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Reigate Area Guide

What's Happening in Reigate?

Places to explore, events to enjoy and insider knowledge from our local team

Local Events in Reigate

Reigate has long been known for its independent high street, historic parkland and strong community spirit, and its events calendar reflects all three.

Every Week
Mon

Tue
Reigate Library Groups
Wed

Thu
Reigate Market
Priory Park Walks
Fri
Everyman Screenings
Sat
Reigate Market
Reigate Priory Cricket
ParkPlay Priory Park
Sun
Reigate Hill Walks
Fortnightly

Guided tours of Reigate Caves run on selected dates throughout the year — booking recommended via the local heritage group.

Every Month

Library Coffee Morning

Reigate Library. A friendly community gathering, open to all residents.

Poetry & Writing Group

Reigate Library. Open to writers of all experience levels.

Library Craft Sessions

Reigate Library. Hands-on creative sessions for the local community.

Under-5s Play Sessions

Reigate Library. Regular sessions for young children and their carers.

Everyman Special Screenings

Everyman Cinema Reigate. Live broadcasts, classic films and family screenings throughout the month.

Priory Park Community Events

Priory Park. Outdoor concerts, charity fairs and family activities across the park calendar.

Annual Highlights
Jun
Jul

Reigate Summer Festival

A town-wide celebration bringing live music, street entertainment and family activities to the High Street and Priory Park, with local schools and community groups taking centre stage.

Dec

Reigate Christmas Lights Switch-On

The High Street comes alive with festive lights, carol singers and late-night shopping, drawing residents and visitors from across the borough.

Seasonal

French Market & Seasonal Fairs

Occasional Continental markets and seasonal fairs bring extra colour to the town centre, with artisan food, crafts and street entertainment drawing visitors from across Surrey.

For up-to-date listings of what is on in the area, visit reigate-banstead.gov.uk or visitreigate.com.

Places of Interest in Reigate

Leisure and Entertainment

The Everyman Cinema on London Road is one of Reigate's most popular leisure destinations, offering a boutique cinema experience in a beautifully restored building. Whether you are catching a new release, a live broadcast or a classic film screening, it has become a firm favourite for locals seeking something a little more special than the usual multiplex.

Priory Park sits at the heart of town life, with open lawns, a children's play area, a café and the historic Reigate Priory building at its centre. It hosts outdoor concerts, charity events and community gatherings throughout the year, and is where Reigate Priory Cricket Club plays its home fixtures — a beloved summer tradition for residents.

Reigate Leisure Centre on Priory Road provides residents with excellent sporting and recreational facilities, including a swimming pool and a broad programme of fitness classes and activities. It is a well-used community asset and a strong reason why Reigate consistently attracts active families and residents of all ages.

History, Heritage and the Outdoors

Reigate Caves are one of the town's most distinctive landmarks, a network of sand mines and tunnels beneath the town centre with a history stretching back centuries. Guided tours offer an unexpectedly memorable introduction to Reigate's past and remain one of the area's most unusual visitor attractions.

Reigate Priory, a Grade I listed building set within Priory Park, has roots dating back to the medieval period and today houses the Reigate Priory Museum alongside the park's wider grounds. It is a favourite escape for those who want history, green space and a sense of place without leaving the town centre.

Reigate Hill and the North Downs offer outstanding walking routes with panoramic views across the Weald and towards the South Downs. The hill is part of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, putting some of Surrey's most scenic countryside directly on Reigate's doorstep.

The Surrey Hills AONB extends well beyond Reigate Hill, offering outstanding walking, cycling and horse-riding routes across protected countryside. For residents who value the outdoors, this proximity to open landscape is one of the town's most compelling qualities and a major draw for buyers relocating from London.

Community and Shopping

Reigate's High Street is the commercial and social heart of the town, lined with independent shops, cafés and restaurants alongside a strong mix of well-known brands. The period architecture and pedestrian-friendly layout give the centre a character that many comparable Surrey towns have struggled to preserve.

The town's weekly markets run every Thursday and Saturday, offering fresh produce, street food and independent traders in a relaxed setting on and around the High Street. Occasional French Markets and seasonal fairs add extra variety to the retail calendar and regularly draw visitors from across the borough.

Bell Street and the surrounding lanes complement the main High Street with additional independent retailers, salons and specialist shops. Together they create a town centre that feels genuinely walkable and supports a strong local economy at a time when many high streets have contracted.

The Old Town Hall on High Street is a striking Victorian building that has become a landmark in its own right and hosts community events and private functions. Nearby, the Warwick Quadrant in neighbouring Redhill is easily reached by train for those who want theatre, a larger cinema or additional shopping options.

Food and Drink

Reigate has a genuinely varied food and drink scene for a town of its size. The High Street and surrounding streets support a good mix of independent restaurants, gastropubs and cafés covering a wide range of cuisines, sitting alongside familiar options for those who want them. The town centre is compact enough that most of it is within easy walking distance, which makes an evening out straightforward and relaxed.

The pub scene is a particular strength. Reigate has a healthy number of traditional pubs as well as newer bar-style venues, many with beer gardens that come into their own in summer. For something more formal, several well-regarded restaurants on and just off the High Street offer fine dining settings, while the Thursday and Saturday markets add street food traders to the mix on market days.

The café culture in Reigate is well established, with a number of independent coffee shops providing good alternatives to the usual chains. Priory Park's café is a popular choice for families and dog walkers, and the weekly markets regularly feature artisan bakers, cheesemongers and local producers alongside the street food offer.

Local Insights from Our Team

A town centre with genuine character

Reigate's High Street has retained an independent spirit that sets it apart from many commuter towns. Period buildings, a strong mix of local traders and a walkable layout mean that day-to-day life here feels more like a proper market town than a dormitory suburb. Buyers who prioritise atmosphere and community over pure convenience often find Reigate exceeds their expectations on first visit.

Connectivity without compromising on green space

Reigate station offers fast services to London Bridge and Victoria in around 50 minutes, with Gatwick Airport a short drive away. Yet Priory Park, Reigate Hill and the Surrey Hills are all within minutes of the town centre. That combination of commuter practicality and immediate access to open countryside is difficult to replicate at this price point in Surrey, and it remains one of the strongest reasons buyers choose Reigate over alternatives.

Schools that consistently attract family buyers

Reigate's catchment areas include several highly regarded primary and secondary schools, and the town's overlap with Redhill and Banstead gives families a wider pool of options than many buyers initially realise. For families weighing up where to put down roots, this breadth of choice is a significant factor, and one the Clarendons Reigate team regularly highlights to buyers who may not have considered the full picture at first glance.

Community life that runs year-round

The Reigate Summer Festival, Priory Park events, Reigate Priory cricket, the caves tours and the depth of the local markets calendar all point to a town that invests in its sense of place. This matters to a growing number of buyers who want more than a convenient commute. They want to feel part of somewhere, and Reigate delivers that in a way that genuinely surprises many first-time visitors.

Redhill, Banstead and the surrounding villages

Reigate sits at the centre of a wider area that includes Redhill, Merstham, Nutfield and Banstead, each with its own distinct character. Redhill offers additional retail and leisure options a few minutes by train, while villages such as Bletchingley and South Nutfield appeal to buyers seeking more space and a village pace of life without sacrificing connectivity. All remain well-served by Reigate's transport links and schools catchment.

If you would like to talk through any of this in more detail, the Clarendons Reigate team are always happy to share what they know. Get in touch and we will point you in the right direction.

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