The Crawley and Gatwick area is fascinating and both have seen a great many changes. Gatwick Airport is central to this area, but has anyone stopped to think about its ancient Roman ironworks and how Crawley developed as a market town from the thirteenth century onwards? Crawley has always been known as a trade route with good connections both to the city of London and the coast at Brighton, so its location has always been important. The coming of the railways brought prosperity to Crawley and saw its first major expansion, as well as the development of Gatwick Racecourse and the original Gatwick airfield, which has now been swallowed by today's airport. After the Second World War, the town was designated a 'new town' and saw a vast increase in population and building, becoming one of the most important business and employment centres in south-east England. Crawley also has many buildings of historical importance dating back to the fifteenth century, and many Grade I and II listed buildings. Settlements close by on the Weald that are served by Crawley also have many secrets and stories connected to them, including numerous historical churches and manor houses. Secret Crawley & Gatwick brings the history of this area to life, highlighting that there is a whole lot more to it than just the airport.

About the Author
Tina Brown leads guided tours in Hastings, Eastbourne, Middlesbrough and other areas in Britain, and has also worked with the council of Hastings to produce local trails books. She has written books on Haunted Hastings, Haunted Sussex Theatres and Haunted Middlesbrough. As well as running guided tours and her own website, she also tutors evening classes on the history of Gin, tattoos and other various specialist history topics.


Book Information
ISBN 9781445685670
Author Tina Brown
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Amberley Publishing
Publisher Amberley Publishing
Weight(grams) 304g