Tilgate, Crawley
Encyclopedia
- See also: Tilgate Park
Tilgate is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The area contains a mixture of privately developed housing, self build groups and ex-council housing. It is bordered by the districts of Furnace Green
Furnace Green, Crawley
Furnace Green is a neighbourhood of Crawley in West Sussex, England. It is one of the 13 designated neighbourhoods of Crawley and a local government ward. Furnace Green is located to the east of the town centre...
to the north east, Southgate
Southgate, Crawley
Southgate is one of the 13 residential neighbourhoods in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Crawley was planned and laid out as a New Town after the Second World War, based on the principle of self-contained neighbourhoods surrounding a town centre of civic and commercial buildings...
to the north west and Broadfield
Broadfield, Crawley
Broadfield is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Broadfield is located in the south west of the town. It is bordered by Bewbush to the north, Southgate to the north east and Tilgate to the east....
to the south west.
History
Tilgate was first mentioned in 13th and 14th century tax returns with the inclusion of land owned by William Yllegate (or de illegate).Within the Tilgate forest in the 17th century was a furnace
Furnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
(Tilgate Furnace).
In the 1860s a large house (Tilgate Mansion) and estate was created of 2185 acres (which included 800 acres (3.2 km²) of woodland). The entrance and Tilgate Forest Lodge is near Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
. The supply ponds for the furnace survived and became Tilgate Lake within the estate.
The estate was associated with the Joliffe family (and later the Nix family of bankers).
The estate was sold by auction on 7 September 1939, this included the park and mansion and properties in Three Bridges
Three Bridges
Three Bridges is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley, in the county of West Sussex in England.-History:Three Bridges was a tiny hamlet, which first began to grow with the coming of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841...
. The mansion was converted into flats, used by the Canadian Army during the Second World War but later demolished. The lodge house is now a Bank in Three Bridges
Three Bridges
Three Bridges is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley, in the county of West Sussex in England.-History:Three Bridges was a tiny hamlet, which first began to grow with the coming of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841...
. The estate became Tilgate Park.
Tilgate - Crawley New Town
With the creation of Crawley New TownCrawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
in 1947 the Tilgate area was proposed as a neighbourhood. Construction began in 1955. A reserved area for housing Tilgate East was developed as Furnace Green
Furnace Green, Crawley
Furnace Green is a neighbourhood of Crawley in West Sussex, England. It is one of the 13 designated neighbourhoods of Crawley and a local government ward. Furnace Green is located to the east of the town centre...
. Tilgate had a population of 7130 in 1981.
Tilgate - Crawley
Tilgate is the home of Tilgate Park, a large area of forest run by the Forestry CommissionForestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
. The forest contains Tilgate Nature Reserve and Wild Breeds Centre, 3 recreational lakes (Campbells Lake, Silt Lake and Titmus Lake), park areas, Tilgate Golf Course, and several small commercial buildings known as 'huts' which are used by small sports and hobby clubs and businesses.
The Thomas Bennett School
Thomas Bennett Community College
Thomas Bennett Community College is a maintained comprehensive secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18. It caters to approximately 1500 pupils in Years 7 to 13, including nearly 200 in its sixth form. It now specialises as a mixed school.-History:...
(opened in 1958) was one of the earliest Comprehensive Schools in England, and by 1967 was the largest secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in England. It was named after Sir Thomas Bennett
Thomas Bennett (architect)
Sir Thomas Penberthy Bennett KBE FRIBA was a renowned British architect, responsible for much of the development of the new towns of Crawley and Stevenage....
, chairman of the town's Development Corporation. There are also two Primary schools within the area, as well as a parade of shops, churches, medical facilities, "The Hoppers" public house and other amenities. The area is one of the quietest in Crawley, as the population is largely made up of older residents.
K2 a new leisure centre for Crawley was opened in November 2005, on land formerly belonging to Thomas Bennett School.