Tilgate Park
Encyclopedia
Tilgate Park is a large park situated in Tilgate
, South-East Crawley
. It is the largest and most popular park in the area.
Originally a 2185 acres (8.8 km²) part of the Worth Forest
, the park and the surrounding areas (including the modern day Furnace Green
, Three Bridges
and part of the Ashdown Forest
) were part of the larger Tilgate estate, first recorded in 1647. From that time, industries including Ironworks
and furnaces were dismantled and replaced by a landed working estate.
The manor of Tilgate was bought by Sir Edward Culpeper and Sir Walter Covert, who owned the manor of nearby Slaugham
, from Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny
. The manor was seized completely from Sir Walter before his death in 1632. It was described as an estate
in 1647, and passed with the manor of Slaugham
down the Covert family line, before passing to another family, the Sergissons, in the early 19th century. The estate was purchased in 1861 by George Ashburner, head of a rich local family, who built a large French-style
mansion in the early 1860s which was simply called Tilgate Mansion. Ashburner's daughter married John Hennings Nix, and the estate passed to her when George Ashburner died in 1869. The families merged and became "Ashburner Nix", and Tilgate passed down with the family until the outbreak of the Second World War
in 1939, when the estate was split into separate lots and sold off individually.
The Crawley Borough Council purchased part of the estate in the early 1960s, and demolished the original mansion in 1965. Today, the site is marked by the popular restaurant The Inn In The Park. Local band The Cure played at the Inn in the Park (possibly then known as "The Lakeside Inn") at an early stage of their career. There are three large lakes in the park, probably used in the medieval iron industry. However, they are now purely ornamental, and extremely popular among fishermen. The biggest lake in the park, Campbells Lake is most famous for its association with Malcolm Campbell
, who carried out flotation trials but not water speed trials there.
Tilgate Park is accessible through two entrances. The main entrance is on Titmus Drive in Tilgate
. There is also a second entrance on the southbound Crawley
A23
Ring Road. The original entrance to the old estate was at Tilgate Lodge – now a bank – near Three Bridges railway station
.
Approximately 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of woodland in the southwest corner have been earmarked for a possible university campus, approximately from K2 leisure centre to the Pease Pottage motorway roundabout.
Tilgate, Crawley
Tilgate is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. The area contains a mixture of privately developed housing, self build groups and ex-council housing...
, South-East 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...
. It is the largest and most popular park in the area.
Originally a 2185 acres (8.8 km²) part of the Worth Forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, the park and the surrounding areas (including the modern day 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...
, 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 part of the Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
) were part of the larger Tilgate estate, first recorded in 1647. From that time, industries including Ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
and furnaces were dismantled and replaced by a landed working estate.
The manor of Tilgate was bought by Sir Edward Culpeper and Sir Walter Covert, who owned the manor of nearby Slaugham
Slaugham
Slaugham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is located seven miles to the south of Crawley, on the A23 road to Brighton...
, from Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, 8th Baron Bergavenny
Edward Nevill, de facto 8th Baron Bergavenny was an English Peer.The son of Edward Nevill, 7th Baron Bergavenny, he succeeded to the Barony upon the death of his father....
. The manor was seized completely from Sir Walter before his death in 1632. It was described as an estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
in 1647, and passed with the manor of Slaugham
Slaugham
Slaugham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is located seven miles to the south of Crawley, on the A23 road to Brighton...
down the Covert family line, before passing to another family, the Sergissons, in the early 19th century. The estate was purchased in 1861 by George Ashburner, head of a rich local family, who built a large French-style
French architecture
The history of French architecture runs in parallel with its neighbouring countries in Europe, with France being home to both some of the earliest pioneers in many architectural styles, and also containing some of the finest architectural creations of the continent.-Roman:The architecture of...
mansion in the early 1860s which was simply called Tilgate Mansion. Ashburner's daughter married John Hennings Nix, and the estate passed to her when George Ashburner died in 1869. The families merged and became "Ashburner Nix", and Tilgate passed down with the family until the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, when the estate was split into separate lots and sold off individually.
The Crawley Borough Council purchased part of the estate in the early 1960s, and demolished the original mansion in 1965. Today, the site is marked by the popular restaurant The Inn In The Park. Local band The Cure played at the Inn in the Park (possibly then known as "The Lakeside Inn") at an early stage of their career. There are three large lakes in the park, probably used in the medieval iron industry. However, they are now purely ornamental, and extremely popular among fishermen. The biggest lake in the park, Campbells Lake is most famous for its association with Malcolm Campbell
Malcolm Campbell
Sir Malcolm Campbell was an English racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times during the 1920s and 1930s using vehicles called Blue Bird...
, who carried out flotation trials but not water speed trials there.
Tilgate Park is accessible through two entrances. The main entrance is on Titmus Drive in Tilgate
Tilgate, Crawley
Tilgate is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. The area contains a mixture of privately developed housing, self build groups and ex-council housing...
. There is also a second entrance on the southbound 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...
A23
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
Ring Road. The original entrance to the old estate was at Tilgate Lodge – now a bank – 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...
.
Approximately 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of woodland in the southwest corner have been earmarked for a possible university campus, approximately from K2 leisure centre to the Pease Pottage motorway roundabout.