From sheep pasture to commuter village
Banstead Downs was once valued for the quality of wool produced by sheep grazing there, a trade remembered in the name of the village's old Wool Pack pub, before the arrival of the railway turned Banstead into a place people could live and commute from into London.
Downland still grazed today
Part of Banstead Downs is still conservation-grazed by sheep as a way of managing the grassland, alongside its more recent use for golf and open-space recreation.
Part of the borough named after it
Banstead gives its name to the wider borough that also covers Reigate, and the two share the same planning authority, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Banstead paired with Reigate in the council's name?+
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council covers both towns and the areas around them, reflecting how the borough was formed, even though Banstead and Reigate are separate towns with their own centres.
What was Banstead historically known for?+
Sheep grazing on the surrounding downland, valued for the quality of its wool, long before the railway turned the village into a place to commute from.
Nearby areas
Services
Useful local links
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council – Planning — The planning authority covering Reigate itself, along with Redhill, Horley, Banstead and several nearby villages.
- Mole Valley District Council – Do I need planning permission — The planning authority covering Dorking, Ashtead, Leatherhead and several villages southwest of Reigate.
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council – Planning permission — The planning authority covering Epsom, a separate borough from Reigate and Banstead.
- Tandridge District Council – Planning and building — The planning authority covering Caterham, Nutfield and South Nutfield.
- GOV.UK – Planning permission: when you need it — Government guidance on when planning permission is required in England and Wales.
- GOV.UK – Party Wall etc. Act 1996 guidance — Government guidance on notifying neighbours and resolving disputes over shared or boundary walls, relevant to attached garage conversions and extensions.
- Planning Portal – Garage conversion — National guidance on when planning permission is needed for a garage conversion in England.