Horley

Horley is a town in Surrey, England, situated south of the twin towns of Reigate and Redhill, and north of Gatwick Airport and Crawley.

With fast links by train to London from Horley railway station, it has grown popular with commuters in recent years. The Horley Master Plan, which was approved by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council in February 2005, will see almost 2,600 new homes, built by Wates and Martin Grant Homes.^[2] This has caused much controversy as the area being built on is a green-belt and is prone to flooding. There are also frequent droughts in the summer so the adequate spreading of water sources is also debatable.

History

In the past the Weald was a densely forested and marshy area. During Saxon times, the Manor of Horley came under the control of the Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Chertsey. The Manor passed to Henry VIII on the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 and changed hands several times during the next sixty years.

In 1602 it became the property of Christ's Hospital in London and the original map of the manor is now held at the Guildhall in the City of London. This shows that Horley consisted of three hamlets around a huge open common. One was around the area occupied by St Bartholomew's Church and the Six Bells public house; another by the River Mole and the third in Horley Row where some of Horley's oldest buildings can still be seen.

The Common was enclosed in 1816, new roads were laid and the intervening land was sold. In 1809 and later in 1816, two turnpikes were introduced to allow the operation of regular coach services from London to Brighton. The railway was laid in 1841 and a station was built in the town. From that position, and from that date, Horley grew at a slow rate until 1950. Since then its population has doubled.

To the south-east is the overgrown but well-preserved site of Thunderfield Castle, a twelfth century ring and bailey castle.

Economy

At one time the airline Dan-Air had its head office in the Newman House in Horley.^[3] At times in history, British Caledonian,^[4] British United Airways,^[5] and Laker Airways had their head offices on the property of Gatwick Airport in Crawley, West Sussex, near Horley.^[6]

Education

Horley has one secondary school (Oakwood School), one primary school (Manorfield), two junior schools (Yattendon and Meath Green Junior), and three infant schools (Langshott, Meath Green Infants and Horley Infants). There is currently no sixth form provision, so most students go to Redhill, Crawley or Reigate (e.g. East Surrey College and Reigate College) to continue their studies.

Politics

The town is within the East Surrey constituency, currently represented by the MP Sam Gyimah.

Horley is part of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead but also has a town council. The Town Mayor and Chairman of the Town Council, elected in May 2007 is Councillor Simon Marshall.^[7]

Sports

Horley is the home town of Horley Town F.C. established in 1898.^[8] It also has a cricket club, a hockey club, a tennis club, a bowls club and a newly formed rugby club.^[9]

Culture and the arts

Horley is home to the Archway Theatre, Britain's only "under the arches" theatre. Located under the arches of the Victoria Road railway bridge, the theatre consists of a bar, auditorium, studio theatre and rehearsal rooms. The main auditorium seats 95 and the studio seats 40. The company presents 10 full productions each year as well as number of studio events and youth productions.^[10]

Industry

Horley was home to the Matbro works which produced forklift trucks from the 1950s to the 1980s and pioneered telescopic handlers. The bright yellow Teleram 40 and Teleram C machines were very popular with farmers and construction companies.

References

External links

• Horley Town Council
• Horley Local History Society
• Horley at the Open Directory Project