Ifield, West Sussex

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Ifield
Plough Inn and Cottages in Ifield Village, Crawley.JPG
Plough Inn and Cottages
West Sussex UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ifield
Location within West Sussex
Population8,882 (Ward. 2011 Census) [1]
OS grid reference TQ255375
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Crawley
Postcode district RH11
Dialling code 01293
Police Sussex
Fire West Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
West Sussex
51°07′24″N0°12′26″W / 51.1234°N 0.2073°W / 51.1234; -0.2073

Ifield is a former village and now one of 14 neighbourhoods within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Ifield is in the west of the town and is bordered by Ifield West, Horsham, Langley Green to the north east, West Green to the east across the ring road and Gossops Green and Bewbush to the south across the Arun Valley railway line.

Contents

History

St Margaret's Church, Ifield. Buried here are Mark Lemon and the family of Denzil Holles St Margaret's Church, Ifield, Crawley District 2 010.JPG
St Margaret's Church, Ifield. Buried here are Mark Lemon and the family of Denzil Holles

The name Ifield is derived from "Yew-field". There were many Yew trees in the parish, and some can be seen in the churchyard of St Margaret's Church. Ifield contains some of the most historic parts of Crawley, and there is a mention in the Domesday Book: "it is and was worth 20 shillings", where Ifield was spelt Ifelt. [2]

Locally there is much evidence of Saxon iron works and a stretch of Roman Road still exists today known locally as the "Quarter Mile". [3] St Margaret's Church was built in the 13th century. It contains both the grave of Mark Lemon (the first editor of Punch ), and the Holles family vault. Adjacent to St Margaret's Church is the Ifield Barn Theatre. The old parish of Ifield contained most of the western part of modern-day Crawley, and the old village is on the very western edge of the new town. As well as containing two modern churches, St.Leonards in Langley Green and St.Albans in Gossops Green, Ifield Parish also contains a Friends' Meeting House. Founded in 1676, it was the first purpose-built meeting place for the Quakers anywhere in the world. [3]

Denzil Holles was created Baron Holles of Ifield in 1661, after his part in the restoration of Charles II of England. The peerage became extinct after his grandson died unmarried and without issue. Denzil was buried in Westminster Abbey, but his family are interred here.

A V-1 flying bomb landed in Ifield during World War II. It damaged the village school and wounded one local man who remained slightly brain damaged for the rest of his life.

In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 4680. [4] On 1 April 1933 the parish was abolished and merged with Crawley. [5]

Education

There are five schools in Ifield neighbourhood:

Ifield station

Ifield station is located on the south side of the neighbourhood on the border with Gossops Green neighbourhood. The station is part of the Arun Valley line and was opened in 1907 as 'Ifield Halt'. Southern services run to Three Bridges and London Victoria from Platform 1 and Horsham from Platform 2. The level crossing that used to be in operation was replaced by the footbridge that now connects the two platforms.

Ifield Village Conservation Area

Originally the area around the church was designated a conservation area in 1981 and was later expanded to include Ifield village green, Tweed Lane and Rectory Lane. A further expansion in 2013 added Ifield Green and Langley Lane. [6]

Ifield Water Mill and Mill Pond

Pond at Ifield, by the mill Pond at Ifield, by the mill - geograph.org.uk - 591319.jpg
Pond at Ifield, by the mill

Ifield Mill Pond lies between Bewbush, Gossops Green and Ifield West. It is the source of the River Mole which runs north to the River Thames above Teddington Lock. In 1683 [7] Ifield Water Mill, a corn mill, was built in the north of the pond; it used water from the mill pond to turn its water wheel. It was rebuilt in 1817 and is now being restored. [8] The restoration has been led by a team of volunteers and spearheaded by Ted Henbery MBE, who has spent 34 years on the project after his son discovered the disused site in 1974. [9] A second project to upgrade the Mill Pond concluded in July 2015 after £6.5 million was spent upgrading the dam, finished £1 million under budget. [10] The Mill Pond is considered to be "the most important wetland site in Crawley" [11] and supports a rich bird community.

Ifield Barn Theatre

The theatre is situated in Ifield, to the north of the 13th century church of St Margaret. The theatre buildings were converted from a group of agricultural buildings mainly based on a tithe barn and former Granary.

Ifield Cricket Club

Cricket was first recorded to have been played in Ifield in 1721, on the green. [12] As of the 2022, Ifield CC 1st XI play in the Division 3 East of the Sussex Cricket League. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawley</span> Town and borough in West Sussex, England

Crawley is a town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is 28 miles (45 km) south of London, 18 miles (29 km) north of Brighton and Hove, and 32 miles (51 km) north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of 17.36 square miles (44.96 km2) and had a population of 106,597 at the time of the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pease Pottage</span> Human settlement in England

Pease Pottage is a village in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the southern edge of the Crawley built-up area, in the civil parish of Slaugham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southgate, West Sussex</span> Human settlement in England

Southgate is one of the 14 residential neighbourhoods in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Crawley was planned and laid out as a New Town after the Second World War, based on the principle of self-contained neighbourhoods surrounding a town centre of civic and commercial buildings. Southgate was one of the four in the "inner ring" closest to the town centre, and was intended to be the largest of the nine designed in the original master plan. It was built in two stages between the 1950s and the 1970s, but retains some older buildings from before the New Town era and has "significant areas of pre-New Town character".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Green, West Sussex</span> Human settlement in England

West Green is one of the 14 residential neighbourhoods in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Crawley was planned and laid out as a New Town after the Second World War, based on the principle of self-contained neighbourhoods surrounding a town centre of civic and commercial buildings. West Green was the first neighbourhood to be developed, and is one of the smallest and closest to the town centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bewbush</span> Area of Crawley in West Sussex, England

Bewbush is one of 14 neighbourhoods in Crawley in West Sussex, England. Bewbush is located in south west Crawley and is bordered by Broadfield to the south, Ifield to the north, Kilnwood Vale to the west and Gossops Green to the north east. The neighbourhood has a population of approximately 9,000.

Gossops Green is one of 14 neighbourhoods within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Gossops Green is located in the west of the town and is bordered by Bewbush to the south west, Ifield to the north and Southgate to the east across the ring road. Gossops Green is also a local government ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langley Green, West Sussex</span> Human settlement in England

Langley Green is a one of 14 neighbourhoods within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Langley Green is in the north-west of the town and is bordered by Manor Royal to the east, Northgate to the south east, West Green to the south across the ring road and Ifield to the west. The main streets running through the community are Stagelands, Martyrs Avenue and Langley Drive. Many of the streets are named after trees and plants animals or birds. A small shopping parade, St Leonards Church, The Dr. Johnson Pub and Langley Green Primary School formed the centre of the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifield railway station</span> Railway station in West Sussex, England

Ifield railway station serves the neighbourhoods of Ifield and Gossops Green in the West Sussex town of Crawley, England. It is on the Arun Valley Line, 31 miles 66 chains (51.2 km) down the line from London Bridge, measured via Redhill. Train services are provided by Thameslink and Southern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifield Community College</span> Community school in Crawley, West Sussex, England

Ifield Community College (ICC) is a maintained comprehensive secondary school in Crawley, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listed buildings in Crawley</span>

As of 2011 there were 102 listed buildings and structures in the English borough of Crawley, West Sussex. Two others have subsequently gained listed status. The Borough of Crawley is based on the town of the same name, located approximately halfway between London and Brighton. Although Crawley expanded substantially after World War II when it was designated a New Town by an Act of Parliament, many older buildings remain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Margaret's Church, Ifield</span> Church

St Margaret's Church is an Anglican church in the Ifield neighbourhood of Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is the ancient parish church of the village of Ifield; the medieval settlement was expanded to form one of the New Town of Crawley's 13 neighbourhoods, and the church's modern parish now serves several other neighbourhoods as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifield Friends Meeting House</span>

The Ifield Friends Meeting House is a Friends meeting house in the Ifield neighbourhood of Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Built in 1676 and used continuously since then by the Quaker community for worship, it is one of the oldest purpose-built Friends meeting houses in the world. It is classified by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, a status given to buildings of "exceptional interest" and national importance. An adjoining 15th-century cottage is listed separately at Grade II*, and a mounting block in front of the buildings also has a separate listing at Grade II. Together, these structures represent three of the 100 listed buildings and structures in Crawley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Leonard's Forest</span> Forest in the United Kingdom

St Leonard's Forest is at the western end of the Wealden Forest Ridge which runs from Horsham to Tonbridge, and is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies on the ridge to the south of the A264 between Horsham and Crawley with the villages of Colgate and Lower Beeding within it. The A24 lies to west and A23 to the East and A272 through Cowfold to the south. Much has been cleared, but a large area is still wooded. Forestry England has 289 ha. which is open to the public, as are Owlbeech and Leechpool Woods to the east of Horsham, and Buchan Country Park to the SW of Crawley. The rest is private with just a few public footpaths and bridleways. Leonardslee Gardens were open to the public until July 2010 and re-opened in April 2019. An area of 85.4 hectares is St Leonards Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifield Water Mill</span> Historic site in West Sussex , United Kingdom

Ifield Water Mill is a 19th-century weatherboarded watermill in the Ifield neighbourhood of Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. Built on the site of an earlier, smaller flour mill, which itself replaced an iron forge—one of many in the Crawley area—it fell into disuse in the 1930s. The local council, which acquired the land for housing development in the 1970s, leased the mill to local enthusiasts, who restored it to working order. The mill and an associated house are listed buildings, and there is also a cottage on the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony, Crawley</span> Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

The Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony is a Roman Catholic church in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. The town's first permanent place of Roman Catholic worship was founded in 1861 next to a friary whose members, from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, had been invited to the area by a wealthy local family of Catholic converts. Crawley's transformation from a modest market town to a rapidly growing postwar New Town in the mid-20th century made a larger church necessary, and in the late 1950s the ecclesiastical architect Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel was commissioned to build a new church. The friary closed in 1980 and has been demolished, but the large brick church still stands in a commanding position facing the town centre. English Heritage has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

References

  1. "Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  2. "Sussex F-P". Domesday Book Online. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 british-history.ac.uk
  4. "Population statistics Ifield CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time . Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  5. "Relationships and changes Ifield CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  6. "Ifield Village".
  7. Bracher, P. (1994). Ifield Water Mill: its Owners and Occupiers. Publication Number 3. Crawley: Crawley Museum Society. p. 8.
  8. "Sussex Windmills and Watermills Open to View". Sussex Mills Group website. Sussex Mills Group. 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  9. "History Profile - Ifield Mill - Crawley TV". Crawley TV. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  10. "PHOTOS: Ifield Mill Pond reopened after £6.5 million of work" . Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  11. "Ifield Mill Pond". Crawley Borough Council website. Crawley Borough Council. 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  12. "Ifield | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  13. "Ifield CC". ifield.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 18 December 2022.