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Showing posts from June, 2022

Nutfield

  Post to the north Warwick Wold Post to the east - end of posts Post to the south Nutfield Brook Bletchingly Post to the west Nutfield Marsh Glebe Quarry Glebe Quarry. Work on the M23 in 1972 (not surprisingly) exposed fuller's earth when the motorway alignment intersected the A25. This stimulated extraction in the area north of the ridge between Nutfield Church and the line of the motorway. This lasted until the late 1980s. Subsequent landscaping has left a lake at the north west corner of the site. Apart from the water, this is part of a large fuller's earth pit left in its working state. Pendell Road Pendell Court red-brick   built in 1624. a large Jacobean mansion standing in a picturesque and well-wooded park and now occupied by the Retired Services Club. a many-gabled   mansion in a pleasant park East Surrey Water Company Pump House Site 138 Pendell House. has been attributed to Inigo Jones 1636. Pendell Camp. Operations Room . When the M23 was constr

Nutfield Station

Post to the north Nutfield High Street Post to the east Nutfield - Coopers Hill Roa d Post to the south South Nutfield Post to the west South Nutfield Kings Cross Lane - Kings Mead Estate Housing Estate on old industrial land Brick and tile works .   This site operated until about the beginning of the 20th century but eventually became used by the Nutfield Manufacturing Co. Ltd. A brick and tile works to the SW of the village (later the acid works,) was purchased by Henry Edwards and its products were used in the construction of the village Jam container factory. In the Great War , jam was sold in containers made of cardboard or 'papier mache' impregnated with wax. The tops and the bottoms of the cartons were made of tinned steel. British wax refiners were asked to set up a reclamation plant. They company dissolved the wax from used cartons and reclaimed it by a distillation process. The papier mache was also recovered. The tin plate were passed on elsewhere for recovery.  Nat

Nutfield Marsh

Post to the east Nutfield Post to the south Nutfield High Street Nutfield Marsh Leather Bottle Cottage. Warm texture Peyton’s Cottages 18 th terraces Canal Cottage on Nutfield Marsh has a name which stands as a reminder of various canal schemes   but it was   built in the late 17th century though modified later. These canal schemes had in common that they would have passed through the marshes in the north of Nutfield Parish and through the marshy area we now know as Redhill. From thence The Weald could be reached by following the brook which meanders through Earlswood dodging the hills of the Lower Greensand. But it was all too near the railway age and these canal schemes never came to fruition

Nutfield High Street

Post to the north Nutfield Marsh Post to the east Nutfield Bletchingly   Post to the south Nutfield Station Post to the west Nutfield Cormongers Blacklands Meadow Park Works.   Park works was a collection of brick buildings from the 19th constituting a processing plant.   It was demol ished in 1988.   The cleared site is behind the old village school on the north side of the A25 in Nutfield village. Park Works was built for James Cawley who came from Bletchingley and started a large development of pits between Park Works and Cormongers Lane. Later it was called Cockley Quarry. Settling Pit.   North west of the site of Park Works is a wide shallow pit.   Here fuller's earth was allowed to settle after it had beenn ground up  in water.   T his was a method of washing and grading before kiln drying.   Later in the 19th the dried fuller's earth was graded using air currents created by a fan. High Street Fullers Earth Union Ltd. A modern complex works for woollen manufacture.

Nutfield Cormongers

  Post to the east Nutfield High Street Cormongers Lane Cockley Works. Fullers Earth Works. Side trails on the mine. Large pits were worked here for over 100 years into the 1980s but the plant was stripped out in 1981 and finally demolished in 1988. The pits were then used for land fill which was completed in 1993 and the site landscaped. Fullers Wood Lane Green Hut. This stood at east corner of junction of Fullers Wood Lane and the A25. and contained an electrical transformer but in 1982 it was identified as the site remains of vestiges of underground workings. U nderground galleries of abandoned mines have sometimes been uncovered by later working. There was a nearby collapse of the A25 in 1962, Paterson Court Old underground workings and near Fullers Wood Lane

Earlswood

  Royal Earlswood Hospital . This was a huge building with a central tower. It was originally the Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives founded in 1847 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1862. It was considerably enlarged in 1870, and in 1903 new buildings meant they could take 600. The site had its own waterworks, gas works and electric generators. Closed in 1996. Staff Recreation Block. 1976. Secret tunnel.  I n 1987 several newspapers pursued a story that a number of relatives of the Queen Mother were kept in a men tal home near to Redhill.    This story included a story about the a special tunnel was built from Redhill Station to the hospital to allow discreet visits from VIP relatives. Three Arch Road Canadian Road. The East Surrey Hospital stands at the end of a concrete road built by the Canadian forces in the Second World War and which never used after the War. It runs from South Nutfield and although its original purpose is obscure it would have formed a bypass aro

Redhill North

  Gatton Park Road This is on the line of the 1804 turnpike road. Monson Road 99 was Parkes Cycle Works

North Reigate

  Batts Hill. Cast iron signpost at junction of Croydon Road Batts Hill House.  British General Insurance Co. moved there in the Second World War Gatton Park Road This is the line of the 1804 turnpike road.   There was a tollgate here at Wray Common. Only removed in 1964. Wray Common Windmill.  Brick tower mill 1824. East Anglian style. Closed 1928.  Restored with sails, ogee cap, fantail and gallery, no machinery   Palladian style door case. This is now a house.

South Reigate

  Dovers Green Road Crawley Road. First Surrey Road to be improved   1696,   as a saddle horse road but not for carriages until 1755.   In 1820 the gradient was lowered Sandcross Lane Junction Milestone Woodhatch The Angel. 1650 Almost like a folly.

Reigate Park

  Bell Street Reigate Park. Open space  Cockshot Hill Crawley Road. First Surrey Road to be improved   1696   as a saddle horse road but not for carriages until 1755.   In 1820 the gradient was lowered Lesbourne Bus Station . The front became an office development.

North Reigate

  Frenches Road 145 Smithy 19th connected with Battlebridge Brick and   Tile Works on site of Westway Gardens. Sand and gravel works Redhill sand caves. impressive cave opening, fire fuller’s earth. Folkestone sand and bed of   ironstone. stream going through the whole system Kent underground research   group 1989, British Industrial sand

Reigate Hill

  Allders Road Juneberry 1955 Alma Road Bell Street Lesbourne watercourse crossed the street but was culverted when the turnpike road was built in the early 19th Reigate Priory .   18 th mansion on site of the Priory of the Austin Canons.   Said that under the staircase is the entrance to a secret passage to the castle.   In 1771 and again in 1775 Wesley preached in what was known as The Priory, but then known as Reigate Place. At the Reformation the Augustinian friary was passed to Howard of Effingham and converted into a private house. Largely rebuilt at the end of the 18th century, it is now a school, community centre and  a r ecreation ground.   Some original features remain. 15 14 th tie beam from St. Lawrence’s chapel Intended Reigate terminus of the Croydon, Merstham & Godstone Iron Railway which should have been reached in or shortly after 1805 . Swan. Coaching inn clearing coaches between London and Brighton Castlefield Road Town Hall.   erected in 190

Reigate West

  Colley Lane Pavilion Cottages. Lutyens.   Cottage at either end and cricket pavilion in the middle North Albert Road White Stevenson Ltd. 1921 made food flavourings. Tangye twin cylinder steam pump, Howden high-speed engine and a Pearn vacuum pump Nutley Lane 8 Nutley Hall Park Lane 3,4,8 Inglenook.   mine remnants in the back gardens. The Inspector of Mines recorded that the mine was being worked from 1896 to 1900. The owner was Lady Henry Somerset and the Agent F.H.Pollen. It is in the Lower Greensand Beds. It was probably ,once more extensive and has been eroded by open quarrying.    Bellingham’s Victorian butcher’s shop Upper West Street 20 simplest possible 18 th house West Street 15 Burtonshaw's Carriage works, 1830, made carriages, became a builders merchant 17th forge Pilgrim Brewery 31 Ogee window s 22 Browne’s Lodge. Best house in Reigate. Coade stone plaque Old West Street House 1720

Colley Hill

              Pilgrims Way perhaps the best-known footpath in the country. The ancient trackway runs under dark groves of ancient yews as it wanders along the foot of Colley Hill, towering above you on the left.                   

Reigate Heath

  Buckland Road . Flat Victorian letterbox. Reigate Heath Bronze age burial mounds Flanchford Road Reigate Heath windmill. Round house is a chapel. Internal machinery still there. 18th century.   Restored by council for £3,500 in 1964.   Last used 1868.   Decorative sweeps. Post mill from 1765 converted to a chapel in 1880 after not being used for 12 years. Could not have worked efficiently on its present site. Monumental Mason.   Mr.Francis 1866-1917.   Carving on the side of the house now a garage Racecourse.   1834-39.   Meeting on Wednesdays and Thursdays after Epsom.   1863 tried again.   Western edge of heath.   Site west of Flanchford Road .   1834- 9 Reigate Road Shagbrook where George Livesey lived.

Colley Hill

  Cliftons Lane Buckland Tileworks.   These were situated north of the railway and were served by the siding, which was also connected to the sandpits.   The sidings and works were extended during World War II when they were used as a munition store.   Later the remaining buildings were used for storing theatrical scenery and now they are used for agricultural purposes. Colley Pit Buckland Sandpits   Here the Folkestone Beds of the Lower   Greensand spread over a wide area and the grain size and chemical composition of the sand make it particularly suitable for glass manufacture.   The operation at Buckland, which used to be one of the largest employers in the village, was   started in 1925 by the grandfather of the present owner; however since 1978 the operation has been leased to ARC Southern.   An earlier extraction operation took place at Colley Pit which is now restored as a lake and used for trout fishing. Once the operations at the other pits are completed these will also

Buckland

  Buckland Population 530 in the 1950s.   A pretty village with a green and pond. St.Mary’s Church , 1860 rebuilt in 14 th style. Woodyer.   Picturesque old timber belfry Spiral staircase to it.   1380 glass with Peter and Paul and other stuff silver stained glass with virgin and child. In dark Bargate stone, very pretty. Victorian church building at its best.   Stained glass.   Ironstone, in the Decorated style, and has a tower with six bells Church like barn with unusual running fox weather vane School with gable Woodyer 1862 Street’s Farm.   17 th plastered with tarred weatherboarded barn Buckland Court rambling elevations.   Roughcast lodges on the main road. Peculiar stables now much decayed – gimcrack 18 th stucco with castellated tower. Chinery House. 1966 simple glass house Park Pit Buckland Sandpits   Here the Folkestone Beds of the Lower   Greensand spread over a wide area and the grain size and chemical composition of the sand make it particularly suita

Buckland

  Tapwood Pit        Buckland Sandpits   Here the Folkestone Beds of the Lower   Greensand spread over a wide area and the grain size and chemical composition of the sand make it particularly suitable for glass manufacture.   The operation at Buckland, which used to be one of the largest employers in the village, was   started in 1925 by the grandfather of the present owner; however since 1978 the operation has been leased to ARC Southern. At one time the company produced up to 60 different products, a very important one being   foundry sand - in fact, the propellers for the   QE2 were cast in Buckland sand.   At present sand is extracted from Tapwood Pit   Sand from Tapwood Pit is slurried with water and pumped under the road to Park Pit.

Betchworth

  Broome Park . Plain 19 th Ashlar Front Temple in the grounds. Circular and domed. brick-built ice house 100 yards north of the house near the site of an old pond. It is built into an earth mound under trees with the tunnel entrance facing north. Except for the missing doors the ice house appears to be complete, although the chamber was filled with rubbish when examined

Buckland

  Buckland Pylons. The scheme for the transmission system for South Eastern England was outlined in the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1926. This entailed the provision of bulk supplies at 33kV to Epsom, Dorking, Reigate and Leatherhead from Croydon Power Station. By 1930 an arrangement was in place to supply the JEA from Croydon Corporation to Epsom, and by the end of the year the JEA took supplies at Leatherhead, By 1931 much of the secondary 33kV transmission system of the Central Electricity Board in South Eastern England had been completed including the 33kV ring from Epsom via Leatherhead, Dorking and Reigate back to Epsom. Most of this original installation in Mole Valley still exists comprising steel-cored aluminium conductors supported on lattice steel towers. Sub Station . Later modifications have been made to the original CEB 33kV system in the area to include sub-stations Pebblehill Road Cox's Plant Hire   Building of George Cummins and Son, a major local builder

Highridge

  Wellhouse lane Manor Cottage. The Front Range has been dated to 1588-9. The main range is timber framed with brick infill, now covered in lime render. In 1634 the house was part of the manor of East Betchworth. An apotropaic offering to ward off evil influence or ill luck found in the southern inglenook was dated to the late 18th. By 1843 the house had been divided into two, but by 1871 it was home to a gardener and By the 1880s called "The Meadows". In the late 19th it became part of a larger house as the servants’ quarters. Canadian soldiers were billeted here during the First World War and in 1950 in was split into four properties,

Brockham

  Railway Brockham Sidings.   Sidings left the north side of the railway to serve limeworks, brickworks, hearthstone mines, and sand pits.   The arch under the line by Pilgrim's Cottages took the siding to the sand pits.   There were extensive railways in the area to serve the various industries, with a siding, built in 1867, connecting to the main line between the level crossing and the cattle arch by Pilgrim's Way Cottages. A standard gauge track from this siding to the limekilns was used to bring in coal and take away the hearthstone and lime. This steeply- graded line was worked by a steam haulage engine built by Filmer & Mason of Guildford in 1874, housed in a building adjacent to the eastern battery of kilns. The private siding was closed in 1935. Another standard gauge connection ran from the siding to the brickworks, and from there to the sandpit passing through the arch where the cottages now stand - neither the cottages nor the present A25 had been built at this

Betchworth

  Fort Road Betchworth Fort Situated at the top of the Downs above Brockham Limeworks, access from Fort Road . The fort, cottage and land were sold back to Deepdene Estates by the government around 1909 and the fort buildings were lived in at least from 1921, when Deepdene Estates sold the property, until 1983. The caretaker's cottage has always been inhabited but the fort is now a store. The boundaries of the property were indicated by stone markers inscribed WD and some of these remain. The fort is similar to that at Box Hill, with metal shutters and doors still in place. The Coombe Cottages built for the limeworks staff - New Cottages, Coombe Cottages and Western Cottages. The Quarry Betchworth Limeworks.   Although chalk quarrying had been carried on here for years it was not until 1865 that large-scale lime manufacturing started with the 6 incorporation of the Dorking Greystone Lime Company Ltd; the peak of production taking place between 1920 and 1940.   The name &

Betchworth

  Betchworth Park The coach road through Betchworth Park was a toll road from the 19th to c. 1930. Part of the swivel gate of the pedestrian turnstile the northern end of the road remained in position. Golf course Brockham Green, and a noted double avenue of limes Brockham Hills. Betchworth kiln remains etc. Lime kilns and remains of railway tracks to them. Two lines of kilns. Quarry eating into the ridge above the Pilgrim’s Way

Box Hill

  Box Hill Named after the box trees which grew here in great abundance until cut down in the   early 19th century. National Trust is now the owner   and 900 acres of surrounding heath, grassland and woodland, including 230 acres given by Mr. Leopold Salomons,   From this grassy ridge of downland there are excellent views of the Surrey and Sussex Weald and beyond. Salomon's monument on Box Hill. useful memorial is a view-indicator remains of the old Box Hill road, which in earlier days went from Betchworth to Leatherhead over Box hill to avoid the Mole valley. Box Hill is deservedly popular and you are unlikely to have the grass slopes to yourself. It is a day out for Londoners to admire the views, sleep on the grass, picnic, play games or just relax. The best views are after a thunderstorm or on a dry winter's day. You should be able to pick out Leith Hill most days, and sometimes, in the distance the South Downs with the trees of Chanctonbury Ring as the most cons

North Holmwood

  Falkland Road St.Joseph RC Church Harrow Road East Waterworks.   In 1869 the Dorking Water Company was Incorporated; they built a 300ft deep well and steam-driven pumphouse. The waterworks building was sold in 1919 and converted to private dwellings Harrow Lodge.   William Robinson picture of a banana tree there Horsham Road A large number of bollards and rails exist around Dorking. Many were installed by the Dorking District Local Board (embossed DDLB) with later ones by Dorking Urban District Council (embossed DUDC) which was formed in 1895 to administer the same area. Of the 200 plus bollards some have various embossings, for example, a lady's leg and thigh, a key, a founder's name. Some were designed as lamp columns or fire hydrants. With renovation to the paving around the town the use of cast-iron bollards is continuing. Some of the new pieces are embossed 'Dorothea'. 10 Bush Queen's Head Knoll Road 122 town garden, interesting and unusu

Dorking

  Betchworth Park Betchworth Tunnel This 385 yard tunnel was constructed through the western end of Betchworth Park. Its opening was delayed by falls of sand during its construction in 1867 and twenty years later the roof and walls gave way, causing the tunnel to be blocked by running sand. The repairs necessitated the closure of the tunnel for seven months Chart Lane A large number of bollards and rails exist around Dorking. Many were installed by the Dorking District Local Board (embossed DDLB) with later ones by Dorking Urban District Council (embossed DUDC) which was formed in 1895 to administer the same area. Of the 200 plus bollards some have various embossings, for example, a lady's leg and thigh, a key, a founder's name. Some were designed as lamp columns or fire hydrants. With renovation to the paving around the town the use of cast-iron bollards is continuing. Some of the new pieces are embossed 'Dorothea'. Deepdene avenuje ` Deepdene Mansio