Nork, Surrey

Nork
Nork  Nork shown within Surrey
Population	1,500
OS grid reference	TQ241598
District	Reigate and Banstead
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Banstead
Postcode district	SM7
Dialling code	01737
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Reigate
List of places UK England Surrey

Nork is a residential area of the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey and bordering Greater London, England. It is very much contiguous with its post town, Banstead and two of its residential roads adjoin the settled part of Epsom Downs. The main road through from north-east to south-west is Nork Way, along which a parade of shops is at the northern end.

History

Nork did not exist until the 18th or 19th century when it could be considered an agricultural hamlet of Banstead village which was named after its house built under Charles II. Due to this very late inception (named, not after a chapel but a house of the same name) Nork was until the 1965 disbandment of the Banstead Urban District properly known as Banstead only. Still inchoate, as though a manor, Nork began to be used as a place name outside of the park itself from the date of the division of Banstead into two and deciding to name the two wards "Banstead Village" and "Nork" with an equal population and number of councillors in 1965. Nork until the formation of the present council ward in 1965 therefore covered a very small cluster of fields and buildings in the present or former grounds of Nork Park (surrounding Nork House)—strictly speaking, only those within the actual park itself—in the western part of the council ward of Nork; in the eastern part of this ward is Banstead railway station accordingly.

Christopher Buckle, (1684–1759), built the feature at origin of the place name, Nork House, where his son, Admiral Matthew Buckle, died. His family were until the 19th century owners of Burgh Manor at Burgh Heath. Dr. Burton, author of the Iter Surriense, in Greek, in 1752 stayed at Nork House, and describes at length the ingenious waterworks by which water was raised from a very deep well and distributed over the slopes of a dry down.^[1]

Amenities

The buildings in the area are predominantly of inter-war features, and are similar to those of nearby Tattenham Corner.

The shopping parade consists of small convenience stores and local services such as hair salons, dentists, and restaurants.

Directly to the west of Nork is another small shopping area, known as The Driftbridge, named after the former Drift Bridge Hotel and adjacent garage ^[2] at the crossroads of Fir Tree Road and Reigate Road. The hotel later became a Toby Inn^[3] and in 2007 was converted into apartments.

Transport

See railway station above, arguably in Banstead or Nork depending upon the definition of these settlements used.

At the end of the parade of shops on Nork Way, there is a bus stop. A bus service operates to Epsom and Croydon, through Banstead.

• 

  Banstead railway station

Nork Park

Nork Park is located to the south of the main residential area, bordering Tattenham Corner and Burgh Heath. It is recognised as an area of chalk grassland and has many rare and unusual flowers. It contains football pitches, playgrounds and a community centre, and is an important area for dog-walking. There are several car parks from which the park can be accessed. The Park is part the grounds of the old Nork House estate which was bought by the local council in 1947 from the landowner David Field.^[4]

Schools

Warren Mead Infant School and Warren Mead Junior School are in Nork.^[5] The Beacon School is located next to Nork Park, and was formerly known as Nork Park School. Residents are also likely to send their children to Sutton, Cheam, Croydon or Epsom for education.

Notable residents

• F. E. Colman, managing director of Colman's mustard manufacturers, bought Nork House in 1890 and lived there with his family until 1923. The remains of the house are visible in Nork Park, now a public recreation area.
• The comedian David Walliams grew up in Nork and was a lifeguard at Banstead Sports Centre.

See also

• List of places of worship in Reigate and Banstead

References

External links

• Surrey County Council
• Schools in Banstead

v t e Borough of Reigate and Banstead Towns, villages, neighbourhoods and hamlets Banstead Banstead Nork Woodmansterne Coulsdon Chipstead Hooley Netherne-on-the-Hill Epsom Tattenham Corner Horley Horley Redhill Earlswood Meadvale Merstham New Merstham St John's Salfords Redhill Whitebushes Reigate Flanchford Reigate Skimmington Sidlow South Park Woodhatch Tadworth Burgh Heath Kingswood Margery Mogador Mugswell Tadworth Walton-on-the-Hill Most notable parks Chipstead Downs Colley Hill Priory or Reigate Park Places of worship Church of Jesus Christ and the Wisdom of God, Kingswood St John the Evangelist's Church, Earlswood Education Aberdour School The Beacon School Chinthurst School Dunottar School for Girls East Surrey College Oakwood School Priory Preparatory School Reigate College Reigate Grammar School Reigate School The Royal Alexandra and Albert School St. Bede's School The Warwick School Transport Railway stations Banstead Chipstead Earlswood Horley Kingswood Merstham Redhill Reigate Salfords Tattenham Corner Woodmansterne Roads M25 M23 A23 A25 A217 A240 Buildings and structures Archway Theatre East Surrey Hospital Netherne Hospital Redhill Aerodrome Reigate Heath Windmill Royal Earlswood Hospital The Children's Trust, Tadworth Sport Banstead Athletic F.C. Chipstead F.C. Horley Town F.C. Merstham F.C. Redhill F.C. Reigate Priory F.C. South Park F.C. Places listed are articles notable as settlements, arranged by post town The two principal towns are emboldened The M23 motorway follows approximately a boundary and is chiefly included for its regional importance.