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External links: | The Non-Designated Heritage Assets West of Ifield | Ifield Parish boundary walk | Ifield Water Mill 1890's to 1990's | Ifield Steam Mill | Ifield Millhouse from the air: 1939 and 2014 | The Iron Industry in Crawley | The Six Moated Manors of Crawley | The toponymy of Crawley: Why is it called that? | Crawley from the air 1920 to 1954 | The original plans for the Arun Valley railway line to Horsham


Ifield Parish Map
Arun Valley Railway line

In 1848 the first section of the Arun Valley railway line, between Three Bridges and Horsham, opened, carving it's way through the parish, splitting the Millpond in two and giving the parish it's first railway station by way of Crawley. Lyons Crossing Halt, later Ifield Halt and now Ifield station, did not open until 1907.

 

The original plans for the railway showed a different course, with the track leaving the mainline at Gatwick and entering the Parish at County Oak, passing close to Martyrs & Ewhurst Farms and joining the railway that WAS built close to Ifield Park, between Ifield Station and the Millpond. How different might the Parish have looked had these plans been implemented? There would have been no Gatwick Airport and it's quite possible that Crawley New Town would have been Ifield New Town, encompassing the settlements of Rusper & Crawley. In the end, the the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway Company recognised the commercial benefits of their new line passing through the existing nucleated settlement of Crawley and the plans were amended.

 

The surviving platforms of the original Crawley Station

 

Ifield Station

 

The Grade 2 listed Signal box at Crawley

 

The old platforms at Crawley station and the signal box

 

Ifield station

 

The original plans for the Arun Valley Railway to cross the parish. Please visit The original plans for the Arun Valley railway line to Horsham for a full study of the plans.

 

An 'Ancient Ifield' Exhibition was held at Crawley Museum between 5 June and 5 July 2025. The posters that were on display at this exhibition can be downloaded from here. The video that was shown, including a version with an alternative soundtrack, along with the trailer used to promote it can be viewed here.

 

Text & photographs © Ian Mulcahy. Contact photos@iansapps.co.uk or visit my 'Use of my photographs' page for licensing queries.