An original new town retains its commuter appeal with a wave of new homes 

Crawley is one of the UK’s oldest “new towns” 32 miles from London with a population of over 100,000. It was built around the same time as the neighbouring Gatwick Airport which brings plenty of employment opportunities to the area.

A monthly season ticket to London costs £315.70 from Crawley (£3,288 annually) with the fastest journey time between Crawley and London Victoria just 41 minutes. Three Bridges is another station in Crawley, and fast trains from Three Bridges reach London Bridge in 37 minutes (£319.90 monthly, £3,332 annually) and Three Bridges to Gatwick Airport takes 4 minutes (£59.20 monthly, £616 annually).

The County Mall shopping centre has over 90 shops, restaurants and cafés. A traditional weekly market is held in Queens Square every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Crawley is hard to beat for leisure offering the K2 Leisure Centre boasting an Olympic-sized swimming pool, leisure pool, badminton and squash courts, indoor bowls rinks, a fully equipped gym, a sauna and steam room and a martial arts room.

The Leisure Park has a 15-screen cinema and ten-pin bowling alley. Set in a 38-acre wooded site, The Hawth's facilities include a theatre, studio, meeting rooms, Café Vita, two bars and an outdoor marquee and amphitheatre used for performances throughout the summer. The programme of events includes over 350 performances and events a year, attracting over 170,000 people.  A disused railway line, the Worth Way, now offers a very pleasant cycling and walking route to both Crawley and East Grinstead. 

Crawley has a good selection of schools, including two special needs schools. A number of local primary schools filter into six secondary schools. These are Thomas Bennett Community College, Oriel High School, Ifield Community College, Hazelwick School, St Wilfrids Catholic Comprehensive School and Holy Trinity. Central Sussex College has its largest campus in Crawley and offers courses from plumbing to engineering and cooking.

Crawley and its surrounding villages have excellent access to the M23 to London around 30 miles away and the M25 is 18 miles to Junction 7. Gatwick is just six miles away via the M23; Brighton is 23 miles via the A23.  

Crawley offers its residents the best of both worlds with easy access to London via train or car yet it is within a short drive of Brighton’s beaches or the inviting countryside of the South Downs.

Here’s a round-up of great new homes to buy in or near Crawley: 

The Beeches (Charles Church) – A collection of new homes on the northern edge of Crawley, The Beeches are a collection of one- and two-bedroom apartments, and two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes. The Beeches has its own neighbourhood amenities, including a new health centre, shops and primary school. It has convenient links to the M23 and M25, and is close to Gatwick Airport. Prices start from £394,950. View more about The Beeches at Forge Wood from Charles Church
Highwood (Berkeley Homes) – Located within walking distance to Horsham centre, Highwood from WhatHouse? Award winners Berkeley Homes is a development of two-bedroom apartments and two- and three-bedroom homes. Help to Buy is available on the properties. Prices start from £295,000. Read more about Highwood in Horsham from Berkeley Homes
Tall Trees (Crest Nicholson) - This collection of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom apartments and houses are located in the new community of Bolnore Village. All the houses have private gardens and garages, and each home has allocated parking. There is a village green at the heart of the village, giving it a lovely community feel. Prices start from £239,960. View more about Tall Trees from Crest Nicholson
Heathwood Park (David Wilson Homes) - Just a few miles from Crawley in the village of Lindfield is the Heathwood Park development from David Wilson Homes. A selection of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, Heathwood Park is ideal for families and commuters, as it has excellent transport links to the city and the coast. Help to Buy is available on selected properties. Prices start from £404,995. View developments from David Wilson Homes
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