A timeline of our history
Travel through the centuries from before the Romans to the modern day.
Use the buttons below to jump to a particular era.
Prehistoric Bletchingley
Traces of human habitation have been found at Bletchingley stretching back thousands of years before the Norman Conquest, revealed by numerous archaeological excavations.
Romans in Reigate and Bletchingley
There is archaeological evidence of Roman occupation in the area over a sustained period.
A Roman hoard from the end of the Empire
A number of Roman coins from the later empire were discovered in Nutfield.
The Merstham Boundary Charter
A charter of 947 records the grant of the estate of Merstham by King Eadred of Wessex to his thegn Oswig.
The Domesday Book
Reigate, Nutfield, Merstham and Bletchingley are all mentioned in the Domesday book, which was put together for William the Conqueror so he could know the value of every estate and asset in the country he had conquered.
Reigate gains a castle and a name
Reigate castle was built by the family of William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey.
Magna Carta
Did the barons who forced King John to sign Magna Carta plan their rebellion at Reigate?
Capture of Reigate Castle by the French
In 1216 the castle was one of many captured from King John by the French in southern England in an often forgotten invasion.
Roger the Hermit of Bletchingley
A weathered window at St Mary the Virgin Church, Bletchingley, offers a glimpse into the life of a 13th-century hermit supported by royal patronage.
Reigate Priory Founded
An Augustinian priory was founded by the fifth Earl of Surrey just south of the town at Reigate.
Destruction of Bletchingley Castle
Bletchingley Castle was started after the Norman conquest in 1066 and built over the following hundred years or so. It was destroyed during the Second Barons' War against Henry III in 1264.
The Model Parliament and becoming a Borough
In 1295, King Edward I summoned the ‘Model Parliament,’ designating Reigate as a Parliamentary Borough.
Dissolution of Reigate Priory
Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries brought an end to Reigate Priory.
Anne of Cleves moves to Bletchingley Place
Anne of Cleeves, Henry VIII's fourth wife, used Bletchingley Place as one of her main residences after her divorce from the King in 1540.
Reigate Castle destroyed
Reigate castle ruins were briefly occupied and then finally destroyed during the Civil War.
The Brighton Road and Coaching Era
Reigate became a key staging post on the London to Brighton turnpike route, bringing travellers, trade, and inns to the town.
The Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Iron Railway
An iron track way from Croydon to Merstham opened in 1805. Horses dragged trucks carrying stone, chalk and lime from quarries of Merstham to their markets in London and beyond.
Reform Act - rotten boroughs
Bletchingley and Gatton were two of the most extreme examples of 'Rotten Boroughs' that exemplified the unfairness of the parliamentary electoral system before they were swept away by the Great Reform Act of 1832.
The Railway comes to Redhill
The arrival of the London and Brighton Railway transformed a quiet hamlet into a new railway town, laying the foundations for modern Redhill.
The Royal Earlswood Asylum
Founded in 1847, the Royal Earlswood Asylum in Redhill was Britain's first purpose-built institution dedicated to educating and caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The construction of Nutfield Priory
Developed as a grand Victorian estate on the Nutfield Ridge, Nutfield Priory evolved from a prestigious private residence into a military base and specialised school, before becoming a luxury hotel.
The Royal Philanthropic School
Relocated to Surrey in 1849, the Royal Philanthropic School at Redhill was a pioneering Victorian farm-based reform school dedicated to rehabilitating vulnerable and criminal youths through agricultural training.
A town emerges at Redhill
The railway arrived in Redhill in 1841 and a new community soon developed around the station. Initially known as Warwick Town, the new development quickly eclipsed the older settlements. Within a decade the name Redhill had been adopted as the name for the expanding railway town.
Redhill becomes a rival to Reigate
For centuries Reigate had dominated the district as its market town and coaching centre. The railway altered that relationship. Businesses increasingly preferred the convenience of Redhill's railway connections, and commercial life gradually shifted in its direction.
The railway comes to Nutfield
The arrival of the railway at Redhill in 1841, followed by the opening of Nutfield station in 1884, created South Nutfield.
St Anne’s, Redhill
Constructed in 1884 on Redstone Hill, St Anne’s was a massive, landmark building that served as a charitable school, a wartime medical unit, and a care facility for nearly a century.
Growth and Industry in Redhill
By the beginning of the twentieth century Redhill had become a substantial urban centre. Housing spread across former farmland, improved roads reinforced its role as a transport hub and new industries brought employment.
Reigate Fort
Sitting at the top of Reigate Hill, Reigate Fort was built in 1898 as part of the London Defence Scheme, a 72-mile defensive line designed to protect London and the south coast from attack by the French.
The First World War
Over 980 men from Reigate, Redhill, Earlswood, Merstham, Nutfield and Bletchingley combined are thought to have lost their lives fighting in the first world war. Their sacrifice is commemorated on local war memorials.
Redhill Aerodrome opens
Approval to convert Hamme Farm in Nutfield in to an airfield was given in 1933 and it opened as an aerodrome in 1934.
The Second World War – RAF Redhill
When war broke out, Redhill airfield became an official operational station under RAF Fighter Command (11 Group).
The Second World War – Civilian life
During the war, the position or Redhill and Reigate directly between London and the South Coast placed it right under the path of the Battle of Britain and made it a target for German bombing. It was also on a crucial defensive stop-line against a potential German invasion.
Building the M23 and M25 Motorways
The M25 motorway was constructed in stages between 1973 and 1986, with the final link being opened by Margaret Thatcher on 29 October 1986.
Redhill’s Town Centre Redevelopment
The demolition of Redhill's historic 1861 Market Hall in 1982 was part of a major post-war modernisation scheme that transformed the town centre and led to the creation of the Warwick Quadrant and the Harlequin Theatre.
Redhill's Belfry Shopping Centre
A large, new shopping centre was built between 1989 and 1991 to attract large retailers to the town.
Our area today
Today, the six towns and villages have a wide range of businesses and many commuters use their local railway stations, with good connections to London and Gatwick Airport.