Notable buildings in the town include the parish church, in which can be seen the Crowle Stone runic cross shaft, and the Gothic revival market hall.

Major rivers were diverted, and the numerous canals and drainage ditches that cross the fields give the whole area a Dutch character.

[3] Archaeological evidence for early settlement suggests that there were occupation sites scattered throughout the area, rather than a village or town.

It continued through the Romano-British period, with finds in the parish suggesting a number of farmsteads, similar to those found in excavations at nearby Sandtoft during the construction of the M180 motorway.

Some earlier Saxon material was reused, including a decorated cross shaft, now in the west bay of the nave arcade.

The building was modified and partially rebuilt in subsequent centuries, including a major restoration in 1884 by A S Ellis of London, and is now a Grade I listed structure, in recognition of its architectural merit.

The scheme attempted to turn a productive marsh-based peasant economy into an arable system, but the way in which it was financed resulted in much of the reclaimed land being owned by Vermuyden and his adventurers, the Crown, or existing landowners.

There was widespread unrest throughout the area, particularly as the initial drainage was less than effective, resulting in flooding in both summer and winter, without the benefits of fertilising the soil.

Winter fowling and fishing activity was reduced, although 100 acres (40 ha) of land were eventually awarded to the people of Crowle in compensation for the loss of fisheries.

It was supported by farming and fishing, by the cutting of peat on the moors, by the cultivation of flax and hemp, and by the production of sackcloth.

If the system was well designed, some 2,300 tons per acre (5,800 tonnes per ha) could be deposited over the course of a year, creating new soil to a depth of 1.5 feet (46 cm).

[12] Some indication of the prosperity of the town in the late 19th century can be gained from the Market Hall (designed by William Hull) with its elaborate decoration.

[14] It was located on the corner of Cross Street and Windsor Road,[12] and had a working capital of £1,800, raised by issuing £10 shares.

A Burial Board was created in 1862, and established a general cemetery[15] on a long plot on Mill Lane, with two mortuary chapels.

The parish had been bequeathed three houses, which included common rights and 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land, to be used for the education and relief of the poor.

Construction involved moving 200,000 cubic yards (150,000 m3) of earth to form the embankments on either side of the main span.

The northern approach, on the Crowle side of the canal, included three brick arches, crossing a minor road and a drainage ditch, a 52-foot (16 m) girder bridge which carried the line over the Scunthorpe to Doncaster line of the Great Central Railway, and a further brick arch.

Despite this, there was an expansion in the number of houses, with residential developments on Mill Hill, Wharf Road, Field Side and Godnow Road, and the construction of the M180 motorway, which skirts the southern edge of the town, provided quick access to major centres of employment and shopping.

The site includes a small graveyard, and covenants were put in place to ensure that relatives of those buried could still visit the graves.

The foreman at the gas works, an Italian called Girolamo Vaccari, who changed his name to James Walker, asked Thomas Young of Kingerby Hall, near Market Rasen for help to establish a Catholic community, but the Diocese felt that a new parish in such a remote area would not be viable.

Young therefore invited the Canons Regular of Prémontré, a religious order founded by St Norbert, and then based in Antwerp, to live and work in Crowle.

A church and an attached house in which the Canons lived was designed by M E Hadfield & Son, who were based in Sheffield, built by George Sinclair, and paid for by Young.

[37] The White Hart Inn is a timber-framed, grade II listed building dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, which was subsequently encased and rebuilt in brick, and roughly rendered.

A stone tablet built into a former carriage opening records this fact, and the structure includes a number of 16-pane and unusual 9-pane sash windows.

[41] The other open pub is the Red Lion[42] Television signals are received from either the Emley Moor or Belmont TV transmitters.

[45][failed verification] The town is served by the local newspaper, Doncaster Free Press (formerly Crowle Advertiser).

[47] The town is served by Crowle railway station on the South Humberside Main Line, which runs from Doncaster to Scunthorpe.