Earlswood
Encyclopedia
Earlswood is a town in Surrey
to the south of Redhill
. The census area Earlswood and Whitebushes
has a population of 8,234. The town lies on the A23
between Redhill and Horley
. Other neighbouring settlements include Salfords
, Nutfield
and Reigate
.
Earlswood was home to the Royal Earlswood
psychiatric hospital until its closure in 1997 and to the Royal Philanthropic Society
's reform school from 1849 until 1988.
The town is served by Earlswood (Surrey) railway station
with trains running from London Bridge/London Victoria to Horsham hourly. The station previously had a third platform which gave access to the Royal Earlswood Hospital.
Nearby is Earlswood Common, with two artificial landscaped lakes called Earlswood Lakes, which are used for recreational purposes. The upper lake used to have a kiosk and boats for rent. The lower lake had a diving platform, a paddling pool and was used for summer swimming. Members of the Christian Science Church used the lake for all year swimming and broke the ice in winter. The lower lake has a concrete bottom and was used in World War I
to test the ability of primitive tanks to cross flooded landscapes. Today the common is used as a golf course.
When the new road between the Earlswood Common and the London to Brighton railway was cut there is a claim that traces of a Roman villa were discovered. No evidence has since been located. The area south of the common known as Whitebushes was formally a wilderness; it contained many clay pits that may be linked to the reputed Roman remains. Whitebushes in more recent times was the location of the Jordan Fever Hospital and the Burnham Brickworks. Both are now housing estates.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
to the south of Redhill
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
. The census area Earlswood and Whitebushes
Whitebushes
Whitebushes is a small town in the Surrey borough of Reigate and Banstead. It is composed entirely of the housing estate of the same name. Its lies just south of Redhill. It lies on the opposite side of the railway from a town which has no specific name, but is usually called South Earlswood or...
has a population of 8,234. The town lies on the A23
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
between Redhill and Horley
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...
. Other neighbouring settlements include Salfords
Salfords
Salfords is a village in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It lies approximately 3 miles or 5 km south of Redhill on the A23 London to Brighton road. It was the original UK home of the Monotype Corporation and Salfords railway station was originally built to service the...
, Nutfield
Nutfield, Surrey
Nutfield is a village and civil parish in the Tandridge district of Surrey. It has a population of 2,728The village lay within the Reigate hundred....
and Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
.
Earlswood was home to the Royal Earlswood
Royal Earlswood Hospital
The Royal Earlswood Hospital or The Royal Earlswood Asylum for Idiots in Redhill, Surrey was the first establishment to cater specifically for people with learning disabilities...
psychiatric hospital until its closure in 1997 and to the Royal Philanthropic Society
Royal Philanthropic Society
The Royal Philanthropic Society had its origins in the St Paul's Coffee House in London in 1788 where a group of men met to discuss the problems of homeless children who were to be found begging and stealing on the streets. The Society began by opening homes where children were trained in cottage...
's reform school from 1849 until 1988.
The town is served by Earlswood (Surrey) railway station
Earlswood (Surrey) railway station
Earlswood railway station serves Earlswood, south of Redhill, in Surrey. It is on the Brighton Main Line, south of the junction between the 'Redhill line' and the 'Quarry line'. Train services are provided by Southern.-History:...
with trains running from London Bridge/London Victoria to Horsham hourly. The station previously had a third platform which gave access to the Royal Earlswood Hospital.
Nearby is Earlswood Common, with two artificial landscaped lakes called Earlswood Lakes, which are used for recreational purposes. The upper lake used to have a kiosk and boats for rent. The lower lake had a diving platform, a paddling pool and was used for summer swimming. Members of the Christian Science Church used the lake for all year swimming and broke the ice in winter. The lower lake has a concrete bottom and was used in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to test the ability of primitive tanks to cross flooded landscapes. Today the common is used as a golf course.
When the new road between the Earlswood Common and the London to Brighton railway was cut there is a claim that traces of a Roman villa were discovered. No evidence has since been located. The area south of the common known as Whitebushes was formally a wilderness; it contained many clay pits that may be linked to the reputed Roman remains. Whitebushes in more recent times was the location of the Jordan Fever Hospital and the Burnham Brickworks. Both are now housing estates.