Banstead is a well-to-do, semi-rural village in Surrey, located in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The neighbourhood is sandwiched between Chipstead and Nork, and Brighton Road runs through its centre, allowing those who drive to get directly from inner Croydon to Brighton. The sprawling Park Farm takes up the majority of the locality’s southern half, giving residents a great location for dog walking, and brings in tourists to its 2-acre campsite. Although a rural area, Banstead High Street has many amenities such as a public library, local shops, a supermarket, estate agents and solicitors. The local Banstead station provides direct access to central London, and, combined with its large detached homes, has made the neighbourhood incredibly popular with affluent commuters and families looking for an escape from the inner city.

Banstead parish village was counted under Wallington Hundred in the 1086 Domesday Book, though its earliest mention was in the Anglo-Saxon Charter of 967 during the reign of King Edgar. Banstead has long been known for its farms, that became famous for their high-quality wool, and its open space, which has historically been used for sports. Horse racing was one such sport and there is evidence of races dating back to 1625. The town became known for its ‘wholesome air’ and physicians even recommended a visit to their ailing patients. It stayed sparsely populated until the 19th century and the arrival of the rail, and it grew again with the post-Blitz rehousing projects following the Second World War.

Banstead Cricket club is one of Banstead’s few Club Mark accredited clubs, as well as the oldest, dating back to 1842.

The Amazing Spiderman actor, Andrew Garfield, was born and raised in Banstead.

Surrey County Council are planning to shut down 37 out of its 58 children centres including ones in Banstead. The closures were meant to save £200 million by 2021, but staff and parents were understandably concerned about the negative effects these closures would have.

Reigate and Banstead Council offers support to local businesses through their Business Support Grant, which provides up to £1,000 to businesses wishing to start, develop or grow. While no major developments seem to be happening in the neighbourhood, plans were recently unveiled for affordable extra care housing on the site of a former day centre in Banstead. The County Council is seeking a developer for the initiative and if completed it would provide around 50 one and two-bedroom flats on the site of the former Bentley day centre, with care and support on hand for residents if needed. Aside from this, development in the area is rather slow but normally takes on a scale, size and form that harmonises with the rest of the neighbourhood, more specifically detached and semi-detached housing.