Tilgate Park
Nature Reserves, Country Parks & Beaches · Crawley, East & West Sussex
No reviews yet
Open now — closes 11.59pm
🌳 Outdoor0–11–33–55–88–1212–16🛝 Playground🌲 WoodlandGardens🐐 AnimalsEducational🆓 Free entry
What’s there
- Café on site
- Paid parking
- Birthday parties
- Dogs welcome
Two pay and display car parks on Tilgate Drive: main car park (329 spaces, 9 disabled bays, motorcycle bays, 2.1m height restriction) and Fisherman's (Lakeside) car park (92 spaces, 9 disabled bays, 2.1m height restriction). Both open 24 hours, payment on arrival. Charges up to 1h GBP 1.60, 2h GBP 3.20, 3h GBP 4.80, 4h GBP 6.00, all day GBP 7.00; charging hours 9am-6pm summer, 9am-4pm winter. Motorcycles park free. Disabled provision plus two extra bays next to the zoo.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
Tilgate Park is a large, Green Flag award-winning country park on the southern edge of Crawley, West Sussex, run by Crawley Borough Council. Its grassy lawns, tranquil lakes and vibrant gardens - laid out around the former Tilgate Estate mansion - sit within extensive woodlands and bridleways that are part of the Tilgate Forest Local Nature Reserve.
Families can follow the tree trail (30 champion trees), explore the free maze with its lookout tower inside the historic Walled Garden, enjoy the lakeside walks, Peace Garden and Remembrance Garden, and let children burn off energy in the woodland play area. Tilgate Zoo, located within the park, houses over 100 animals including owls, meerkats, reindeer and armadillos. The Lakeside Cafe and Walled Garden Cafe serve food and drink, and the Smith & Western restaurant is on site. Go Ape's high ropes courses and the Tilgate Park Watersports centre (pedalos, kayaks, paddleboards) are operated within the park by separate providers.
A free 5k parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9am, with a 2k junior parkrun for 4-14 year olds on Sundays. The park has two pay-and-display car parks with disabled bays, and Metrobus service 2 runs to the park at weekends and bank holidays.
Park entry is free. Daytime parking charges apply in the main and Fisherman's car parks (all day 7.00). The zoo, walled garden and park toilets are open 10am-6pm in summer (31 March-26 October) and 10am-4pm in winter, with Christmas closures on 25-26 December.
Zoo, walled garden and park toilets: summer 31 March-26 October 10am-6pm, winter 27 October-30 March 10am-4pm. Christmas closures 25-26 December (additional closure days may be added).
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
- Wellies
- Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
- Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
- Wet wipes
- Car window sunshade
- Bottle or beaker
- Notebook
- Hair bobbles
- Dummy and a spare
- Hand sanitiser
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