England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Reigate St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Reigate sits towards the southern part of central Surrey and is situated roughly 21 miles south of London and 18 east of Guildford. Reigate is a much expanded market town that sits on the A217 road which links Sutton & Banstead through to Horley & Gatwick Airport at the point where it crosses the A25 from Guildford to Maidstone. Reigate has rather early origins, it was already a substantial settlement in Domesday times, received a castle in the 12th century and was granted a market by King Edward III thus rising to become the local administrative and market centre for its region. As a market town it provided specialist services not available or economic in smaller places and was also noted for the quarrying of a local sandstone, its calcareous appearance making it a desirable building stone. With the arrival of modern developments in the form of two railway lines, one of which granted it a station, Reigate acquired a new function as a commuter settlement for the nearby capital leading to rapid growth of the built area. Today the modern M25 motorway cuts through to Reigate's north adding to its transportation links and fuelling light industry and services. Today Reigate and its once discrete near neighbour Redhill form one continuous urban area stretching southwestwards from the M25 at Merstham for over 3 miles. Reigate is drained westwards by the infant River Mole which turns north eventually to meet the Thames at Hampton Court, thence through the capital to the North Sea. Reigate is sited at around 90 metres above the sea and is overlooked by the escarpment of the North Downs with local high spots of almost 220 metres to the northwest. Reigate parish is fairly extensive, as are many in The Weald, covering just about 6,000 acres it would have supported a population of close to 4,600 parishioners, many more than that today. As already mentioned Reigate was a substantial settlement by Domesday, one of the most populous 20% of those recorded, held directly by King William it could boast an impressive 29 ploughs, meadows, pasture & woodland and also had 2 mills.

The Church

St Mary's church sits southeast of the town centre and its station on the eastern side of the narrow and winding Chart Lane which heads toward the suburb of Mead Vale. The church is large as befits a substantial market town but also much altered from medieval origins. Even the "unexpectedly noble" arcades which appear to be from the cusp of the 12th into 13th centuries are revealed to have been rebuilt brick by brick during the Victorian restorations. Originally begun in the late 1170s and in the same style as that employed at Canterbury they show a style mid-way in transition from Romanesque into Early English Gothic. Much else is either mid to late 14th, 15th or even 16th century much modified by 19th century changes. Representing the Decorated style is the southern chapel, whilst the rower, chancel and aisles together with the porch are all Perpendicular of the 15th century. A vestry was added in the early 16th century but it too was modified by increasing the height in 1700. Several phases of restoration are recognised from the 19th and early 20th century, notable in 1845, 1870s, two phases, and 1908 all of which gave today's external detail. Chart Lane is only suitable for parking away to the south of the church,, the southern entrance, marked by a lychgate being the most convenient for entry. The churchyard, already substantial in its own right, is enhance by having the large open space of the cemetery to its south giving superb landscape views, whilst permitting access to the western tower too.