Banstead

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

Banstead
All Saints' Church, Banstead
Banstead  Banstead shown within Surrey
Population	46,280 (2001)
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 town 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, 3 miles (5 km) south of Sutton, 5 miles (8 km) west of Croydon and 8.5 miles (14 km) south-east of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan 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 and Worcester Park to the west, Reigate to the south and Leatherhead to the west.

At the 2001 Census the population of Banstead Village ward was 8,510,^[1] although the area covered by the former Banstead Urban District had 46,280 people.^[2]

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

History

The settlement appears in the Domesday Book as Benestede, derived from the Anglo Saxon words bene, meaning bean, and stede, meaning place. 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.

The earliest recorded mention of Banstead was in an Anglo Saxon charter of King Edgar's time dated AD967, a century before the Domesday Survey of 1086. In that survey Banstead had a Manor with two ploughs, 28 villeins and 15 cottars (people with a small cottage but no land) with 15 ploughs. Banstead was a farming area, and later became well known nationally for its high quality sheep wool. The manor was owned by landed gentry, then the church, before it fell into the hands of the Crown in the 13th century and Edward I visited more than once. Henry VIII made Banstead part of Catherine of Aragon's dowry, but took it away again and gave it to a court favourite, Sir Nicholas Carew. Carew himself then fell out of favour and was beheaded for treason, but Banstead stayed in his family until the 18th century.

Banstead Downs, which for many centuries meant all the open land stretching from Epsom to Croydon, became well known for horse racing in the 17th century and were honoured by another Royal visit on 20th November 1683 when the King and Duke of York attended a race meeting close to present day Banstead. The town also gained a reputation as a health resort during that era, becoming famous for its 'wholesome air', and London physicians used to recommend a visit to Banstead to their ailing patients.

Banstead remained a small village until the 19th century when the improved roads and the building of the railways led to its growth. Despite this, however, Banstead still retains a village feel and has a number of buildings of historical interest, including the parish church with its sturdy tower and medieval spire. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries this interesting building was restored in 1861 by the noted church architect Street. The Old Well was a public well used by the people in the village until the arrival of pumped water. The 18th century wellhead cover which still houses the elaborate winding gear is a listed building.

Economy

The High Street at Banstead outside the local branch of Marks & Spencer Simply Food

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 May Day. The town shops are frequently associated with the middle class^{[citation needed]}—for example Marks & Spencer Simply Food, Boots the Chemist, The Lemon Tree and Waitrose. There are also a variety of restaurants and coffee bars along the High Street like Zizzi, Prezzo, Caffe Nero, Costa Coffee and Pizza Express as well as several upmarket independents. On 12 December 2008, a large fire totally destroyed the Waitrose supermarket,^[3] a local landmark. While the original store was being completely 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 26 November 2009.^[4]

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 commute out of the district for employment.

Surrounding area

Neighbouring areas

	Ewell	Sutton	Purley
	Epsom		Coulsdon
		Banstead
	Headley	Kingswood	Chipstead

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 Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, St Paul's Church and the United Reformed Church.

Education

There are several schools in and around Banstead. Further education is not available in the town, most students go to institutions in Sutton, Epsom or Reigate.

Secondary

• The Beacon School, previously Nork Park Secondary School, is the predominant secondary comprehensive school in the area. Nork Park, a public park, borders the rear perimeter of the school. It is one of only twenty three schools in the United Kingdom that supply ball boys to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. It has over 1000 students.

Independent

• Aberdour School (co-educational preparatory school for ages 3 to 13)
• Priory Preparatory School (independent day school for boys aged 2 to 13)
• Greenacre School (independent school for girls aged from 3 to 18)

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 now a ticket machine as of 2011.
• 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.

• The parish church of All Saints was built around the end of the 12th Century on a site donated by Nigel de Mowbray, Lord of the Manor. The West window was designed by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and produced by William Morris.

• Nork Park contains the remains of the Colman family mansion (as in Colman's Mustard). Many apple trees that date from the original orchard survive.

• 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 that stretched from the South Coast towards London, which were used to warn London of the arrival of the Spanish 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.

• On the site of Downview and Highdown Prisons once stood the Banstead Asylum, a psychiatric hospital from 1873 to 1986. After being forcefully committed to the Asylum in the late 1960s by his manager, Vincent Crane of the band Atomic Rooster wrote the song "Banstead," which featured on the 1970 album Atomic Roooster.

Open Space

Banstead Downs golf course

Banstead Downs is a large site of Special Scientific Interest, covering 430 acres (1.7 km2). The town to the north is Sutton; whilst Banstead lies to the south. It lies at about 125 m above sea level and is bisected by a railway line.

The Downs is one of four green areas in the area, which are overall referred to as Banstead Commons. The other areas are Burgh Heath (87 acres), Banstead Heath (760 acres) and Park Downs (74 acres). Banstead Downs is home to the rare Small Blue butterfly. The four tumuli (burial mounds) that can be seen on the Downs have been identified as dating from Saxon times and are known as the Gally Hills because they are the site of a 15th century gallows.

Notable residents

• Dickson Etuhu, footballer
• Andrew Garfield, actor
• Chris Powell, footballer
• Sarah Tullamore, actor, singer and dancer, grew up in Banstead
• Tim Vine, comedian
• David Walliams, actor and comedian

See also

• Banstead railway station
• Nork
• Banstead Prisoner-of-War Camp

References

External links

• Banstead History Research Group
• Banstead Councillors - News, views and contracts details
• A vision of Banstead and Reigate through time
• Map of Banstead's historic boundaries
• Modern day map of Banstead from Mapquest.co.uk
• Banstead Commons Conservators
• Epsom Downs Branch railway line site

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Reigate and Banstead District of Surrey, England Banstead Burgh Heath Chipstead Earlswood Hooley Horley Kingswood Lower Kingswood Meadvale Merstham Netherne-on-the-Hill Nork Redhill Reigate Salfords Sidlow South Park Tadworth Tattenham Corner Walton-on-the-Hill Whitebushes Woodhatch Woodmansterne