of the Second World War in 1939, Charles put the Estate up for auction. No bidder was found, so the auctioneers split the property into separate lots which were sold off individually. During the War, as part of the build-up for D-Day Canadian army troops were billeted at a camp in woodland west of Titmus Lake, featuring Nissen huts. After the War, in 1947, the site was acquired by the Crawley Development Corporation and the huts began to be rented out to leisure clubs and societies seeking premises. In this the "Tilgate Forest Recreation Centre" grew up (it was never a public amenity). In 1950, the Forestry Commission bought the Forest and began to plant conifers over most of it, with areas of beech and American oak. The biggest lake in the Park, Tilgate Lake, is most famous for its association with Malcolm Campbell, who carried out flotation trials for his boat "Bluebird" but not water speed trials there. It was called Campbell's Lake for some time afterwards, although it was sold to one Mr Baker in 1952. He ran a fishing club. The Mansion was sold to BT Estates Ltd in 1940, which used it as offices and let the gardens go derelict. Rhododendron ponticum thickets took over large areas, including the lakesides. In 1950, the Walled Garden became "Tilgate Park Nurseries" which had another site in the Forest south of the sawmill at "Old Stone Cottage Farm". The firm supplied sapling trees for the New Town. Tilgate neighbourhood was built between 1958 and 1960. The Park project was delayed, however, leading to conflict between the private landowners and trespassers, especially children. Development of the public park Early days Crawley Urban District Council (Borough Council from 1974) purchased the Walled Garden in 1962, and the lakes and Mansion in 1964. It demolished the latter in 1965, and replaced it with the striking modern "Lakeside Restaurant". In this period, roe deer returned to the Forest. The Nissen huts were extensively damaged during the storms of 1987 and the council planned to clear the area, but a campaign led by local teacher and prominent table tennis figure, Frank Terry, succeeded in getting the huts replaced with more modern versions. The lake has a "Watersports Centre". In contrast, "Go Ape" is a new arboreal adventure course. In 2017, a "Garden of Remembrance" was opened, with a sculpture entitled "Passage". Access Car Tilgate