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Banstead

 
 
Banstead (băn'stĕd, -stəd), town (1991 pop. 43,163), Surrey, SE England, on the North Downs. Banstead is mainly residential and comprises some highly regarded landscapes. A church from the Norman period and an excavated Roman villa are there. The area is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Banstead and the larger city of Reigate constitute the district of Reigate and Banstead.


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Coordinates: 51°19′19″N 0°12′14″W / 51.322°N 0.204°W / 51.322; -0.204

Banstead
Banstead is located in Surrey
Banstead

 Banstead shown within Surrey
Population 8,512 (2001 Census)[1]
OS grid reference TQ251596
District Reigate and Banstead
Shire county Surrey
Region South East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town BANSTEAD
Postcode district SM7
Dialling code 01737
Police Surrey
Fire Surrey
Ambulance South East Coast
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Reigate
List of places: UK • England • Surrey

Banstead is a village in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies 13 miles (21 km) south of London, 5 miles (8 km) west of Croydon and 8.5 miles (14 km) of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Green Belt; Banstead Downs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Although Banstead is a town, it is frequently referred to and known as "Banstead Village". Nearby towns include Epsom to the west, Reigate to the south and Leatherhead to the west.

At the 2001 Census the population of the Banstead ward was 8,512.[1]

Banstead appears as a destination in HG Wells 1895 novel The Time Machine and also gains a brief mention in another of his novels War of the Worlds.

Contents

History

The settlement appears in the Domesday Book as Benestede. It was held by Richard from the Bishop of Bayeux. Its Domesday Assets were: 9½ hides, 1 church, 1 mill worth £1, 17 ploughs, woodland worth 20 hogs. It rendered (in total): £8.

Economy

The centre of Banstead has a typical high street which stretches from the war memorial at one end to the library at the other. Every year, scouts and guides parade down the high street in recognition of Remembrance Day and St George's Day. The shops found in the town are those which are frequently associated with the upper middle class, for example Marks & Spencer Simply Food, Boots the Chemist and Waitrose. There are also a variety of restaurants along the high street like Zizzi and Pizza Express. On 12 December 2008, a large fire totally destroyed the Waitrose supermarket,[2] a local landmark. While the original store was being totally rebuilt Waitrose opened a temporary store, around 200m down the High Street, in a building vacated by the defunct Woolworths retail chain. The rebuilt store re-opened on 26th November 2009.[3]

Other than the limited amount of employment in the retail sector based around the high street, a small number of jobs are found in the public sector; in the local authority offices and NHS facilities to the west of the Banstead's centre, and in various schools across the area. However, the majority of Banstead's residents will commute out of the district for employment.

Religion

Banstead has several churches. The All Saints Church and Banstead Baptist Church are both located on the high street. Within the area there is also Banstead Community Church, St Ann's Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, St Paul's Church and the United Reform Church.

Education

There are several schools in and around Banstead.

Primary

  • Banstead Infant School
  • Banstead Community Junior School
  • St Anne's Catholic Primary School
  • Warren Mead Infant School
  • Warren Mead Junior School

Secondary

Nork Park (a public park which used to lend its name to the school itself) backs on to the rear perimeter of the school.

During the time that the Beacon was called Nork Park Secondary school, it was one of only two schools in the UK to supply ball boys to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Which it still does.

Independent

All of the following schools are preparatory and pre-preparatory.

Further education is not available in the town, most students will travel to institutions in Sutton, Epsom or Reigate.

Transport

  • The majority of the town is bypassed by the A217 dual carriageway to the west. The A2022 passes through the residential area just to the north of the town centre, however the town centre frequently suffers from traffic congestion.
  • There are several bus services through the town, linking to Epsom, Sutton and Croydon, which all have good onward bus and rail connections.
  • Banstead railway station is located to the west of the town's centre, across the A217. It is closer to Nork than to Banstead itself, therefore if travelling by public transport it is often quicker and easier to get a train to Sutton railway station then a bus from the station concourse directly into Banstead town centre, as Banstead railway station is a single track, unmanned station, which only sees 2 trains per hour during the rush hour, 1 per hour at other times and no Sunday service. There is no ticket machine apart from a travel permit machine.
  • Banstead is served by the S1 bus (Banstead to Mitcham via Sutton), the 420 bus (Redhill to Sutton), and the 166 Bus (Epsom to Croydon).

Landmarks

  • The old village well stands to the east of the town centre in Woodmansterne Lane. It is almost 300 feet deep and was last used around the end of the 19th Century. The wellhead cover dates from the 18th Century and still contains the winding gear.
  • Nork Park contains the remains of the Colman family mansion (as in Colman's Mustard). There are also many apple trees which date from the original orchard and can still be seen.
  • A large mound of earth close to The Beacon School is known as the Tumble Beacon. This was once part of a series of beacons/bonfires stretching from the South Coast towards London which were used to warn London of the arrival of the Armada. The area is one of the highest points on the southern Thames basin rim, and as such commands far-reaching views across London. This is also where the Beacon School gets its name.

Notable residents

  • Tim Vine actor and comedian.
  • David Walliams actor and comedian.
  • Sarah Tullamore actress, singer, dancer and voice over who grew up in Banstead.
  • Aaron Tre Khalia Successful drug dealer. However, this came to an end due to incidents arising from charges of grand theft auto. Currently facing a 7 year prison sentence, who resides in Banstead.

References

See also

External links

Section 6: London Outer Orbital Path Section 7:
Coulsdon Banstead Ewell

 
 
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Reigate (city, England)
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Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
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