Sat at the foot of the illustrious green landscapes of the North Downs, just south of the M25 major urban transport link, sits the town of Oxted, Surrey. Now a major commuter town with direct links to London and other vital urban hubs across the southeast - Oxted has become a desirable locale for domestic and infrastructural development over recent decades. Once a small and scattered agricultural settlement, Oxted has grown considerably in scope and status. Dotted with grand luxury mansion properties priced at over £3 million to bijou townhouses - Oxted and its southerly edge are proliferated with a diverse array of houses with a diverse array of character.

With its name - Oxted - meaning ‘oak tree place’ in Old English, Oxted was historically a wooded agricultural centre. Although a small settlement, it was actually recorded over 200 years before the 1086 Domesday Book, in a 862 Anglo-Saxon charter where it was recorded as Acustyde. By the Domesday, it was written as Acstede. Most of the land was owned by the de Acestede family, until the middle medieval period in the 13th century, when the land began to divide and integrate. Much of Oxted’s suburban landscape throughout history was characterised by a dispersal of grand houses in amongst agricultural land - until the 19th century. The advent of the railway in Oxted prompted wide scale urban development to the locale. Arriving in 1884, the railway provided a unique opportunity for suburban expansion and already by 1851 Oxted had over 1,000 inhabitants! This number only grew with the development of the railway, until Oxted became well-known for its commuter town status.

To the south of Oxted’s old centre and new centre is Hurst Green, a locale with a similar story. Although being recorded much later - in the 16th century - however it was developed by local aristocratic manor houses that dotted the area. However contemporarily Hurst Green is known as the more suburban swathe of Oxted, and is heavily populated by commuters!

Due to the commuter population, Oxted is a popular locale for development - in particular housing and infrastructural development. Large-scale development is on the rise in Oxted. In late 2023 a 116 unit new housing development was announced for the land north of Oxted in contested green belt area - which has faced significant push back from residents and local councillors. However the development has over 46 homes designated as affordable housing, balancing the housing inequity widepsread across the locale. The south of Oxted is punctuated by recent developments nestled in amongst green spaces and open areas - meaning the potential for development is high!