Travel Reigate Map

Travel to Reigate Map

Reigate tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo

Reigate history

---

Early history

The earliest evidence of human activity in the Reigate area is a triangular stone axe from the Paleolithic. The eight barrows on Reigate Heath are thought to date from the same period. During the Roman period, the Doods Road area was a centre for tile making. The former name Cherchefelle suggests that the most recent period of permanent settlement in Reigate began in Anglo-Saxon times.

Governance

Reigate appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Cherchefelle. Settlement included two mills worth 11s 10d, land for 29 plough teams, woodland and herbage for 140 swine. The manor rendered £40 per year in 1086 and the residents included 67 villagers and 11 smallholders. The non-corporate Borough of Reigate, covering roughly the town centre, was formed in 1295.

Reigate Castle

Reigate Castle was built in the late 11th or early 12th century, most likely by William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey. It was originally constructed of timber, but the curtain walls were rebuilt in stone around a century later. A water-filled moat was dug into the Gault clay on the north side and a dry ditch was excavated around the remainder.

Reigate Priory

William de Warenne, the fifth Earl of Surrey, is thought to have founded the Augustinian priory at Reigate before his death in 1240. The priory was created as a sub-manor of Reigate and was granted several local farms including one in each of Salford and Horley. At the time of its dissolution in 1536, Reigate Priory was the least wealthy of all Surrey religious houses.

Transport and communications

In medieval times, the main road north from Reigate followed Nutley Lane, climbing Colley Hill in the direction of Kingston upon Thames, from where produce and manufactured items could be moved via the River Thames. The manor of Reigate was responsible for maintaining the roads in the local area, but repairs were carried out infrequently and improvements were often only funded by private donations. The first turnpike in Surrey was authorised by Parliament in 1697, to improve the road south from Woodhatch towards Crawley.

Economy and commerce

From much of its early history, Reigate was primarily an agricultural settlement. In 1623 the total area of arable land was around 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) The manor began to specialise in the production of oatmeal for the Royal Navy in the early 17th century. Reigate has two surviving windmills: a post mill on Reigate Heath and a tower mill on Wray Common.

Residential development

Reigate began to expand following the arrival of the railway lines in the 1840s. A new settlement, initially known as Warwick Town, had become established on land owned by Sarah Greville, Countess of Warwick in the 1820s and 1830s. Redhill expanded eastwards towards the Reigate town centre and the two towns are now contiguous.

  

Reigate map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

---

Tourist Guide to Reigate Map

---

–

Reigate map historic spot	Reigate map tourist destination	Reigate map plaque	Reigate map geographic feature
Walkfo Reigate travel map key: visit National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top travel destinations in Reigate