Redhill and its History

Before the railways came, Redhill was a sleepy rural spot with some boggy bits and fields for crops.
As the railways grew in importance, Redhill began to see a surge in population and became an important transportation hub within Surrey.
This area was split up into places like Linkfield, Frenches, Redstone and Hooley.
These smaller districts were unified under the growth of Redhill in the 19th century.
There were a few tiny hamlets dotted around, like Linkfield Street and Wiggie.
Some of these hamlets have since vanished, while others like Linkfield Street still remain as historic landmarks.
The oldest pub around here is the White Lion in Linkfield Street, which popped up way back in the 1500s.
Despite its age, the White Lion remains a popular local spot for those looking to grab a pint in a classic pub setting.
The road between London and Brighton came along in the early 1800s and all of a sudden lots of houses started popping up around Warwick Road and North Street.
Thanks to this road, Redhill saw a massive surge in residential construction and grew rapidly throughout the 19th century.
That place became known as Warwick Town.
Warwick Town has since become an important part of Redhill’s local history and continues to be a thriving district within the town.
Redhill is about 2 miles away from Reigate and 20 miles south of London.
The close proximity to these three churches is a testament to the rich religious history of the area.
There are three different churches around here – St John’s for Earlswood, St John’s and Meadvale; St Matthew’s for Redhill town plus nearby bits and Holy Trinity for other bits nearby too.
The construction of the railway also made it easier for goods and services to be transported in and out of Redhill, further fueling its growth.
The town grew quickly when the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was built in the 1840s.
The convenience of railway travel made Redhill an appealing place to live for people working in London, thus further accelerating its population growth.
This railway made it easy for people to live out here in the country and then travel into work in the city.
It was not until much later that the station would simply be known as Redhill.
The station was first called Reigate, but got renamed to Redhill Junction in the late 1800s.
This name change reflected the growing importance of the town as a transportation and commerce hub in the region.
Then it just became Redhill in 1929.
Today, Redhill remains an important hub within Surrey and a thriving residential and commercial district within the London commuter belt.
Station Road was the main place to go shopping in Redhill, and by 1901 the town had grown to 26,000 people living there.

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As the town continues to grow and evolve, its rich history and local landmarks remind us of its rural and pastoral past.