Pound Hill, Crawley
Encyclopedia
Pound Hill is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley
in West Sussex
, England
. Pound Hill is located on the east of Crawley. It is bordered by Three Bridges
and Manor Royal
to the west and Maidenbower
to the south.
It is the largest of the 13 neighbourhoods of Crawley. Until 2004, it was the first one to be split into two wards - Pound Hill North and Pound Hill South. Its boundaries extend north beyond the main built-up area thus making it also the most northerly neighbourhood in the town.
between Horley and Balcombe, this road (now called the Balcombe Road) entered the parish from the North and at the top of Pound Hill it turned east and followed the Crawley to Turners Hill road, after a few hundred yards the road then turned south along Church Lane in Worth. The houses and farms around the Pound Hill junction became known as Pound Hill. Due to the close proximity of Worth Church, Pound Hill did not develop into a village. The turnpike was busy and the hill leading down Church Lane became difficult for wheeled vehicles. Church Lane was bypassed when a new road was made directly south from Pound Hill junction to join the old road at the bottom of the hill near Frogshole Farm. A public house the Kings Head became a popular stopping place for coaches between London and Brighton. But by the 1830s the Kings Head had become a private house and most of the coaches used the new turnpike through Crawley.
By 1916 a telephone exchange had been built in Pound Hill.
In the 1920s and 1930s a number of large estates in the area were sold and land became available for development. In Pound Hill 102 houses were built along St Mary's Drive. Although further land was cleared the development in the area was stopped by the Second World War. Post-war further houses were built around St Mary's Drive.
With the creation of Crawley New Town in 1947 the Pound Hill area was proposed as a neighbourhood. It not only included the original area of Pound Hill but all the land between the London-Brighton railway and the Balcombe Road, and south from Crawley Avenue to the Three Bridges-East Grinstead Railway. And later it included the area around Worth church. Work began and building new houses around 1953 and the southern part of Pound Hill was completed in 1956. Development of the northern part continued into the 1970s. Also in the 1970s the area to the east between the Balcombe Road and the M23 motorway
was developed and other areas were infilled. In 1981 Pound Hill had 11,617 inhabitants. A school in the area collapsed under the weight of a severe storm that hit Britain
on 25 January 1990, but all pupils had been evacuated just minutes before the building collapsed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/25/newsid_3420000/3420797.stm
The area of Worth is within the boundaries of Pound Hill. This has no official recognition, however the 'Pound Hill South' ward was renamed in 2004 to 'Pound Hill South and Worth'. It is common for signposts to be altered to use the Worth name by local residents.
is a large recreational parkland located within Pound Hill and dates back to 1882. It hosts several listed buildings and is the home of The Crawley Croquet Club.
Public houses in the area include The White Knight, a focus for live entertainment, the Tavern on the Green which is a more family orientated pub and The Hillside which specialises in Pub Food.
of rock band The Cure
.
Other bands to hail from the area include Eat Me Alice, The Molotovs, Great White Line, Black Gang Chine, The Mayflys, The Freebasing Floorboards, Straight to Video, Partario's Music Therapy and solo artists Rory Flynn,[Us and Them]http://www.myspace.com/usandthemuk, Run Young Lovers, Tom Eveleigh, Rob Worel, Lorenzo Cavendish and Stuart Cochrane. Lead guitarist Olaf Hartberg with Birmingham based band The Skeksis also hails from this area 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...
. Pound Hill is located on the east of Crawley. It is bordered by 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...
and Manor Royal
Manor Royal, Crawley
Manor Royal is an industrial zone within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Manor Royal is in the north of the town near to Gatwick airport. The area is devoted to light industry and offices and was designed for industry as part of the Crawley new town project...
to the west and Maidenbower
Maidenbower, Crawley
Maidenbower is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Maidenbower is located in the south east corner of the town bordering the M23 motorway. It is bordered by Pound Hill to the north and Furnace Green to the west across the railway line.Maidenbower is the newest of...
to the south.
It is the largest of the 13 neighbourhoods of Crawley. Until 2004, it was the first one to be split into two wards - Pound Hill North and Pound Hill South. Its boundaries extend north beyond the main built-up area thus making it also the most northerly neighbourhood in the town.
History
Pound Hill was originally a hamlet within the parish of Worth. In 1809 an Act of Parliament created a turnpikeToll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
between Horley and Balcombe, this road (now called the Balcombe Road) entered the parish from the North and at the top of Pound Hill it turned east and followed the Crawley to Turners Hill road, after a few hundred yards the road then turned south along Church Lane in Worth. The houses and farms around the Pound Hill junction became known as Pound Hill. Due to the close proximity of Worth Church, Pound Hill did not develop into a village. The turnpike was busy and the hill leading down Church Lane became difficult for wheeled vehicles. Church Lane was bypassed when a new road was made directly south from Pound Hill junction to join the old road at the bottom of the hill near Frogshole Farm. A public house the Kings Head became a popular stopping place for coaches between London and Brighton. But by the 1830s the Kings Head had become a private house and most of the coaches used the new turnpike through Crawley.
By 1916 a telephone exchange had been built in Pound Hill.
In the 1920s and 1930s a number of large estates in the area were sold and land became available for development. In Pound Hill 102 houses were built along St Mary's Drive. Although further land was cleared the development in the area was stopped by the Second World War. Post-war further houses were built around St Mary's Drive.
With the creation of Crawley New Town in 1947 the Pound Hill area was proposed as a neighbourhood. It not only included the original area of Pound Hill but all the land between the London-Brighton railway and the Balcombe Road, and south from Crawley Avenue to the Three Bridges-East Grinstead Railway. And later it included the area around Worth church. Work began and building new houses around 1953 and the southern part of Pound Hill was completed in 1956. Development of the northern part continued into the 1970s. Also in the 1970s the area to the east between the Balcombe Road and the M23 motorway
M23 motorway
The M23 motorway is a motorway in England. The motorway runs from south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23. The northern end of the motorway starts at junction 7 on what is effectively a spur north from...
was developed and other areas were infilled. In 1981 Pound Hill had 11,617 inhabitants. A school in the area collapsed under the weight of a severe storm that hit Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 25 January 1990, but all pupils had been evacuated just minutes before the building collapsed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/25/newsid_3420000/3420797.stm
Today
Pound Hill has a wide variety of housing from small flats to very large modern houses.The area of Worth is within the boundaries of Pound Hill. This has no official recognition, however the 'Pound Hill South' ward was renamed in 2004 to 'Pound Hill South and Worth'. It is common for signposts to be altered to use the Worth name by local residents.
Leisure
Worth Park GardensWorth Park Gardens
Worth Park Gardens is a recreational parkland in Pound Hill, Crawley. The park covers eight hectares and includes formal gardens, and a lake area...
is a large recreational parkland located within Pound Hill and dates back to 1882. It hosts several listed buildings and is the home of The Crawley Croquet Club.
Public houses in the area include The White Knight, a focus for live entertainment, the Tavern on the Green which is a more family orientated pub and The Hillside which specialises in Pub Food.
Music
Pound Hill was formerly the home of Robert SmithRobert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
of rock band The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
.
Other bands to hail from the area include Eat Me Alice, The Molotovs, Great White Line, Black Gang Chine, The Mayflys, The Freebasing Floorboards, Straight to Video, Partario's Music Therapy and solo artists Rory Flynn,[Us and Them]http://www.myspace.com/usandthemuk, Run Young Lovers, Tom Eveleigh, Rob Worel, Lorenzo Cavendish and Stuart Cochrane. Lead guitarist Olaf Hartberg with Birmingham based band The Skeksis also hails from this area of Crawley.