50 things to do in the borough of Reigate & Banstead
On 1 April 2024 Reigate & Banstead turned 50!
Below we've collated 50 activities in the borough that are low or no cost. You'll see the activities are split into categories which include: history and culture, sport and physical, family-friendly and community and back to nature - how many can you complete?
History and culture
| Activity number | Information about the activity |
|---|---|
| 1 | Reigate Caves tour - Reigate is well known for its ‘caves’ which riddle the town centre. The tours include the Barons’ Cave in the Castle Grounds and the East and West Caverns in Tunnel Road. Visit the Reigate Caves website for further information. |
| 2 | Mayor's Parlour visit for groups - tours include information on the history of the Town Hall and a visit to the old and new council chambers and the Mayor’s parlour. The ceremonial robes, chain and mace are usually placed on display. To learn more about the Mayor visit our Mayor webpages. |
| 3 | Reigate Hill Fort - built towards the end of Queen Victoria’s reign as part of a key defence plan to counter the threat of French invasion. For further information visit the Reigate Hill Fort page on the National Trust website. |
| 4 | Inglis Memorial, Reigate Hill - donated to the borough in 1909 by Lieutenant Colonel Sir Robert William Inglis. Originally a drinking fountain for horses at the top of the original main route over Reigate Hill. For further information visit the Inglis Memorial webpage on the Surrey Hills website. |
| 5 | Reigate town history treasure trail - published as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Charter of 1863, which made Reigate into a Municipal Borough. Further details on the trail can be found on the Reigate town history treasure trail webpage. |
| 6 | Heritage Open days, September 2024 - take a tour of the Town Hall and see the old council chamber and local artworks. Further information and activities are available on the Heritage Open Days website. |
| 7 | Veteran Car Run - watch the old crocks coming along the A23 from Merstham through to Horley on Sunday 3 November 2024. Further information is available on the Veteran Car Run website. |
| 8 | War memorial and commonwealth war graves' - for the war memorial locations visit the war memorials webpage and visit the commonwealth war graves' website for further information about these. |
| 9 | World War 2 memorial, Reigate Hill - dedicated to nine USAAF airmen who were tragically killed when their plane, a B-17(G) Flying Fortress, crashed into the hill on the evening of Monday 19 March 1945. For further information visit the B-17 wartime plane crash page on the National Trust website. |
| 10 | Redstone Cemetery - opened in 1932, Redstone Cemetery is set on a hillside in 16 acres of colourful well-tended open countryside, it offers magnificent views over Surrey and Sussex from its elevated position. For further information visit our Redstone Cemetery webpage. |
| 11 | Redhill Mosque - established in 1973, it was the first purpose-built mosque in the Borough of Reigate & Banstead. Book your visit via the Redhill Mosque website. |
| 12 | St John's Church - built in 1843 - 1895 the church holds a prominent site in Redhill. For further information about the history of the church visit the St John's Redhill website. |
| 13 | See a show - at the pop-up Harlequin Theatre, find out what's on and whereby visiting the Harlequin Theatre website. |
| 14 | Join a local history group - for further details of local history groups and societies visit the Surrey County Council website. |
| 15 | Libraries - did you know that Surrey libraries are the social, economic, learning and cultural hubs right at the heart of communities across Surrey? Find out where your nearest library is located by visiting the Surrey County Council libraries website. |
Sport and physical activities
| Activity number | Information about the activity |
|---|---|
| 16 | Merstham Iron Rail - explore the iron railway walk from Merstham town centre, an extension of the Surrey Iron Railway which was the world's first public railway started in 1801. For further information visit the Reigate Society website. |
| 17 | Pump track - designed to build momentum and speed, the pump track is an exhilarating course of twists, turns, and bumps to challenge bike riders and skateboarders of all ages (RH2 8EX). For information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 18 | Skate park at Tadworth - made up of metal ramps on a tarmac base (KT20 5HW). The skatepark features a back and forth run with a quarter pipe and flat bank either side of a funbox. For information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 19 | Free and low cost leisure activities for young people - visit our leisure webpages to sign up for school holiday activities. |
| 20 | Specsavers Surrey Youth Games - a chance for young people aged 7-16 in Surrey to try a new activity for free! Further information and activities are available on our Specsavers Surrey Youth Games webpage. |
| 21 | Play tennis and or table tennis - all the Reigate & Banstead Borough Council owned tennis courts/tables are free to use, just turn up and play. For court/table locations visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 22 | Visit a leisure centre - take a swim or try a new class, further information can be found on our leisure centre webpages. |
| 23 | Run Reigate - support or take part on 22 September 2024, further details about the event and how to apply can be found on the Runseries, Run Reigate website. |
| 24 | Join a local walking group - visit the YMCA East Surrey Ramblers website for further information and to choose a group walk near you. |
| 25 | Try a trim trail - these can be found at Ifold Road recreation park, Redhill Memorial park and Nork park, for information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 26 | Try an outdoor gym - these can be found at Kingswood, Reigate Priory and Woodhatch, for information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
Family-friendly and community
| Activity number | Information about the activity |
|---|---|
| 27 | Priory Park water play and playground - our flagship playground with over 3000 visitors a day in the summer the playground features fun water play from May - September. Visit the Priory Park webpage for further information. |
| 28 | Running track at Battlebridge - an ideal place to run. It's free to use and has a 400 m, soft cinder running track with six lanes and a six lane straight. It's also a brilliant family-friendly place to run with kids (RH1 3LH). For information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 29 | Horley recreation ground - a popular recreation ground of approx 6.6 acres (RH6 8SS). The park includes a café, war memorial, memorial gardens, ornamental gardens, playground, skatepark, multi-purpose games area (MUGA) and is home to the Horley Bowling Club. For information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 30 | Belfry free trails and fun - there is a lot to do in the school holidays at the Belfry in Redhill, visit the Belfry website for a full list of activities. |
| 31 | Geocaching trails - join the world's largest treasure hunt at Priory Park and/or Earlswood Lakes. For further details visit the Geocaching website. |
| 32 | Watch a local cricket match - at Tattenham Rec (Burgh Heath cricket club website), Lady Neville Park (Banstead cricket club website), the Ring at Earlswood, Merstham (Merstham cricket club website) or Salfords (Salfords cricket club website). |
| 33 | Visit one of our community centres - and take part in an activity (there is something for all ages), for the centre locations visit our community centre webpages. |
| 34 | Volunteer - there are opportunities to volunteer within the council and local charities/organisations. Visit our volunteering in the borough webpage for further information. |
| 35 | Buy local - invest in our communities by purchasing from local businesses. Buying local creates jobs and reduces waste (as there is less need for packaging and travel). Visit the R&B Works website to find out more about local businesses and local jobs. |
| 36 |
Christmas fayres and Christmas lights - kick-start the Christmas season with a visit to:
|
Back to nature
| Activity number | Information about the activity |
|---|---|
| 37 | Narnia trail - a must for Narnia fans. Enter the magical Banstead Woods and see if you can find the entrance via the wardrobe. Further information can be found on the Banstead Woods webpage. |
| 38 | Earlswood Common and Lakes - a haven for wildlife and home to a variety of habitats including two large lakes, wetland corridors, scattered trees and woodland and semi-improved grassland. For further information visit the Earlswood Common and Lakes webpage. |
| 39 | Redhill Common viewpoint - see how far you can see, great location for a picnic. For details of the route visit the Surrey Walks website. |
| 40 | Margery Wood, Walton Heath and Colley Hill - a lovely walk whatever the season. For further information visit the Margery Wood, Walton Heath and Colley Hill page on the National Trust website. |
| 41 | Community litter picking - love where you live and sign up for a free litter picking kit. Visit our community litter pick webpage for further information. |
| 42 | Growing Redhill - get involved with a local gardening group, find out more by visiting the Growing Redhill website. |
| 43 | Fishing at Earlswood Lakes - family friendly fishing across two lakes and several miles of the River Mole in and around Horley (you must have a fishing licence). For further information visit the Horley Piscatorial website. |
| 44 | Biodiversity in the borough - protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of the borough's beautiful green spaces is important for tackling climate change. Activities you can take part in include wildlife spotting, bird watching, pond dipping, bat walks, bug hunting and leaf printing. For further details visit our Go Wild Reigate & Banstead webpage. |
| 45 | Banstead Wildlife Field - a hidden gem in the heart of Banstead Village, free to visit and enjoy the sounds of nature. For further information visit our Banstead wildlife field webpage. |
| 46 | Frenches Pond - a great place to feed the ducks (no bread - grains only please) and watch the world go by (RH1 2HF). For information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 47 | Get closer to nature - increase your nature-connection, relax and de-stress. For information about our parks visit the playground and skateparks webpage. |
| 48 | Star gazing - our star-studded skies overhead are as valuable as our beautiful landscapes, visit the Surrey Hills dark skies' website for further details. |
| 49 | Visit Nork Park - see the view of London and Wembley arch in the distance. For further details about the park visit our Nork Park webpage. |
| 50 | Reigate Heath and Windmill - visit our Reigate Heath webpage to find out more about the heath and why it is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Reigate Heath Windmill was built c.1765 and is a grade II listed post mill which has been restored and is used as a chapel, find out more about the Reigate Heath Windmill on the Surrey Hills website. |
For further events and activities to mark our 50th year, please visit the Reigate & Banstead Borough Council turns 50 webpage.