The Crawley and Gatwick area are fascinating, both have seen so many changes with the airport at Gatwick being central to this area, but has anyone stopped to think about its ancient Roman ironworking and burial grounds and how Crawley developed as a market town in the Weald from the 13th century onwards to what you see today--the second largest urban area in Sussex. Crawley has always been known as trade route with good connections both to the city of London and then down to the coast at Brighton, so its geographical location has always been of importance. The coming of the railways brought prosperity to Crawley and saw its first major expansion as well as the development of Gatwick race course and the original Gatwick airfield; the site of both has now been swallowed by today's airport. After World War II, the town was designated a New Town and has seen a vast increase in population and building to become one of the most important business and employment centers in the South East of England. Crawley has many buildings of historical importance dating back to the 15th century, and many Grade 1 and 2 listed buildings of all ages up to the present day. 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. Gatwick airport itself and some of the buildings that surround the main terminal buildings today offer a gem of delight for anyone interested in the history of the location, such as the origins of the name of the Beehive Public House in the South Terminal. Drawing on local history and records this book will bring to life the history of this area, highlighting that there is a whole lot more to Crawley and Gatwick than just the airport.
