Redhill, Surrey

Coordinates: 51°14′21″N 0°10′21″W / 51.2393°N 0.1726°W / 51.2393; -0.1726
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Redhill (disambiguation).

Redhill
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townREDHILL
Postcode districtRH1
Dialling code01737
PoliceSurrey
FireSurrey
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Surrey
51°14′21″N 0°10′21″W / 51.2393°N 0.1726°W / 51.2393; -0.1726

Redhill (

Whitebushes, as well as of two small rural villages to the east in the Tandridge District, Bletchingley and Nutfield
.

The town is situated on the junction of the north–south A23 (London to Brighton) road, and the east–west A25 road which runs from Guildford through to Sevenoaks. It is also on the railway junction, served by Redhill railway station, of the Brighton Main Line, North-Downs line, and Redhill-Tonbridge line.

Geography

Redhill is located within the

Gatwick airport
is also nearby 7 miles south of the town.The housing of the town is built in the Vale of Holmesdale, and on the hillsides of the two ends of the Greensand Ridge (Redstone Hill and the hillside of Redhill Common), and on the flat of the water-cut gap in between.

To the north, the town joins with the village of Merstham, north of which there is a "wind gap" in the

subsequent streams of the River Mole (which itself cuts gaps northwards through the ridge at Betchworth, and through the Downs at Dorking, on its way to the Thames).[3]
Today the whole Redhill area is part of the catchment area of the River Mole, and hence the Thames.

The east–west running road the A25, approaches Redhill from the east along the elevated Greensand Ridge from Nutfield, and proceeds westward from Redhill along the Vale of Holmesdale towards Reigate and Dorking.

To the immediate north-east of the town are The Moors nature reserve and the large 2010–2012 (

mid and low-rise) Watercolour housing development, comprising 25 acres (10 hectares) of lakes, paths and wildlife habitat managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.[4]

Redhill is one of the few places in the UK where fuller's earth can be extracted, though production ceased in 2000.[5]

History

A settlement was formed here in part of the rural parishes of Reigate Foreign and Merstham when a turnpike road was built in 1818.[6] The London-Brighton road passed through the Merstham Gap in the North Downs,[7] and the Redhill Gap in the Greensand Ridge. The settlement was originally known as "Warwick Town" after Warwick Road, and became known as Redhill when the post office moved from Red Hill Common in the south-west of the town in 1856.[6]

A major factor in the development of the town was the coming of the railways. The gap through the Greensand Ridge at Redhill was a major advantage for routing a railway from London to Brighton. A railway station opened in Redhill on 12 July 1841, after the

South Eastern Railway's London to Dover to line, which branched off the original line south of the Merstham tunnel.[9] Then on 15 April 1844 both these two stations were closed, as a new combined station was opened at the junction that same day, serving both railways, at the site of the present station. In 1849 a branch line to Reigate was added.[10]

St John the Evangelist, built in 1843, was the first of Redhill's three Anglican parish churches. The parish originally stretched from Gatton in the north to Sidlow in the south.[citation needed]

View from Redhill Common towards St John's Church August 2000

aurorae. In 1863 he published records of sunspot observations that first demonstrated differential rotation in the Sun. In 1865 ill health prompted him to sell his house and move to Churt, Surrey.[11][12]

In 1855, a large

Katherine Bowes-Lyon and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon, both of whom had learning difficulties. The hospital closed in March 1997 following the introduction of Care in the Community.[17] The buildings were then converted to residential apartments and the site is now known as Royal Earlswood Park.[17]

In 1868 Alfred Nobel demonstrated dynamite for the first time at a Merstham quarry, two miles north of Redhill.[18]

In 1884, a large residential school for children, called St Anne's School, was opened by the St Anne's Society (a

Home for the Aged. In 1973 it became a home for the homeless, but closed in 1975 after being damaged by fire, and was demolished in 1987, to be replaced by housing.[19]

The construction, to the east of Redhill, of the M23 motorway between 1972 and 1975 reduced north–south traffic through the town.

Localities

Holmethorpe Quarry, before residential development

Holmethorpe

Holmethorpe can refer to two neighbouring developments, one residential, the other commercial/industrial and separated by the west track of the Brighton Main Line directly north of Redhill. A Holmethorpe Industrial Estate member's organisation exists to provide security to and advertise recruitment among its 66 businesses and to work on traffic and local authority planning matters.[20] Holmethorpe had at the 2001 census a population of 1,128.[21]

Watercolour

Watercolour is a 2008–2012 built settlement and neighbourhood in Redhill towards the village of Merstham[22] across lakes from the Greensand Ridge of the wooded village of Bletchingley and on the site of the former Holmethorpe Gravel Quarry.[23]

Redstone Hill

Redstone Hill is above the Royal Mail sorting office and depot, centred around one of three Redhill

conservation areas, across the station using the A25 or subway from most of the town. This neighbourhood includes a hotel-restaurant and unusually for a conservation area, no nationally listed buildings though some buildings are locally listed.[citation needed] Deep underneath the conservation area non-stopping services of the east branch of the Brighton Main Line run.[24][25]

Redhill Common (north) and Linkfield Street

This area includes four nationally listed buildings: three at Grade II and one, Fengates House, at Grade II*. Fengates is a

headers and a moulded band above the second floor. Its roof is high and extends over the walls creating eaves. Its six-panel door has a moulded architrave and porch with dentil cornice.[26][27]

Redhill Common (south) and St John's

St John's

St John's is a compact urban area on a narrow promontory of Redhill Common that is upland, with moderately sized gardens between Earlswood Common and Redhill Common, reached by a hillside access road from London Road. Unusually, the addresses of many of the buildings in the hamlet do not include a road name but are merely "[number], St. John's".

The disproportionately large St. John's church was built in anticipation of the development of a town in the East of Reigate Foreign close to the railway station that opened in 1841. In 1844, after the church's construction, the railway station was closed and a new one opened about a mile to the North, around which Warwick Town and then Redhill developed. It was not until 1866 that Redhill got a church of its own in the form of St. Matthew's.

St

transverse arches across the nave. Pearson's most famous building is Truro Cathedral (1880) and the first English cathedral to be built on a new site since Salisbury in the early thirteenth century. This Gothic architecture is reflected by several nearby buildings.[28][29]

Shaw's Corner

The War Memorial, with St Paul's United Reformed Church behind.

Shaw's Corner centres around the junction formed on the Reigate Road, in more precise terms named Hatchlands Road before becoming here Reigate Road close and includes homes on both sides of Reigate County Court, St Paul's Church and a chapel. At this junction, on the south side in the middle of the street Blackstone Hill, is Richard R Goulden's Shaw's Corner War Memorial, a Grade II listed grand base and statue: a bronze figure on a square-set tapering stone plinth, of a man, carrying a child in one arm, and holding a flaming torch aloft with the other. At the top of the plinth is the inscription:

In memory of the men of Reigate and Redhill who fought and gave their lives in the Great War 1914–1919

On its other sides are the capitalised words Courage; Honour; and Self-Sacrifice. A further inscription beneath is graphic and includes "Flames consume the flesh. The spirit is unconquerable." World War II dates have been added since the first unveiling by Earl Beatty.[30] Halfway along Blackstone Hill is access downhill through Redhill Common to London Road Redhill where Common expands and adjoins the south of Redhill, also known as Earlswood.[31]

Transport

Road

Redhill is at the junction of the A23 and A25 roads. It is also located within three miles of the M25 and M23 motorways, which interchange north-east of the town. Access from the M25 is via junction 6 (for Godstone) from the east and junction 8 (for Reigate) from the west, while access from the south is signed on M23 junction 9 (for Gatwick Airport).

Rail

The town is served by

Redhill to Tonbridge Line. Train services are provided by Southern, Thameslink and Great Western Railway
.

The station is a rail hub and is served by regular train services to London Victoria, London Bridge, Bedford, Peterborough, Gatwick Airport, Tonbridge and Reading.[32]

Until 1845 there was a separate station from which one could travel to Ashford and Dover.[6]

Buses

405, Metrobus routes 400, 410, 411, 420, 422, 424, 430, 435, 460 and Fastway 100, Compass Bus route 32 and Cruisers route 315 serve the town. All bus services in the town stop at Redhill Bus Station.[33]

These buses provide connections to Reigate, Sutton, Epsom, Caterham, Oxted, Croydon, Dorking, Guildford, Gatwick Airport, Crawley and East Grinstead.

Air

Air access is available at

Heathrow airport is thirty miles to the north-west and both Luton and London City
airports are accessible by train.

Shopping

Redhill has a pedestrianised High Street, which is adjoined by the Belfry Shopping Centre. More shops are available at the Warwick Quadrant. There is also a street market each Thursday, Friday and Saturday, sometimes including a French market.

Culture and community

Redhill is part of the Reigate and Banstead local government district. Not far from the town is Gatton Park, an estate once owned by the Colmans; the estate has a private chapel (now open to the public) and a Japanese garden.[34]

The town has a distinctive red-brick complex called the Warwick Quadrant, which houses the Harlequin Theatre and Cinema, and the public library, as well as Sainsbury's and other shops.it has been refurbished and the red canopy and clock has been removed despite local opposition.

The former Odeon cinema was built in 1938. It was converted into a nightclub in 1976, operating under various names until 2011 when it was closed down permanently to make way for new housing. Despite a plan to retain the listed Art Deco façade,[35] delays in rebuilding and a reluctance to use the façade meant it "fell into decay" and was demolished in December 2017.[36]

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run passes through the town each year.[citation needed]

Local media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC London and ITV London. BBC South East and ITV Meridian can also be received.

The town’s local radio stations are BBC Radio Surrey on 104.0 FM, Heart South on 102.7 FM, Susy Radio on 103.4 FM [37] and Radio Redhill that broadcast from the East Surrey Hospital on 100.4 FM.

Local newspapers are the Surrey Advertiser and Redhill and Reigate Life.[38]

Economy

Lloyds Bank, Redhill

Aon plc
Risk Services have their headquarters in the town. There are also three industrial and business estates: Holmethorpe Industrial Estate, Kingsfield Business Centre, and Reading Arch.

Redhill Aerodrome (IATA: KRH, ICAO: EGKR) lies 1.73 miles (2.78 km) south-east of Redhill and operates pleasure flights, flying courses, and private commercial flights.[39]

Whilst the town is a hub in commercial terms, with a shopping centre and several offices of large companies, a large proportion of the economically active population work in Greater London and other parts of Surrey.[40]

For some central government statistical purposes, Redhill and Reigate are classified as a subdivision of the Crawley Urban Area.[41] Redhill is 18 miles east of Guildford. The average commuting distance in 2001 for workers was 13.8 kilometres (8.6 mi) in Redhill East and 13.6 kilometres (8.5 mi) in Redhill West. Unemployment stood at 1.81% in the east and 2.13% in the west in 2001.[42]

The first iteration of British Island Airways had its head office at Congreve House in Redhill.[43]

Demography

Population, type of home ownership and population density were provided by the

social housing close to the average in South East England and to that of the local authority, significantly greater in Redhill West than in Redhill East where 21.8% of property was rented from a registered social landlord or directly from the local authority.[1]

2011 Census Key Statistics
Ward Population Households % Owned outright % Owned with a loan hectares[1]
Redhill East 9,978 4,284 20.2 40.8 389
Redhill West 8,185 3,421 29.6 29.8 177

Notable residents

Government

Surrey County Council has two representatives from Redhill, elected every four years. As of the 2021 Surrey County Council election, the representatives are:

  • Jonathan Essex, representing the division of Redhill East, of the Green Party[48]
  • Natalie Bramhall, representing the division of Redhill West & Meadvale, of the Conservative Party[49]

6 councillors sit on Reigate and Banstead borough council, who are:

Term Member

Ward

2014 – 2023 Jonathan Essex Redhill East[50]
2016 – 2022 Stephen McKenna Redhill East[51]
2019 – 2024 Sue Sinden Redhill East[52]
2016 – 2023 Natalie Bramhall Redhill West and Wray Common[53]
2018 – 2022 Rich Michalowski Redhill West and Wray Common[54]
2019 – 2024 Kanika Sachdeva Redhill West and Wray Common[55]

Sport and recreation

The town features:

  • Redhill Bowling Club, a lawn Bowling club based in Redhill.
  • Redhill Football Club, a Non-League football club who play at Kiln Brow.
  • Donyngs sports centre, which includes an indoor swimming pool.[56]
  • Sailing, canoeing and windsurfing are available at Mercers Country Park[57][58][59]
  • The Gym, Quadrant Shopping Centre, London Road Warwick, Redhill RH1 1NN

Education

Dunottar School, near Redhill Common

See also

References

  1. ^
    United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics
    Retrieved 20 November 2013
  2. Office for National Statistics
    . Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  3. ^ Wooldridge, S. W.; Linton, D. L. (1955). Structure, surface and drainage in south-east England. London: George Philip and Son Limited.
  4. ^ [1] Archived 24 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine Developer's summary of a large neighbourhood. Accessed 23 April 2012
  5. ISBN 9781172282173
    . page 243
  6. ^ a b c "Reigate and Banstead online information". www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk.
  7. ^ The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland, 1868. Much of the road was built on the course of a Roman road.
  8. S2CID 115346320
    .
  9. ISBN 0-7134-0275-X
    .
  10. ISBN 1-85260-508-1
    , p. 196.
  11. ^ a b "Biography at the HAO". Archived from the original on 4 December 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Article on Carrington at the Times". Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  13. ^ Historic England. "Royal Earlswood Hospital, original building (blocks 13-21) (Grade II) (1241446)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Pullen's Ships". The Langdon Down Museum of Learning Disability. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  15. ^ "No. 33158". The London Gazette. 4 May 1926. p. 3019.
  16. ^ "Queen's Cousin In Mental Hospital Archived 22 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine", St. Joseph News-Press, 6 April 1987
  17. ^ a b "Royal Earlswood Hospital". Lost Hospitals of London. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  18. ISBN 1559703288
    . page 140
  19. ^ Higginbotham, Peter. "Royal Asylum of St. Anne's Society, Streatham / Redhill". Children's Homes. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Holmethorpe Industrial Estate". www.holmethorpe.org.
  21. ^ "2001 Census Statistics Reigate and Banstead Lower Layer Super Output Area 11A (Holmethorpe)". Archived from the original on 11 February 2003. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  22. ^ "Case studies: Water Colour: Description". Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 18 January 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  23. ^ "Water Colour, Housing and Estate Developer's website". Archived from the original on 21 July 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Search the List – Find listed buildings - Historic England". list.english-heritage.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  25. ^ "Map of the Redstone Hill Conservation Area" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  26. ^ Historic England. "Fengates House (Grade II*) (1377968)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  27. ^ "Map of the Linkfield Conservation Area" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  28. ^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Evangelist (Grade II*) (1029141)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  29. ^ "St John's Conservation Area" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  30. ^ Historic England. "Reigate and Redhill War Memorial (Grade II) (1242942)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  31. ^ "Map of the Shaw's Corner Conservation Area" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  32. ^ "Redhill Station Information". Southern. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  33. ^ "Redhill, Reigate and Merstham bus services map" (PDF). Surrey County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  34. ^ "Gatton Park". www.gattonpark.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Plan to replace nightclub with flats and shops | This is Surrey". Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  36. ^ Seymour, Jenny (18 December 2017). "Redhill bids farewell to its 1930s Odeon facade as work finally restarts on block of flats at former Liquid and Envy site". Get Surrey. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  37. ^ "SUSY Radio". Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  38. ^ "Homepage - Redhill And Reigate Life". www.redhillandreigatelife.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  39. ^ "Redhill - Aerodrome - Commercial Aviation Services". www.redhillaerodrome.com. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Local statistics - Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  41. ^ "2001 census". Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  42. ^ "Office for National Statistics". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  43. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 18 May 1972. Supplement 18 Archived 25 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  44. ISBN 0-7100-0175-4
    . Chapter 3.
  45. Dundee Evening Telegraph
    , Friday 15 March 1918, p. 5
  46. ^ "Derek: A Musical Savant". News. Yahoo!. 9 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  47. ^ "Anna Smith". Player profiles. LTA. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  48. ^ "Jonathan Essex". Surrey County Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  49. ^ "Natalie Bramhall". Surrey County Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  50. ^ "Councillor Jonathan Essex". Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  51. ^ "Councillor Stephen McKenna". Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  52. ^ "Councillor Sue Sinden". Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  53. ^ "Councillor Natalie Bramhall". Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  54. ^ "Councillor Rich Michalowski". Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  55. ^ "Councillor Kanika Sachdeva". Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  56. ^ "Donyngs Leisure Centre, Redhill". better.org. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  57. ^ "Directory - Where's My Nearest - RYA". www.rya.org.uk. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  58. ^ "Aqua Sports Company". Visit Surrey. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  59. ^ "Adventure Activities Licensing Scheme (AALS)". www.aals.org.uk. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  60. ^ "St Bede's School, Redhill, UK". www.st-bedes.surrey.sch.uk. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  61. ^ College, Jarrett & Lam Copyright (c) 2017 East Surrey. "Home - East Surrey College". www.esc.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  62. ^ "The Warwick School". www.warwick.surrey.sch.uk. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.

External links

Media related to Redhill, Surrey at Wikimedia Commons

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Redhill.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Redhill,_Surrey&oldid=1219261798"