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Crowborough
Town in East Sussex, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Crowborough is a town and civil parish in East Sussex, England, in the Weald at the edge of Ashdown Forest and the highest town in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It is located 7 miles (11 km) south-west of Royal Tunbridge Wells and 33 miles (53 km) south of London. It had a population of 21,688 at the 2021 Census,[2] making it the second largest town in inland East Sussex after Hailsham.
The highest point in the town is 242 m (794 ft) above sea level,[3] making it the second highest point in East Sussex after Ditchling Beacon.[4]
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History
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The town's name means "hill or mound frequented by crows", from the Old English crāwe + beorg.[5]
In 1734, Sir Henry Fermor, a local benefactor, 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".[6] The church, dedicated to All Saints, and primary school still survive today.
The railway arrived in 1868, leading to significant growth of the town. By 1880, the town had grown so much that the ecclesiastical parish of All Saints was separated from that of St Denys, Rotherfield.[7]
In the late 19th century, Crowborough was promoted as a health resort based on its high elevation, the rolling hills and surrounding forest. Estate agents even called it "Scotland in Sussex". The town's golf course opened in 1895, followed by a fire station and hospital in 1900.[7]
From 1942 to 1982, a site near Crowborough hosted notable radio transmitters, including the Aspidistra transmitter during World War II and, after the war, the BBC External Service broadcasts to Europe transmitters.[8]
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Governance
Crowborough became an ecclesiastical parish in 1880: previously it had been part of Rotherfield. A civil parish was established on 6 April 1905; the parish council was renamed as a Town Council on 24 May 1988.[9]
Until 2012, Crowborough shared the headquarters of Wealden District Council with Hailsham, 14 miles (22 km) to the south. The Council moved all of their operations to Hailsham in 2012[10] although East Sussex County Council still operates a library service from the Pine Grove building. In July 2014, the Crowborough Community Association put in a bid to buy Pine Grove to retain the library and develop the rest of the building as an "enterprise hub".[11]
Parliament
In the House of Commons, Crowborough is in the Sussex Weald constituency, represented by Conservative Nus Ghani, one of the Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons. Former MPs include Charles Hendry (2001–2015), and Sir Geoffrey Johnson-Smith (1965–2001).
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Geography
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Crowborough is located in the northern part of East Sussex, around 6 kilometres (4 miles) from the county border with Kent. The town is 57 kilometres (35 miles) south of central London. The nearest major towns are Royal Tunbridge Wells, 12 kilometres (7 miles) to the north-east; Brighton, 34 kilometres (21 miles) to the south-west; and Crawley, 26 kilometres (16 miles) to the west. The county town of Lewes is 24 kilometres (15 miles) to the south-west.
The town is located on the eastern edge of the Ashdown Forest, an ancient area of open heathland which is protected for its ecological importance and was the setting for A. A. Milne's stories about Winnie-the-Pooh.
The highest point in the town is 242 metres above sea level. This summit is the highest point of the High Weald and second highest point in East Sussex (the highest is Ditchling Beacon). Its relative height is 159 m, meaning Crowborough qualifies as one of England's Marilyns. The summit is not marked on the ground.
The town has grown from a series of previously separate villages and hamlets including Jarvis Brook, Poundfield, Whitehill, Stone Cross, Alderbrook, Sweet Haws and Steel Cross.[7]
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