Crowborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crowborough |
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| Town and civil parish | |
 Crowborough Cross, 2007 |
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The council's logo |
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 Crowborough
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| Area | 13.6 km2 (5.3 sq mi) |
| Population | 21,688 |
| • Density | 3,812/sq mi (1,472/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TQ518312 |
| • London | 33 miles (53 km) NNW |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CROWBOROUGH |
| Postcode district | TN6 |
| Dialling code | 01892 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Crowborough Town Council |
Crowborough is a lovely town in East Sussex, England. It's right next to the beautiful Ashdown Forest and is the highest town in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It's about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Royal Tunbridge Wells and 33 miles (53 km) south of London. In 2021, about 21,688 people lived here, making it the biggest town in inland East Sussex.
The highest spot in Crowborough is 242 meters (794 feet) above sea level. This makes it the second highest point in East Sussex, after Ditchling Beacon.
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Crowborough's Past: A Quick Look
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The town's name, Crowborough, means "hill or mound visited by crows." This comes from old English words.
In 1734, a kind local person named Sir Henry Fermor left money to build a church and a school. This was for the people living near Crowborough and Ashdown Forest. The church, called All Saints, and the primary school are still here today.
The railway came to Crowborough in 1868. This helped the town grow a lot! By 1880, Crowborough was big enough to have its own church area, separate from the nearby town of Rotherfield.
In the late 1800s, Crowborough became known as a healthy place to visit. People liked its high hills and surrounding forest. Some even called it "Scotland in Sussex." The town's golf course opened in 1895. A fire station and hospital followed in 1900.
From 1942 to 1982, a special radio site near Crowborough was important. It had the Aspidistra transmitter during World War II. After the war, it helped the BBC send broadcasts to Europe.
How Crowborough is Governed
Crowborough became its own church area in 1880. Before that, it was part of Rotherfield. A local council for the town was set up in 1905. This council became the Crowborough Town Council in 1988.
The main offices for the wider Wealden District Council used to be shared between Crowborough and Hailsham. But in 2012, all their work moved to Hailsham. However, the East Sussex County Council still runs a library in Crowborough's Pine Grove building.
Crowborough in Parliament
In the UK Parliament, Crowborough is part of the Sussex Weald area. The current Member of Parliament (MP) for this area is Nus Ghani. She is a member of the Conservative Party and also one of the Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons.
Crowborough's Location and Landscape
| Crowborough | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 242 m (794 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 159 m |
| Parent peak | Leith Hill |
| Listing | Marilyn |
| Geography | |
| Location | High Weald, England |
| OS grid | TQ510305 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 188 |
Crowborough is in the northern part of East Sussex. It's about 4 miles (6 km) from the border with Kent. The town is 35 miles (57 km) south of central London.
Nearby major towns include:
- Royal Tunbridge Wells, 7 miles (12 km) to the northeast.
- Brighton, 21 miles (34 km) to the southwest.
- Crawley, 16 miles (26 km) to the west.
- Lewes, the county town, is 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest.
The town is on the eastern edge of the Ashdown Forest. This is an old area of open land that is protected for its important nature. It's also famous as the place where A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories are set!
The highest point in Crowborough is 242 meters (794 feet) above sea level. This is the highest point in the High Weald area. It's also the second highest point in East Sussex.
Crowborough has grown from several smaller villages and hamlets. These include Jarvis Brook, Poundfield, Whitehill, and Steel Cross.
Getting Around Crowborough
The main road in Crowborough is the A26. This road goes northeast to Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. To the south, it goes to Newhaven, passing through Uckfield and Lewes.
Two smaller roads, called B roads, also run through the town. The B2100 goes east from Crowborough Cross. The B2157 is a short road within the town.
Crowborough railway station is in Jarvis Brook. Trains run on the Oxted line. You can travel directly to London Bridge, East Croydon, and Uckfield. The trip to London Bridge takes about one hour.
Buses also connect Crowborough to Brighton and Tunbridge Wells. The Regency Route 29 runs regularly.
Schools in Crowborough
Crowborough has one secondary school, Beacon Academy. It also has seven primary schools:
- Ashdown Primary School
- High Hurstwood Church of England (controlled) School
- Jarvis Brook County Primary School
- St Johns Church of England (aided) School
- St Mary's Roman Catholic School
- Sir Henry Fermor Church of England School
- Grove Park School
There are also two independent preparatory schools in the area.
Local News and Media
The local newspaper for Crowborough is the Kent and Sussex Courier. Local television news comes from BBC South East Today and ITV Meridian.
You can also find local news online at CrowboroughLife.com. Local radio stations include BBC Radio Sussex, Heart South, and Ashdown Radio.
Sports and Fun in Crowborough
Sports Teams and Clubs
Crowborough has several sports clubs for different interests:
- Football: Crowborough Athletic F.C. and Jarvis Brook F.C. both have teams.
- Rugby: Crowborough Rugby Football Club was started in 1936. They have teams for all ages, from young children to adults.
- Running: Crowborough Runners is a club for runners. They have coached sessions and group runs.
- Cricket: Crowborough Cricket Club has two teams that play in the Sussex Cricket League.
- Tennis and Squash: Crowborough Tennis and Squash Club has courts for tennis, squash, and padel. They also offer racketball and pickleball.
- Golf: Crowborough Beacon Golf Club opened in 1895. The famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was once the captain of this club!
- Hockey: Crowborough Hockey Club plays in the South East Hockey League.
- Netball: Crowborough Netball is a coaching club for children and adults.
Crowborough is also home to a group of the Army Cadet Force. This is a national group for young people aged 12 to 18. The 1st Crowborough Scout Group has Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts sections.
Places to Relax and Play
Crowborough has several places for recreation. Goldsmiths Recreation Ground was given to the town in 1937. It now has a sports center with a swimming pool, a boating lake, and a miniature railway.
Crowborough Common is a very old common area. It covers over 220 acres (90 hectares). In 1936, the public was given the right to use it for walking and exercise. Most of the common is heathland and woodland. The Crowborough Beacon Golf Club owns the common. They are working to restore parts of it to heathland.
Crowborough Country Park is a 16-acre (6 hectare) nature reserve. It used to be a clay quarry for a brickworks that closed in 1980. For many years, nature took over the quarry. In 2008, the Crowborough Town Council bought the site to make it a park for people to enjoy. It became a Local Nature Reserve in 2009.
The Crowborough Players are a community drama group. They have been performing plays since 1933 at the Crowborough Community Centre.
Famous People from Crowborough
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), the writer who created the Sherlock Holmes stories, lived in Crowborough for the last 23 years of his life. He moved here in 1907. His home, Windlesham Manor, is now a retirement home.
Sir Arthur was the captain of Crowborough Beacon Golf Club in 1910. His wife was the Ladies Captain in 1911.
There is a statue of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the town center. Some streets in Crowborough are named after his characters, like Watson Way and Sherlock Shaw.
Other notable people who have lived in or are connected to Crowborough include:
- Tom Baker (born 1934), an actor famous for playing the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who.
- Dirk Bogarde (1921–1999), an actor and writer.
- James Dagwell (born 1974), a British journalist.
- David Jason (born 1940), an actor.
- Jehst (William Shields) (born 1979), a hip hop artist.
- Kerry Katona, an actor and singer.
- Ross Kemp, an actor known for EastEnders.
- Isaac Roberts (1829–1904), an engineer and early astrophotographer.
- Piers Sellers (1955–2016), a NASA astronaut.
- Sir Tim Waterstone, who founded the Waterstones bookshop chain.
- Kim Woodburn, a television presenter.
- Cate Blanchett, an Academy Award-winning Australian actress.
- Kevin Brownlow, a filmmaker and film historian.
- Kirsty Barton, a Brighton & Hove Albion footballer.
- Matt Weston, an Olympic skeleton racer.
- Joanne Rout, a Paralympic swimmer.
- Hugh Beaver, who founded the Guinness Book of Records.
Local Traditions and Events
One big event in Crowborough is the annual Guy Fawkes Night celebration on November 5th. Many people come to Goldsmiths Recreation Ground for fireworks.
Even bigger is Carnival Night, which happens on the second Saturday in September. The whole town takes to the streets! There's a daytime fair on Chapel Green. In the evening, there's a torchlight parade led by the carnival princess. Many other bonfire societies from Sussex join in. The night ends with a bonfire or fireworks. This tradition has been going on for about 70 years.
The town council also organizes a summer fair and a Christmas fair. The Crowborough Chamber of Commerce puts on a summer fun day. Crowborough Hospital has a fair every August Bank Holiday.
There is a farmers' market on the fourth Saturday of each month. A French Market is also held as part of the Chamber of Commerce's Fun Day in June.
Twin Towns
Crowborough is twinned with two other towns:
Montargis, France
Horwich, Greater Manchester, England
On April 22, 1990, Crowborough and Horwich became the first towns in England to be twinned with other English towns.
See also
In Spanish: Crowborough para niños
