List of places of worship in Crawley facts for kids

The town of Crawley in West Sussex, England, is home to 45 churches, chapels, and other special buildings used for worship. Other religious groups meet in places like community centers and schools. Four buildings that used to be places of worship are no longer used by their original groups, and two of these are not used at all anymore. Crawley is a "New Town" that started growing in the late 1940s. It also includes Gatwick Airport, which has two special chapels for people of all faiths. The New Town grew to include three old villages that had Christian churches for a very long time.

Most people in Crawley are Christian, but there are also many Muslim and Hindu residents, more than in England as a whole. You can find two Hindu temples and a Hindu center, two Sikh gurdwaras (Sikh temples), and three mosques (Muslim places of worship). There's even a Quaker meeting house in the Ifield area that is one of the oldest in the world!

Some of Crawley's churches are very old and important, so they have "listed status" to protect them. But most places of worship were built after World War II when the New Town was created. Many of these newer buildings are not considered very special in terms of their design. One expert in 1965 said they were "either entirely uneventful or more often mannered and contorted, with odd spikes and curvy roofs."

How Crawley's Places of Worship Grew

Most of Crawley is covered by the New Town, which spans about 45 square kilometers (17 square miles). The British Government chose the area around the villages of Three Bridges, Crawley, and Ifield to build one of the new towns. A special group called the Development Corporation was set up to plan and build it. Building started in the late 1940s and continued until the late 1980s.

The New Town was designed with separate neighborhoods, and each one was planned to have at least one Anglican (Church of England) church. The Development Corporation wanted one church in the center of each neighborhood. Churches for other Christian groups were meant to serve larger areas covering several neighborhoods. This plan was mostly followed. The Corporation even sold land for churches at a much lower price.

The old villages of Three Bridges, Crawley, and Ifield had very old churches. St John the Baptist's in Crawley town center and St Margaret's Church in Ifield are still used today. St John's was changed a lot in the 1800s. St Margaret's was rebuilt in the 1300s and still looks much like it did then.

As Crawley grew, more churches became part of the town. This includes the old 11th-century church at Worth. This large and impressive building has been called "one of the most powerful Anglo-Saxon churches" in England. In the 1800s, two more Anglican churches were built: St Michael and All Angels Church in 1867 (now used by Seventh-day Adventists) and St Peter's Church at West Green in 1892–93. Most New Town churches were new, but St Mary Magdalene's Church at Bewbush is different. It's a 17th-century barn from an old farm that was turned into a church in the 1990s.

A Capuchin friary (a home for Catholic monks) was started in Crawley town center in 1860. The church there opened the next year, giving local Roman Catholics a place to worship. This site was later cleared in the 1950s for the new Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony, Crawley to be built. More Catholic churches were built in neighborhoods like Langley Green (1959), Tilgate (1962), Pound Hill (1965), Gossops Green (1971), and Broadfield (which is shared by Anglicans, other Protestants, and Catholics).

Ifield was a hub for Nonconformists (Protestants who weren't Anglican) in the 1600s. Its Friends Meeting House was built in 1676. Other Protestant churches, like Congregational and Baptist chapels, opened in Crawley in the late 1800s. As Crawley grew after the war, more groups started churches: Methodists in 1953, Latter-day Saints in 1964, Spiritualists in 1965, Pentecostals in 1971, and Jehovah's Witnesses in 1963.

Two mosques opened in the town in the mid-1980s. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community opened a third in 2012 in a building that used to be an Elim Pentecostal church. A Gurjar Hindu group started in Crawley in 1968 and opened a mandir (temple) in 1998. A new, larger temple opened in Ifield in May 2010. It's the biggest Hindu temple in South East England, with a large community center too. There isn't a synagogue (Jewish place of worship) in Crawley, but a small Jewish community meets regularly. There are two Sikh gurdwaras, one in Ifield and a smaller one in West Green.

Special Listed Buildings

Historic England gives "listed status" to buildings that are very important for their design or history. This means they are protected by law. There are three levels of listed status:

• Grade I: Buildings that are exceptionally important, sometimes even worldwide.
• Grade II*: Buildings that are particularly important and special.
• Grade II: Buildings that are nationally important and special.

As of 2001, Crawley had three Grade I buildings, 12 Grade II* buildings, and 80 Grade II buildings. Crawley Borough Council also has its own "locally listed" buildings. These are important to the local area but not quite famous enough for national listing. As of 2010, five churches in Crawley were on this local list.

Who Lives in Crawley?

The 2021 census showed that 118,793 people lived in Crawley. Here's how they identified their religion:

• 42.62% were Christian
• 9.72% were Muslim
• 5.14% were Hindu
• 0.72% were Sikh
• 0.45% were Buddhist
• 0.08% were Jewish
• 0.54% followed another religion
• 35.07% said they had no religion
• 5.67% did not say their religion

Crawley has more Muslims and Hindus than England as a whole. It has fewer Christians, Sikhs, and Jewish people, and fewer people with no religion, compared to the rest of England.

How Churches are Organized

All Anglican (Church of England) churches in Crawley are part of the Diocese of Chichester. This is a large area led by the cathedral in Chichester. They are also part of smaller groups called archdeaconries and deaneries.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton manages Crawley's six Roman Catholic churches. These churches are all part of one large parish in Crawley.

Crawley Baptist Church and Green Fields Baptist Church are part of a network of Baptist churches in the South East.

Places of Worship You Can Visit Today

Current places of worship

Name	Image	Area	Religion	Grade	Cool Facts
Broadfield Islamic Centre and Mosque		Broadfield	Muslim (Sunni)	–	This mosque was built around 1989. It mixes Islamic designs with local building styles. It's also known as Crawley Mosque.
ChristChurch		Southgate	Non-denominational	–	This church is for Christians who don't belong to a specific denomination. It used to be called Southgate Hall and later Gateway Church International.
Christ the Lord Church		Broadfield	Anglican, Roman Catholic, Evangelical	–	Built in 1980–81, this building is a church and community center all in one. It's shared by different Christian groups.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints		Southgate	Latter-day Saint	–	The main architect of Crawley New Town, Sir Thomas Bennett, designed this chapel himself. It opened in 1964.
Crawley Baptist Church		West Green	Baptist	–	The first Baptist church in Crawley opened in 1883. This current building was finished in 2003, replacing an older one damaged in World War II.
Crawley Community Church		West Green	Evangelical (Charismatic)	–	This church is part of the Newfrontiers movement. It now has its own place called The Charis Centre, which is also a community and conference venue.
Crawley New Life Church		Furnace Green	Assemblies of God	–	This Pentecostalist church, part of the Assemblies of God, was built in 1981.
Crawley Spiritualist Church and Healing Centre		Gossops Green	Spiritualist	–	A Spiritualist group started in Crawley in 1950. This wooden church in Gossops Green opened in 1969.
Crawley United Reformed Church		Pound Hill	United Reformed Church	L	This church started as a Congregational church in 1955. It became the United Reformed Church in 1972 when two church groups joined together.
Elim Church Crawley		Ifield	Elim Pentecostal	–	This church moved into this building after the previous church group moved to Pound Hill.
Green Fields Baptist Church		Tilgate	Baptist	–	This church was built in 1970. Before that, services were held in a temporary building.
Holy Trinity Church		Tilgate	Anglican	–	Tilgate's Anglican church was built in 1959. It has a small tower with a pointy top.
Ifield Friends Meeting House		Ifield	Quaker	I	Built in 1676, this is one of the oldest Quaker meeting places built specifically for worship. Famous people like William Penn used to visit here.
Kingdom Hall (Northgate)		Northgate	Jehovah's Witnesses	–	This Kingdom Hall opened in 1983. It's used by two groups of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Kingdom Hall (Three Bridges)		Three Bridges	Jehovah's Witnesses	–	This is the older of the two remaining Kingdom Halls in Crawley, first registered in 1965.
Langley Green Islamic Centre and Mosque		Langley Green	Muslim (Sunni)	–	This mosque started in a converted house in 1984. A new, "spectacular" mosque opened on the same site in 2014.
Maidenbower Baptist Church		Maidenbower	Baptist	–	This church opened in 2001 in Crawley's newest neighborhood, Maidenbower.
Noor Ahmadiyya Mosque		Langley Green	Muslim (Ahmadiyya)	–	This building was bought by the Ahmadiyya community in 2012 and became a mosque. It used to be an Elim Pentecostal church.
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Church		Langley Green	Roman Catholic	–	This church, built with brick and concrete, opened in 1957. It's part of the Crawley Parish for Roman Catholics.
St Alban's Church		Gossops Green	Anglican	L	This brick church with a tall bell tower opened in 1962. It has cool stained glass windows.
St Andrew's Church		Furnace Green	Anglican	–	The original St Andrew's church was built in 1968–69. A new building replaced it in 2009.
St Barnabas' Church		Pound Hill	Anglican	–	This large brick church was built around 1955–1957.
St Bernadette's Church		Tilgate	Roman Catholic	–	Built in 1962, this church is also part of the Crawley Parish for Roman Catholics.
St Edward the Confessor's Church		Pound Hill	Roman Catholic	L	This church was built in 1965 using reinforced concrete. It has a church hall built right into it.
St Elizabeth's Church		Northgate	Anglican	–	Northgate's Anglican church was built in 1958. It's also used by a dance and drama school.
St Francis and St Anthony's Church		Crawley Town Centre	Roman Catholic	II	This church was built between 1955 and 1959 on the site of an old friary. It's a large building with different architectural styles.
St John the Baptist's Church		Crawley Town Centre	Anglican	II*	Crawley's main parish church was first mentioned in 1291! Parts of the building are from the 1200s.
St Margaret's Church		Ifield	Anglican	I	Ifield's parish church was built in the 1200s on the site of an even older church from the 900s.
St Mary's Church		Southgate	Anglican	L	This church, built in 1958, is designed so its hall can be used as an extension of the main church.
St Mary Magdalene's Church (The Barn Church)		Bewbush	Anglican	II	This "very attractive" church is actually a 17th-century barn that was turned into a church between 1989 and 1999.
St Michael and All Angels Church (Gatwick SDA Church)		Lowfield Heath	Seventh-day Adventist	II*	This church was built in 1867. It's a beautiful Gothic Revival building. The Seventh-day Adventist Church took it over in 2008.
St Nicholas' Church (Worth Church)		Worth	Anglican	I	This church is very old, probably from the 11th century (the 1000s!). One expert called it "one of the most powerful of Anglo-Saxon churches."
St Paul's Methodist Church		Northgate	Methodist	–	The current church was built in 1966. It has a cool polygonal (many-sided) brick design and a copper roof.
St Peter's Church		West Green	Anglican	L	This large church was designed in 1892–93. It has beautiful stained glass windows from 1969.
St Richard of Chichester's Church		Three Bridges	Anglican	–	The first church here was built in 1952 but had problems. A new church was completed in 1995.
St Theodore of Canterbury's Church		Gossops Green	Roman Catholic	–	Built in 1971, this church has a brick outside and a timber frame inside.
Sanatan Mandir		Ifield	Hindu	–	This large Hindu temple opened in May 2010. It replaced an older building in West Green.
Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara (Ifield)		Ifield	Sikh	–	Crawley's Sikh community bought this building in 2012 and turned it into a new gurdwara, which opened in 2016.
Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara (West Green)		West Green	Sikh	–	This was the first place of worship for Sikhs in Crawley. It was built in 1982.
Sri Swarna Kamadchy Amman Temple		Three Bridges	Hindu	–	This Hindu temple is located in the Stephenson Way industrial area.
Swaminarayan Manor Gatwick		Langley Green	Hindu	–	This Hindu center opened in 2006. It used to be a hotel, and it still offers accommodation.
The Meeting Room		Povey Cross	Plymouth Brethren Christian Church	–	This small building opened in 1999 and is used by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
Three Bridges Free Church		Three Bridges	Evangelical	–	This church was built in 1963 to replace an older mission hall from 1876.
Three Bridges Spiritualist Church and Psychic Centre		Three Bridges	Spiritualist	–	This building used to be the Worth Mission Hall. A Spiritualist group took it over in 1966.
Voice of Deliverance Full Gospel Church of God		Langley Green	Pentecostalist	–	This Pentecostal group, with many members from Mauritius and Diego Garcia, took over the former St Leonard's Anglican church in 2014.

Old Places of Worship

Some buildings in Crawley used to be places of worship but are not anymore.

Former places of worship

Name	Image	Area	Religion	Grade	What Happened
Elim Church		Langley Green	Elim Pentecostal	–	This was the first permanent church for the Elim Pentecostal community in Crawley. It opened in 1971 but closed in 2011 when the group moved. It's now the Ahmadiyya mosque.
St Leonard's Church		Langley Green	Anglican	–	This Anglican church closed in 2013 because fewer people were attending and it cost too much to keep up. It's now used by the Voice of Deliverance Full Gospel Church of God.
Salvation Army Citadel		West Green	Salvation Army	–	The Salvation Army opened this place of worship in 1902. It was sold, and the group now meets at a community center in Ifield.
Trinity Church		Ifield	United Reformed Church	–	This church was built in 1963 but closed in 2010. The group joined another church, and this building is now home to Elim Church.

Groups Without Their Own Buildings

Some religious groups in Crawley meet in places that aren't just for worship.

• The Crawley Family Church (non-denominational) uses Waterfield Primary School in Bewbush.
• An Elim Pentecostal group meets at Bewbush Community Primary School.
• The Crawley Gatwick Church of Christ (independent) meets at the community center in Gossops Green.
• The Salvation Army now meets at the community center in Ifield.
• The Kingdom Faith church meets at Oriel High School in Maidenbower.
• Anglican services are also held at the Maidenbower community center and infant school.
• The Exodus Pentecostal Church meets at Tree House, Crawley's old manor house. Many members are from Diego Garcia and Mauritius.
• The Potter's House Church uses the church hall of St John the Baptist's Church.
• The Solution Chapel International, a large multi-cultural church, is based at Northgate Community Centre.
• The Vine Christian Fellowship meets in a hotel and sometimes at other churches.
• The Powerhouse Revival Centre meets at the community center on Ifield Drive.

Gatwick Airport's Chapels

Gatwick Airport, one of London's international airports, became part of Crawley in 1974. A year before that, a special multi-faith chaplaincy was set up in the South Terminal. This means there are religious leaders from different faiths available to help people. There's also a similar chapel in the North Terminal. Both chapels are always open for prayer and quiet time, and they hold regular services throughout the week.

See also

• List of demolished places of worship in West Sussex
• Listed buildings in Crawley
• Locally listed buildings in Crawley

Images for kids

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  The liturgical east end of St Nicholas' Church, a Grade I-listed Saxon-era church

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  Northgate Community Centre is home to the non-denominational Solution Chapel International.