Spotlight On Reigate

An historic market town with streets full of boutiques, stylists and coffee shops, Reigate is a cosmopolitan town at the foot of the North Downs

- James Knighton

To get a bird’s eye view of Reigate, a trip to the top of Colley Hill and Reigate Hill can never be recommended highly enough. Stroll along the North Downs Way, grab a hot chocolate from the café and just settle down at a viewpoint to admire the panoramic views over the town.

With a bit of effort, you can even walk there and back from the town centre, and Reigate is surrounded by beautiful countryside to explore.

Another option is Reigate Heath, where you’ll find the windmill (possibly the only windmill in the country which is also a consecrated church), the golf club (where you’ll find chef Tony Tobin’s new Ranmore restaurant, which opens to the public Thursdays to Sundays) and the Skimmington Castle (a hugely popular pub which recently welcomed a new and independent plant nursery and garden boutique called Grow to its site).

Back in the town centre itself, you’ll find Priory Park where families, sports teams and people escaping the office for their lunch break enjoy a break in the fresh air. It was once a priory for Augustinian Canons, who worshipped and worked there for some 300 years. The main building you’ll see today is now a highly regarded school.

Just off the High Street, there are many historic places of note including the Castle Grounds (which hide the town’s caves below), Tunnel Road (which was said to be Europe’s very first road tunnel) and Brewery Yard (which hints at a beery history that can be explored via the Reigate Beer Walk).

As well as the many boutiques, stylists and coffee shops that make it a go-to town for shoppers of a certain persuasion, Reigate has also become an excellent place for a drink – particularly if you’re a beer or wine lover.

While there are a number of historic pubs, there are also unique destinations such as Hop Stop, The Viking tasting rooms and Pilgrim Brewery taproom to explore.