Crowborough
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crowborough | |
  Crowborough shown within East Sussex |
|
| Area[1] | 5.3 sq mi (13.6 km²) |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,988 (2007)[1] |
| - Density | 3,812/sq mi (1,472/km²) |
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 33 miles (53 km) NNW |
| District | Wealden |
| Shire county | East Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CROWBOROUGH |
| Postcode district | TN6 |
| Dialling code | 01892 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Wealden |
| Website: http://www.crowboroughtc.co.uk/ | |
| List of places: UK • England • East Sussex | |
Crowborough is a town in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. It is situated on the Weald and at the edge of Ashdown Forest, in the High Weald Area of Outstanding National Beauty 7 miles (12.8 km) south-west of Royal Tunbridge Wells and 35 miles (56 km) south of London. It has road and rail links, and is served by a town council. It is the largest inland town (by population) in East Sussex.
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[edit] History
Various derivations for the meaning of the town’s name have been put forward[2]. Before becoming a settlement as such, local documents use the names Crohbergh, Crowbergh, Croweborowghe, Crowbarrow and Crowboro. Croh (Old English: saffron or golden-yellow colour and berg means hill. Gorse, growing in profusion in the Crowborough Beacon area, and its yellow flowers might well have contributed to the meaning.
In 1734, a local benefactor, Sir Henry Fermor bequeathed money for a church and charity school for the benefit of the 'very ignorant and heathenish people' that lived in the part of Rotherfield “in or near a place called Crowborough and Ashdown Forest“.[3] The church, dedicated to All Saints, and school (primary) still survive today.
In the late 19th century it was promoted as a health resort based on its high elevation, the rolling hills and surrounding forest. Some went as far as to call it Scotland in Sussex.
[edit] Governance
Crowborough as a place in its own right came into being in 1880, when an ecclesiastical parish was formed from that at nearby Rotherfield; a civil parish was established on 6 April 1905; which in turn became a Town Council on 24 May 1988.[4]
Crowborough shares the headquarters of Wealden District Council with Hailsham, 13 miles (20.8 km) to the south-west; this sharing is due to transfer Hailsham alone by 2010.
[edit] Geography
| Crowborough | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 242 metres (794 feet) |
| Location | High Weald, England |
| Prominence | c. 159 m |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 188 |
| OS grid reference | TQ510305 |
| Listing | Marilyn |
The town is on the summit of the highest point in East Sussex. The relative height of the highest point of the town is 159 m, meaning Crowborough qualifies as one of England's Marilyns. The actual summit is not marked on the ground.
[edit] Economy
It is located seven miles away from Tunbridge Wells and, as a result, lacks the breadth of shops available in its larger neighbour.
Nonetheless, new shops are opening with some expanding in to larger premises, demonstrating that the population of Crowborough does want to support its local shops and services. There is an even mix between national chains and local independent stores, with a farmers' market held on the fourth Saturday of each month. There is a push to have this held on the high street, further helping local stores by potentially increasing the footfall.
[edit] Transport
Crowborough is located on the A26 road between Tunbridge Wells and Lewes. and near the A21 road to London.
Crowborough railway station is on the line to Uckfield which is operated by Southern taking passengers to London Bridge station; the journey takes approximately one hour.
[edit] Education
Crowborough is served by one secondary school: Beacon Community College [5]; and by seven primary schools:
- Whitehill Infant School - the town's only specialist Infant school
- Herne Junior School - the town's only specialist Junior school
- High Hurstwood CE (controlled) School
- Jarvis Brook County Primary School
- St Johns CE (aided) School
- St Mary’s RC School
- Sir Henry Fermor (aided) CE School
- Grove Park Special School
There are also two independent preparatory schools.
The town's location on the cusp of the Kent/East Sussex border means that the grammar schools in Kent are available for Crowborough pupils.
[edit] Religious sites
Details of some of the churches and other places of worship are available here[6]
[edit] Sport & leisure
Crowborough has several recreation grounds, perhaps most notably Goldsmiths, which is the site of the local leisure centre. The Goldsmiths Recreation Ground was given to the parish by private owners in 1937. The town council has since purchased additional land and has developed the ground into a much needed recreation centre for the whole community. The ground now houses a sports centre including a swimming pool, a boating lake, the Locomotive Society, the Camping and Caravan and Petanque clubs.[7]
Crowborough Athletic F.C. and Jarvis Brook F.C. are the town's main football clubs, and Crowborough currently play in Sussex County League Division One. They are the 2007-08 Sussex League Champions.
Crowborough Rugby Union Club won promotion from the Sussex leagues in 2006 and now playing in the London 4th division
[edit] Public services
Crowborough Hospital has in recent years been given a new lease of life.
The town is also home to the nationally recognised Horder Centre. The Centre was founded in 1954 as the charity "The Horder Centre for Arthritics" by Cecilia Bochenek. Today the Centre provides orthopaedic diagnosis, treatment and surgery for hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, hands and spinal - as well as rheumathology, specialist assessment of arthritis or other musculo-skeletal conditions.[8]
[edit] Notable people
- George Doggett, founder of a local chapel
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), the author of the Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories (whose unique statue stands in the town centre)
- Sir Henry Fermor, benefactor of Crowbrough
- Edward Frisby Howis, local entrepreneur
- David Jason (1940– ), actor, most commonly known for playing the character Del Boy in the TV sitcom Only Fools And Horses lived in the town during the 1980s.
- Richard Jefferies (1848–1887): writer and naturalist
- Mark Anthony Lower, founder member of the the Sussex Archaeological Society
- Charles Leeson Prince, surgeon and antiquarian
Luxford House, on Luxford Road at the southern end of town, was once owned by the rock manager Tony Stratton-Smith of Genesis. His own in-house recording studio played host to, among others, Neil Diamond, Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator, whose "Pawn Hearts" album cover features a photo of the house.
Crowborough is also home of the English Grand Lodge for Europe and Africa of the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC.
[edit] Local traditions
A torch-lit street carnival, (and in previous years a bonfire on Chapel Green) is held annually by The Crowborough Bonfire & Carnival Society The main event in the town's calendar must be its celebration of Guy Fawkes Night, held annually on the 5th November. An average attendance of 5000 people descend upon Goldsmiths Recreation Ground to witness this town council event. Donations on the night are traditionally collected by the local Lions Club, and donated to the mayor's charity. The town council also puts on a summer fair and a Christmas fair, for which the dates are agreed annually.
Other local societies and clubs also host events, ensuring a full calendar for the committed socialite on the second week in September. [9][10]
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Every Bonfire Night there's a firework display at the leisure centre.
[edit] Twin towns
The town is twinned with:
[edit] External links
- Crowborough at the Open Directory Project
- Crowborough Official Guide
- Local information page ("The Official Town Website") from The Crowborough Partnership
- Crowborough on VillageNet
[edit] References
- ^ a b East Sussex in Figures. East Sussex County Council. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ A newspaper article of 1933 suggested that, since iron smelting was carried on here, and that the Irish for iron was Croe that explained its derivation
- ^ Historical Notes about Crowborough
- ^ ’’The Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex
- ^ Beacon Community College website
- ^ Churches in Crowborough
- ^ Crowborough Official Guide
- ^ The Horder Centre
- ^ Diary of events in Crowborough
- ^ Bonfire Societies Fireworks UK
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