CRAWLEY

district (borough) and town, administrative county of West Sussex, England. Most of the borough belongs to the historic county of Sussex, but its northern portion belongs to the historic county of Surrey. Crawley is an ancient town, having received a charter from King John in 1202, but the remains of this medieval and 18th-century coaching community have been completely engulfed by the planned new town developments, though some medieval buildings have been preserved. The district includes Gatwick Airport, Greater London's second major airport. Industries in Crawley include engineering, electrical engineering, printing, plastics, and food processing. Several entertainment and sports complexes were developed in the district in the late 20th century, including the Crawley Leisure Centre (1974) and The Hawth theatre and arts centre (1988). Several entertainment and sports complexes were developed in the district in the late 20th century, including the Crawley Leisure Centre (1974) and The Hawth theatre and arts centre (1988). Area, district, 17 square miles (45 square km). Pop. (1998 est.) district, 96,600; (1991) metropolitan area, 115,554.