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Introduction
Glorious countryside, thriving community life and a buoyant local economy.
Welcome to Reigate and Banstead in the 21st century.
A Borough with a long and colourful history, the area has every reason
to look towards a long and prosperous future too.
More than ever before people are being attracted to the area because
of its swathes of parkland and countryside, and its accessibility to
both London and the south coast.
Meanwhile businesses are attracted by the proximity of Gatwick Airport,
the M25 and M23 and excellent rail links.
The area is packed with places of interest, walks, and some great pubs
and restaurants.
It has also got a Council in touch with its community, expanding its
flourishing links with partner agencies like Surrey Police and working
hard to ensure the Borough is a safe and happy place to be.
Location
The Borough of Reigate and Banstead stretches from the Greater London
boundary and the Boroughs of Croydon and Sutton to the north, to Crawley
and Gatwick Airport to the south.
Predominantly open countryside, the Borough has an area of 50 square
miles and is traversed by the North Downs escarpment, which is a designated
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the Greensand ridge.
Together these divide the chalk uplands of Banstead from the Weald to
the south. The Borough therefore enjoys a varied and attractive landscape,
and many a natural beauty spot.
Amidst the countryside are the bustling towns of Banstead, Reigate,
Redhill and Horley accommodating a total population of just over 127,000.
The towns and villages within the Borough are a mix of ancient and modern
including an historic market town, railway towns and dormitory villages.
Booming Borough
Modern Reigate and Banstead owes much to its proximity to London and
the major transport corridors - the London to Brighton railway and more
latterly the M25 and M23. This led to rapid growth of commuting from
Victorian times onwards with residents of the Borough working in London.
More recently employment growth in the Borough has resulted in significant
numbers of people commuting into the Borough to work. The attractiveness
of the local environment and its accessibility to London, Heathrow and
Gatwick Airports have been key to major inward investment with a number
of international companies establishing headquarters within the Borough.
Today Legal and General, Canon, Watson Wyatt, Toyota, Pfizer, Fidelity
Investments and First National Motor Insurance all have a base in the
Borough.
Banking, finance and insurance is the most important sector for Reigate
and Banstead's workforce.
Public administration, education and health is the next most important
sector.
The Borough Council is strong on working with the community, and plans
are underway to benefit businesses and residents alike. The bustling
towns of Redhill and Horley are both being given a new look and the
area's biggest industrial estate, at Holmethorpe near Redhill, is being
revitalised.
Meanwhile unemployment is at its lowest level for years. Just 0.8 per
cent of the district's workforce were unemployed in August 2002.
The Borough's population is switched on to the modern agenda. In a residents'
survey undertaken by MORI, 63 per cent of households have a personal
computer, 53 per cent of which are connected to the internet.
Leisure, Culture and Tourism
When they are not working there is plenty for people to do with their
leisure time in Reigate and Banstead.
Magnificent scenery and breathtaking views are available to walkers,
cyclists and picnickers across the Borough, and there is plenty of choice,
with 3,000 acres of public open space and 1,300 acres of woodland to
explore.
Local people love their parks, with our parks and open spaces achieving
the second highest satisfaction rating in the country in a national
poll.
The largest park, Priory Park in Reigate
offers 200 acres of space and woodland and was once home to Lord Howard
Effingham, Admiral of the Fleet at the time of the Spanish Armada.
In addition to being a place of great beauty, the park also has sporting
areas and facilities for children, and during the summer plays host
to a number of open air concerts and festivals.
The Borough is also home to the Harlequin theatre, which offers everything
from drama, ballet, comedy, classical and popular music to children's
entertainment.
Sports lovers can take advantage of facilities at our three leisure
centres, an indoor climbing centre and much more.
At the end of the day - or even in the middle - locals are spoilt for
choice when it comes to dining out, or just enjoying a refreshing drink
at a country pub. The meal of your choice is here in Reigate and Banstead.
With great transport links and so much to see and do, it is no surprise
that the Borough is a popular place to visit.
There are a variety of places to stay, ranging from small bed and breakfasts
to luxury accommodation. Among those places at the top end of the market
are some with amazing views of the local countryside and hotels steeped
in the Borough's rich history.
History
The area has a colourful history stretching back to the days of the
Domesday Book. Some stories from the past are passed from generation
to generation and survive as much as legend as fact. Others survive
as part of the Borough's heritage.
Intriguing stories about the signing of the Magna Carta, and the Sportsman
Pub near Epsom race course frequented by Henry VIII in his time, are
part of the tapestry of local history.
Reigate
Reigate's earliest history can be traced back to the result of the Battle
of Hastings. Victorious William the Conqueror awarded the land as part
of a generous grant to one of his leading soldiers, William de Warenne,
on whom he also bestowed the title Earl of Surrey.
De Warenne ordered that Reigate Castle be built and the town of Reigate
grew up in its shadow.
All that remains of the castle now is a mound with a dry moat and underground
caves which may well have been the dungeons. One local legend has it
that prior to King John signing the Magna Carta, the Barons met in conference
to hammer out the details of the document in the caves.
During the 13th century the Reigate Priory was founded for regular Canons
of the Order of St Augustine. After the dissolution of the monasteries
in 1535 the estate was granted by Henry VIII to Lord Howard of Effingham
who converted the Priory into a residence.
The Howard family, including the Lord High Admiral who commanded the
force which defeated the Spanish Armada, lived there for about 140 years.
The building is now owned by the Borough Council and used as a school.
The present Town Hall in Reigate was completed in 1901 and first housed
the Courthouse, Fire Station and Police Station. Reigate Council bought
it in the 1920s and it was designated as a Grade II listed building
in 1991.
A large proportion of the existing town centre has been designated as
a conservation area of special historic interest.
Redhill
Though it is thought of by some as a new town there has actually been
a settlement in Redhill since the early 19th century.
The building of a road linking Gatton Point to Salfords led to the development
of a hamlet known as Warwick Town, and when the London to Brighton railway
was built in the 1830s the first seeds of a major town on the site were
well and truly sown.
By 1841 trains were running on a daily basis and the town began to boom,
providing housing and facilities for railway workers and users alike.
Within nine years a branch line was built taking passengers from Redhill
to Reigate and off across Surrey.
At the time it was known as Reigate Junction but by the end of the 1850s
it had been renamed: 'Red Hill Junction'.
The look of the town itself has changed much over the years and would
be unrecognisable to someone who knew it at the beginning of the 20th
century.
Many of the buildings which were erected in the nineteenth century have
been replaced by more modern counterparts such as the Warwick Quadrant
and the Belfry Shopping Centre.
The future looks bright for the town, and it is currently subject of
a revitalisation project being worked up by the Borough Council.
Banstead
The earliest recorded mention of a place within the Borough is that
of Banstead in an AngloSaxon charter of Ling Edgar's time dated AD967
a century before the Domesday Survey of 1086.
In that survey Banstead (referred to as Benestede) had a Manor with
two ploughs, 28 villeins and 15 cottars (people with a small cottage
but no land) with 15 ploughs.
There was also reference to a church and a mill and the whole manor
was valued at £8.
Banstead remained a small village until the 19th century when the improved
roads and the building of the railways led to its growth.
Banstead presently includes the residential areas of Nork and Woodmansterne
Village. Close by are Chipstead and Hooley, and to the south, Burgh
Heath, Tadworth, Walton on the Hill and Kingswood.
In the shopping centre of Banstead is the parish church with its sturdy
tower and shingled spire. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries this
interesting building was restored in 1861 by the noted church architect
Street.
Horley
Horley was not mentioned by name in the Domesday Survey but there are
later records which show that after the dissolution of the monasteries,
the Manor of Horley Church was passed by Chertsey Abbey to the Crown
and then to Sir Nicholas Carew.
In 1544 the Manor with 200 acres was purchased by Robert Bristow for
£320 and was resold in 1602 to the Governors of Christs Hospital
who are still Lords of the Manor today.
Horley's oldest building is the parish church which dates from the 14th
century although in 1881 it was almost wholly rebuilt to the designs
of Arthur Blomfield. Its most striking feature is the tower and shingle
spire. Next to the church is another very old building, the Six Bells,
a 15th century inn with diamond shaped tile hanging.
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