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Crawley is a town and Local Government District in West Sussex , England . It covers an area of 44.97 km&2 and has a population of 99,744 people (2001 census). It is bordered by the Sussex Local Authorities of Mid Sussex and Horsham Districts; and by the Surrey authorities of Mole Valley and Tandridge Districts, and the Borough of Reigate & Banstead . ADMINISTRATION The town is an unparished Borough , a two-tier area, also coming under the remit of West Sussex County Council. It encompasses the original West Sussex parishes of Ifield and part of Worth . HISTORY The area now known as Crawley was peopled by Stone Age , Bronze Age and Iron Age settlers, as remains show. During the Roman times the Iron industry flourished. The Saxons first named the settlement ''craw leah'' (crow infested clearing); both Ifield and Worth are mentioned in the Domesday Book ; Worth church is Saxon. A weekly market Charter was granted in 1203. Crawley's position on the Turnpike to Brighton helped to boost its population. It was, however, the coming of the railway in 1848, when the London, Brighton And South Coast Railway opened the line from Three Bridges on the Line To Brighton to Horsham Railway Station that started the real town growth. Some 900 houses were added between the two world wars, bringing to population to around 10,000 people by World War II , mainly clustered around the main London to Brighton road (by then the A23 ). Crawley is now bypassed by the M23 . Other local developments included the opening of Gatwick Racecourse in 1891; and an Aerodrome , later to become Gatwick Airport , opened in the 1930s. Ifield Railway Station was opened in 1907. SECOND WORLD WAR Crawley area was considered far enough away from London to be a safe place, a few children and some businesses moved into the town. Later in the war Crawley suffered two fatal attacks:
Nearby Gatwick Airport was requisitioned by the RAF and mainly used for aircraft maintenance and repair. DEVELOPMENT AS A NEW TOWN In 1947, Crawley was designated as a . The Act allowed expansion as required: and since its beginnings, the town has continued to grow, incorporating neighbouring settlements. Six square kilometres were added in 1983; and a further neighbourhood to the north-east of the town is planned. During the boom of the 1980s the town boasted the lowest level of unemployment in the UK. STRUCTURE Crawley's 13 neighbourhoods are as follows:
Other areas within Crawley include:
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS, CULTURE, AND FACILITIES
FAMOUS RESIDENTS
TRANSPORT LINKS A large influence on the town's recent development has been the nearby international airport, London Gatwick , which is contained within the borough's boundaries. The airport is now the busiest single-runway airport in the world, and the sixth busiest overall. Crawley also has 3 railway stations; Crawley , Three Bridges , and Ifield . Crawley is located on the southern end of the M23 Motorway , which bypasses the town. The M23 Motorway ends just to the south of Crawley near Pease Pottage Service Station . Fastway bus project ''See main article: Crawley Fastway '' A new Guided Bus Public Transport service linking parts of Crawley to Gatwick Airport. SEE ALSO Local Towns & Villages:
Elsewhere: EXTERNAL LINKS
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