Nestled in the middle of Dorking and Reigate, flanking the western edge of the swathes of heathland dominated by the Reigate Heath, sits the village and civil parish of Betchworth, Surrey. Built around the banks of the River Mole, Betchworth’s heart is tinted with the semi-rural idyllicism of the river front and the green North Downs. Located in the Mole Valley, Betchworth’s combination of semi-rural landscapes and urban connectivity has maintained its desirable status for many years - with many homes in the area selling in excess of £1.2 million!

Similar to its western neighbour Reigate, there is much archaeological evidence to suggest that Betchworth has been a site of human settlement for thousands of years. Particuarly in Betchworth’s Common Field, evidence of multi-period activity from the Late Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age was uncovered - including golden rings! Whilst there was a small Bronze Age settlement here, it wasn’t until the medieval period that Betchworth began to develop as a village. Developed in an L shape around the 11th century St Michaels church, Betchworth began to expand as the chalk and lime quarrying industrial practice developed from throughout the 1600s, growing exponentially in the early 1800s. Nowadays, the large disued chalk and lime quarries of Betchworth have been transformed into a 27 hectare nature reserve adjoining to the North Downs!

Although a rural local dominated by larger country homes and Victorian period properties, The wider housing market throughout the Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has developed and diversified hugely as of late. As recently as 2023, a 12 unit affordable housing unit in next-door Bookham won an Almshouse Association award for its unparralleled commitment to social housing need and incredible community-focused design!

Part of the MVDC, the local council is currently still preparing its adopted local plan that will designate specific areas of development across the council - focusing particularly on constructing affordable housing units. As the plan is currently underway, it is difficult to say which areas of Betchworth and the wider MVDC area will receive the most allocations for housing and infractural provisions. However, several new luxury homes have been constructed in the local Betchworth area and it is likely that the MVDC will designate even more infrastructural resources to the Betchworth locale!