A Surrey town has been named as one of the most popular amongst Londoners – and people are flocking there. Redhill has placed top five for its conveniently short trip to London, and pretty market town.
With a train station right in the centre of the town, and excellent green spaces including parks and heathlands, Redhill is a great spot to settle down if you like the best of both worlds.
Down From Londoners (DFL’s) are choosing Redhill and Guildford over anywhere else in Surrey, according to ukphonebook,com. 15,470 people moved from London to Redhill since 2020, the pandemic likely influenced the need for more outdoor space.
While Surrey is certainly quieter, and greener than central London, it’s not the most tranquil if you choose to live next to the town centre. However, it’s got everything you could possibly need and is very well connected.
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Redhill is a bustling community, boasting plenty of attractions and things to do, right on your doorstep. It’s like a taste of London was picked up and plonked in the countryside. Typical train journeys to London Victoria take 45 minutes.
Drivers can get on the M25 at junction 7, which can be joined in just 13 minutes from Redhill. It’s also right next to the M23, which takes drivers just 17 minutes down to Gatwick airport.
There’s no need to travel too far for an evening out about town, with The Harlequin Theatre and Cinema and Everyman Reigate, movie buffs are in their element. The theatre is right next to the train station, easy to pop in while travelling back from a long day in the city for some evening entertainment.
Plenty of pubs to choose from can be found in Reigate, all with excellent reviews. The Black Horse, The Bull’s Head and the Blue Anchor are all popular choices for a good drink and a pub dinner in the town.
For cocktails and live music, the Ivory Lounge has it’s very own in house band, and a dance floor. Similarly, The Cage Wine Bar kicks off the weekend early on Thursdays with £6 cocktails, followed by live music on Friday and Saturday nights, if you feel like letting your hair down.
Redhill’s history dates back to well before Victorian times when the rail line between London and Brighton being an integral part of its development. Trains to Brighton take just 43 minutes, making a day out to the beach really easy.
The high street has been pedestrianised, with a market street and two small shopping centres. Big name brands can be found in Reigate like Oliver Bonas, H&M, Jigsaw, and boutique shops such as Reloved, Sollo London and Gerrads.
For families, Redhill has a long list of highly rated schools to choose from. According to the Locrating, Coulsdon C of E Primary School, Hillcroft Primary School, Reigate School and St Bede’s School are top rated and have facilities for children of all ages.
Located in The Valley of Holmesdale, between the North Downs and Greensland Ridge, there’s lots of breathtaking views and countryside to explore outside of Redhill. The Weald Clay found in this spot was dug to make bricks used in building the Priory and Church.
There are lots of lovely places to go for a stroll, like in Gatton Park, Priory Park, and even the North Downs Way. Parts of the ancient Reigate Castle, more than 1,000 years old, with Folly ruins and grounds still remaining. Beneath the castle lies a secretive network of caves, which can be explored by booking tours.
Those interested in moving to Reigate, can be expected to pay around on average £488,362 for a property. According to Rightmove, flats cost roughly £255,413 and terraced properties cost £411,746.
The UK’s most popular commuter towns
| Rank | Destination | Total moved from London since 2020 |
| 1 | Chelmsford | 19,327 |
| 2 | Tonbridge | 16,526 |
| 3 | Guildford | 16,360 |
| 4 | Redhill | 15,470 |
| 5 | Hemel Hempstead | 13,422 |
| 6 | Medway Towns | 13,112 |
| 7 | Brighton | 12,271 |
| 8 | Southend-on-Sea | 11,286 |
| 9 | Reading | 10,676 |
| 10 | Slough | 10,130 |
ukphonebook.com used a variety of data sources, including Land Registry house price sales and postcode data. They combined these various publicly available sources to provide a highly detailed search function. They also have access to historical data, so can see which people lived in a London postcode in 2022 and 2020, and where those same people live today.
Outside of the home counties, the most popular destination for people moving out of London was the West Midlands with 12,660 moves. Greater Manchester also made the top 10 with nearly 10,000 people heading north in the past three years.
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