Banstead is an English town in the county of Surrey. It's just 13 miles (21 km) south of London, and started life as a village. But where did all begin?

Some antiques and coins have been discovered that point to possible dwellings during the Roman period. In John Evelyn’s diary of 1658 he writes of Roman coins being discovered in what is now known as Banstead. However, there is no firm evidence of community life in Banstead until the Domesday survey of 1086 noted a community called Benestede under the control of Aethelnoth of Canterbury. This was during the reign of Edward the Confessor, and it is known that Aethelnoth was a leading Kentish theign during this period.

At the time of the Domesday survey Banstead had a population made up of 28 villeins, 15 cottars, and 7 slaves. Richard of Tonbridge lived in the manor, and there was a church, mill and woodland.

The King owned all Banstead’s land, and Odo (Bishop of Bayeux and half-brother to William the Conqueror) was the tenant-in-chief of estates that included the Manor of Banstead. He then sub-let this to Richard of Tonbridge who then further sub-let to his tenants. This was feudalism in action.

The ownership of Banstead’s manor has long seen it associated with royalty. Under the reigns of King John and King Henry III it was held by Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, and subsequently by Hubert’s son. Then in 1273 King Edward I acquired the manner, and it remained held by royalty, at times directly held by the crown, until 1536. From 1536 to 1762 it was owned by the Carews of Beddington, although this was interrupted for the 15 years following 1539 as a result of Henry VIII executing Sir Nicolas Carew. Edward I, II and III are all known to have visited Banstead Manor.

Banstead continued to grow during the Middle Ages and survived the plague. It started to gain popularity with Londoners because of the horse racing on the Banstead Downs, and the literary great Daniel Defoe was moved to write an exciting account of the races, “...the racers flying over the course as if they touched and felt not.” As well as horse racing Londoners flocked to see foot racing at the same location. Two other factors underpinned the growing popularity of Banstead – a reputation for clean air and delicious mutton.

With roads improving in the eighteenth century it started to become popular for Londoners to have country residences in the Surrey countryside, and Banstead was a popular choice. This was a catalyst for jobs, and by 1831 the population had reached 991 people. This was still a relatively modest village, and the growth to Banstead Town was yet of come.

Banstead grew as an agricultural community with country gentlemen owning large estates, their tenants farming the land, and at the lowest level the laborers doing the work. There were only a handful of people in the town making their living from outside the agricultural sector. As a laborer if you weren’t directly working on the land then you were engaged in some other tasks required by the landed gentry. With no water or rail connection, Banstead could only be reached by horse, and this was one of the factors behind its steady, rather than spectacular, growth. There were daily coaches to London.

It was once Banstead finally got a train station in 1859 that the town’s growth accelerated. Neighboring Epsom had already had a station by 1847 so Banstead was some way behind. By 1865 Banstead’s station was linked to London. Further signs of the town developing came in 1852 with the opening of a Church of England School and a local Metropolitan Police Station. The Victorian Era had set Banstead on the path to becoming a significant Surrey town.