Merstham Area Guide

Merstham is a North Downs village of ancient origin with an early medieval church. It is conveniently located in a gap of the North Downs on the London to Brighton veteran car and cycle route. There is a cricket pitch, Mercer's Lake and splendid views from the Pilgrims'/North Downs Way southwards over the Greensands Ridge to the South Downs on the horizon. The surrounding Surrey Hills and greenbelt countryside and local Conservation Areas help to maintain the delightful semi-rural character of the village. Merstham was the terminus of the world's first publicly-owned railway, The Surrey Iron Railway, in 1804. The Feathers pub in the High Street, and Weighbridge Cottage on London Road North is the oldest surviving railway building in the country. There is still underground access to what remains of the original stone quarries: Merstham stone was used to construct medieval Westminster Abbey and Tudor Nonesuch Palace and the quarries were in use through to Victorian times, when they formed the ideal location for Alfred Nobel to first demonstrate his dynamite invention. Merstham railway station provides services to London Bridge and London Victoria.

The Local Property Market

Reigate, East Grinstead and the charming towns & traditional villages we cover are located within and around glorious countryside including the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the neighbouring Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The whole area is a premium property hotspot located conveniently to the south of London benefitting from excellent commuter services. Bespoke properties attract consistently high demand from committed and affluent purchasers resulting in excellent selling prices being achieved. Property values typically rise beyond the national average and reflect the sought-after nature and desirability of the area.

Property choices include idyllic timber-framed and thatched cottages, historic and period dwellings, Victorian and Edwardian villas, country houses and estates, executive townhouses, apartments, prestigious developments and some exclusive private road settings. There is also a wide choice of luxury and individual family homes including traditional, modern and new build architectural designs, many of which stand within impressive and substantial grounds.

Education

A key factor in the high demand for property within the area are the numerous highly regarded independent, private and state schools catering for all age groups. For information see the following links:

Surrey County Council

Kent County Council

West Sussex County Council

East Sussex County Council

Rightmove schools

Sport and leisure

Sport and leisure opportunities include walking, cycling and horse riding around the Surrey Hills and High Weald Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and along the North Downs Way, Greensand Way and Vanguard Way plus an abundance of woodland and local circular walks. There are plenty of golf courses within the area plus gyms and spas and a variety of sports clubs including cricket, tennis, football, rugby, hockey, bowls and croquet.

Transport

Transport links are excellent. The nearby M25 provides road access to the wider motorway network, Gatwick Airport and the other major international airports at Heathrow & Stansted whilst the M23, A217, A22 and A21 link with the M25 for journeys towards and around London and south towards Brighton and the south coast. There is excellent commuting by train and depending upon your choice of station, available destinations include London Bridge, London Victoria, Gatwick, Reading, Brighton, Peterborough, Redhill, Tonbridge, Horsham & Uckfield.

See our other Local Area summaries for a flavour of the character of our towns and villages.