1600 and was converted into shops no later than the early 19th century. Originally, both street-facing elevations were jettied, but only the smaller north face remains so, the jetty of the eastern face now hidden behind shop fascias.


39 High Street


44-48 High Street

Unfortunately many of the medieval buildings in the High Street were bulldozed during the construction of the new town in the early 1950’s. With their true origins being hidden from view behind 18th & 19th century cladding, they were destroyed by workmen before their true significance was realised.

Within the town boundaries, but away from the town centre, are many more surviving medieval buildings some of which are certainly worth a quick look at.

 

Ewhurst Place also had an outer ditch. Whilst the main moat existed to protect the property and its occupants, the outer ditch was to protect the owner’s livestock from predators such as wolves, which would have still been roaming the countryside when the house was constructed and certainly when the original older house existed on the site. A lot of the outer ditch still exists.

Ewhurst Place

Martyrs Farm, to the north of the town centre and now in the neighbourhood of Langley Green, played a part in Britains history when, upon the nations return to Catholicism during the reign of Queen Mary a local Protestant Martyr, Thomas Dungate, was burnt at the stake in nearby East Grinstead having been arrested for rejecting the catholic faith at the farm that was named in his honour.


Martyrs Farm


Hyders Hall, to the north of Martyrs Farm is another surviving moated house from the period, but is now only partially moated. Hyders Hall is now known as Gatwick Manor and is used as hotel and events venue. Originally built in the 15th century as 2 two bay open hall-house, it has been extended multiple times.


Hyders Hall


To the east of Hyders Hall is the beautiful Rowleys Farm, a large late 16th century timber framed early smoke bay house. To the north, and within the boundaries of Gatwick airport, stand Edgeworth House and Wing House. Edgeworth House is a four bay hall house built in approximately 1520 which adjoins its younger sister, Wing House, another four bay hall house built in the mid 16th Century. They stand in the grounds of a hotel chain and both seem to be currently unused.


Rowleys Farm


Wing House


Edgeworth House


To the north of the airport and surrounded by car parks, stands Charlwood Park Farmhouse, a 15th century open hall house which is jettied all round. The building is currently used as a pre-school. Another building used for the same purpose, is Charlwood House, a very early 17th century timber framed house on the southern side of the runway.  On the far north western edge of the towns boundary, directly under the flight path and half a mile or so from the end of the runway, stands Upper Prestwood Farm. This early 15th century 4 bay open hall house remains relatively unchanged.


Charlwood Park Farmhouse


Charlwood House


Upper Prestwood Farm


Heading back towards Ifield, on the way out of town just south of the Rusper Road stands the Mill House, a 16th century house originally inhabited by those working in the nearby water mill. The building became a pub in the 1970’s, having seen off a demolition threat, but has now returned to private ownership. Also on the Rusper Road is Turks Croft, a three bay hall house from the late 15th century, with substantial 16th and 17th century additions. A mile or so north of here, in Langley Lane, we have The Old Forge, a 3 bay open hall house built in approximately 1475. In 1674, a local Blacksmith who owned the house passed the land over to the Quakers who built a meeting house adjoining the cottage. This is still in use and is one of the oldest purpose-built Quaker meeting houses in existence. A stones throw to the north is Old Inn Cottage, a two and a half bay open hall house built in approximately 1600. We can probably draw the conclusion that this property once served as an inn.


The Mill House


Turks Croft


The Old Forge


Old Inn Cottage


Heading out of the town centre on the Horsham Road is the 16th century Goffs Manor, a 4 bay open hall house that was originally a farmhouse, but is now used as a pub. The actor Peter Vaughan, of ‘Porridge’ fame, lived here until 1986. Further along the Horsham Road is Little Buckswood Farm, a late 15th century farmhouse that, sadly, serves as nothing more than a storage facility and display frame for the garden centre that now surrounds it.


Goffs Manor


Little Buckswood Farm


Finally, to the north east of the town centre, stands the late 16th century Blackdog Cottage. Formerly a farmhouse, it now forms part of the Northgate neighbourhood.


Blackdog Cottage


For more photographs of Crawleys historic buildings, including larger sets of the buildings described above, please visit my blog:
http://crawley-old-town.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/crawley-old-town-home-page.html



Text & photographs © Ian Mulcahy. Contact photos@iansapps.co.uk or visit my 'Use of my photographs' page for licensing queries.