Family attractions · South East England
Tilgate Park & Nature Centre
In or near Pease Pottage.
Crawley's 450-acre country park with a free-entry children's nature centre.

Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Crawley · 1.9 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Tilgate Park & Nature Centre, the nearest railway station is Crawley, located 1.9 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is RH10 5PQ. Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Tilgate Park is the 450-acre Crawley country park surrounding the historic Tilgate Forest, with a Nature Centre housing rare-breed farm animals, owls, reptiles, alpacas and meerkats — strongly child-orientated and free to visit. Three lakes, the National Pinetum, formal walled gardens, a maze and an adventure playground extend the day; pay-and-play attractions include the Go Ape treetop course and Tilgate Golf. Crawley's most-visited public space.
Photo gallery
Official information
Tilgate Park & Nature Centre is a scenic park that offers a variety of outdoor activities and natural attractions. Visitors can explore beautiful gardens, woodlands, and a nature centre featuring local wildlife.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: High Weald
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Surrey Hills
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Tilgate Park is a large recreational park situated south of Tilgate, South-East Crawley. Originally a 2,185-acre (8.84 km2) part of the ancient Worth Forest, the park and adjacent areas (including the modern-day Furnace Green, Three Bridges, part of Southgate and Tilgate Forest) were part of the larger Tilgate Estate. Although visitor activity is mostly focused on the area surrounding Tilgate Lake and on the adjacent gardens of a former country mansion, a large area of the park is former silvicultural forest. This is now managed as a Local Nature Reserve called Tilgate Forest. The park also contains the Tilgate Nature Centre featuring captive breeding of some vulnerable and endangered animal species and varieties.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 51.0964, -0.1758
- County
- West Sussex
- District
- Crawley
- Parish
- Crawley, unparished area
- Postcode
- RH10 5PQ
- Parliamentary constituency
- Crawley
- Nearest railway station
- Crawley — 1.9 km
- Official site
- crawley.gov.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7802137 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Tilgate Park (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Featured in this guide
Other places nearby

Tilgate Nature Centre
Zoos & aquariums · 0.3 km

Tilgate Zoo
Zoos & aquariums · 0.7 km

Tilgate Forest Singletrack
Mountain bike trails · 1.0 km
Tilgate Forest
Archaeological sites · 1.1 km

The Giant Football
Public art & sculpture · 1.4 km

Curzon at the Hawth
Theatres · 1.4 km

Broadfield House, Crawley
Historic houses · 1.4 km

A random kayak in the earth
Historic houses · 1.5 km

Crawley
Museums · 1.6 km

The Flying Spiral
Public art & sculpture · 1.7 km

Hawth Theatre
Open-air theatres · 1.7 km

The Clouds are High
Public art & sculpture · 2.0 km
Nearby
📷 5Zoos & aquariums · South East England
Tilgate Nature Centre
Tilgate Nature Centre — small BIAZA-accredited zoo.
Zoos & aquariums · South East England
Tilgate Zoo
Tilgate Zoo — a zoo aquarium in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Mountain bike trails · South East England
Tilgate Forest Singletrack
Tilgate Forest Singletrack — a mtb trail in england south east.
Archaeological sites · South East England
Tilgate Forest
Tilgate Forest — forest in West Sussex, England, UK.
Public art & sculpture · South East England
The Giant Football
The Giant Football — a public art in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
Theatres · South East England
Curzon at the Hawth
Curzon at the Hawth — a cinema heritage in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Tilgate Park & Nature Centre
Places to stay
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Stanford (Scout Campsite)
Stanford (Scout Campsite) — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Embers
Embers — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Hotels · South East England
Trivelles Gatwick Hotel
Trivelles Gatwick Hotel — a hotel in england south east. 4-star. Brand: Trivelles.
Campsites · South East England
Beacon Hill Scout Campsite
Beacon Hill Scout Campsite — a campsite in england south east.
Hotels · South East England
Hilton London Gatwick Airport
Hilton London Gatwick Airport — a hotel in england south east. 4-star. Brand: Hilton.
Places to eat & drink
Historic pubs · South East England
White Hart Inn
White Hart Inn in England South East, United Kingdom.
Historic pubs · South East England
Old Punch Bowl
Old Punch Bowl in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Jolly Tanners Public House
The Jolly Tanners Public House in England South East, United Kingdom.
📷 5Restaurants · South East England
Mekong House
Mekong House — a restaurant in england south east.
Other places from this era
Family attractions · London
KidZania London
Indoor 'city' where kids 4-14 try out 60 real-world jobs at child scale.
Family attractions · London
The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience
Immersive replica of the 1990s game show, four zones and the Crystal Dome.
Family attractions · South East England
Gulliver's Land
Milton Keynes family theme park aimed at under-13s.
Family attractions · South East England
Peppa Pig World
The world's first Peppa Pig theme park, inside Hampshire's Paultons Park.
More places in this region
Family attractions · South East England
Blackgang Chine
The UK's oldest amusement park, opened on the Isle of Wight in 1843.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Tilgate Park & Nature Centre?
- Tilgate Park & Nature Centre is in West Sussex, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RH10 5PQ), in the parish of Crawley, unparished area.
- What is Tilgate Park & Nature Centre?
- Crawley's 450-acre country park with a free-entry children's nature centre.
- How do I get to Tilgate Park & Nature Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Crawley, about 1.9 km away. Drivers can use postcode RH10 5PQ.
- When was Tilgate Park & Nature Centre built?
- Dates from the modern period.
- Is Tilgate Park & Nature Centre a protected site?
- Yes — Tilgate Park & Nature Centre is part of the High Weald National Landscape (AONB) and the Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Tilgate Park & Nature Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Crawley, about 1.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RH10 5PQ.
- Is Tilgate Park & Nature Centre suitable for children?
- Yes — Tilgate Park & Nature Centre is a family attraction designed for children. Most rides and attractions are aimed at the under-12 age band.