History of Sidlow

SOME STORIES OF SIDLOW PARISH and NEARBY Sidlow appears to be named after Sidilufu, a Saxon woman who owned a Mill at Sidlow. The Mill was important as Sidlow then belonged to the Manor of Banstead and there was no mill elsewhere. By the time the roads were improved in the 1770s the mill had disappeared. There seems to be no trace now, but it was on the north side of the present bridge and maybe the channel under the north arch is a remnant of the mill stream. The Weald, which really began after Sidlow Bridge was a very rural area, the heavy clay made it difficult to farm and the roads were described in 1697 as very ruinous! In those days the road from Reigate to Crawley turned right at Sidlow Bridge and ran along what is now Ironsbottom Lane and then over Horse Hill to Hookwood, Povey Cross and Crawley. To improve matters a Turnpike Road was constructed from Sutton to Crawley, the new straighter section to Hookwood from Sidlow was opened in 1775. This was shortly followed by the construction of the original suspension bridge at the top of Reigate Hill and Reigate Tunnel which opened in 1823. There are still milestones one near the Beehive post box and several to the south, one just below Sidlow Church reads Reigate 2 3/8, Crawley 6 5/8. Originally there was an inn on the top of Horse Hill, the Black Horse, now Horse Hill Farmhouse. It is said that because of the steepness of Horse Hill extra horses were needed to pull coaches and carts up the hill, these were probably kept at The Black Horse or Lincoln Lodge opposite which had stabling and a dew pond for drinking and cooling cart wheels. The Black Horse was moved and a new one built as now at Hookwood when the turnpike opened. Horse Hill may have been named because of this but an old map describes it as Horfe Hill. There was a toll gate at the Black Horse which was rebuilt with new inn, there was also one near the former Angel at Woodhatch. Emmanuel Church was opened in 1861, formerly there was no nearby church. It was built on land donated by the owner of Kinnersley Manor. It was provided and funded by the owners of nearby estates for their employees to worship, that included the provision of the large Rectory opposite. The estates of Kinnersley Manor, Bures Manor and Hartswood appear to have been the main benefactors. The attractive lych gate was built after the Ist War by Henry Lindsey-Renton of Dovers as a memorial for the preservation of those of his family who survived the 1st War and for others of the parish who died. There is one war grave from the 1st War, a soldier who came home wounded and died at Kinnersley Manor. The original school was a wooden building built in 1865 just north of Sidlow Bridge, it remains as a fine thatched house. A new larger school was built along Ironsbottom and opened in 1896. It closed in 1969 but remains as a special SCC School. Much of that land to the north of Ironsbottom bordering the Mole from West Cottages and Rosemary Farm to the bridge was later in the possession of Peters, butchers in Meadvale. There was a slaughter house behind their shop and they probably used the land to graze and fatten cattle to herd up the main road to their end in Meadvale as required. Also on Ironsbottom Lane are Brickfield Cottages, probably because the heavy gault clay behind was extracted for brickmaking. Further down, the original Three Horseshoes is said to be about 250 years old. Beyond was a smithy, near to now Tudor Barn and very necessary for all the horse traffic. Ironsbottom may have been named because of the smithy or because ironstone was said to have been extracted from the heavy land behind. On the north side of Ironsbottom was the original Old WI hut. It was constructed in 1926 and given by the Lindsey Renton family of Dovers on land of the Charrington Estate. It was condemned and closed in 1974 and the WI transferred to the newly constructed Upper Room in Emmanuel Church. At the time of its closure it still only had an Elsan toilet and also gas lights like West Cottages adjoining. It is said that Sidlow children traditionally bathed in the then cleaner Mole in shallows to the north of that WI Hut. Nearby is Hope Cottage, at least 200 years old and formerly known as Waterlands. It was an outfarm of Bures Manor. The lodge gate and drive to Bures Manor are further west. Bures Manor and estate have been in the possession of the Charrington family since 1622 and is much older in origin. Because of the General Strike in 1926 a village shop was opened in a hut opposite the Three Shoes on land loaned by Mrs Charrington at her suggestion. It is not clear how long it traded for but the lady who ran it is said to have come with some stock each day on her bicycle! Continuing towards Horse Hill is Wolvers Hall with former farm - the house was rebuilt in 1901. It is named because wolves were seen roaming around the original estate! Further towards Horse Hill is Crutchfield Lane which leads to the former Duxhurst farm village. The Duxhurst names comes from an original landowner Peter de Duxhurst who was given it by Chertsey Abbey. In 1904, Lady Henry Somerset of Reigate Priory bought the manor house and farm of Duxhurst and founded an Industrial Farm Colony for Inebriate Women. Lady Somerst spent her time for the welfare of alcoholic women, who she saw lives broken in London. The new village was a series of thatched cottages with up to 50 women and later as well 32 orphans. There was a chapel St Mary and the Angels, very colourfully decorated. It was in part a hospital for wounded soldiers during the Ist War, as was Bures Manor it is believed. After Lady Henry’s death in 1921 the colony seemed to decline and became just a home for women. It was closed and sold by 1936. After use in the 2nd War it was largely demolished. The foot print of the chapel just about remains. The font and other sacred treasures still exist in Emmanuel Church. At the far bottom of Horse Hill is what was Wrays Farm. Formerly it was in the ownership of an interesting farmer Miss Alfreda Withers. She had a farm and diary, Wrays Farm Dairy with yellow vans that delivered milk in glass bottles locally. She also owned Sidlow Farm and much of the land between, she lived in Crutchfield Lane. The parish was quite affected by the 2nd World War. In 1940 at the time of fear of a German invasion a line of defence GHQ Line was built to the south and east of London and further afield. Here the River Mole was the main component. The north banks of the river were raised and steepened to resist tanks. A line of pillboxes was constructed. There were about 25 to the north of the river between Sidlow and Flanchford Bridges. Many still remain and one at least, over Sidlow Bridge to the east is listed. The Home Guard were tasked with patrolling the line, presumably before the pillboxes were manned in event of invasion. During the war the remaining Duxhurst Village was used as a military centre and later as an Italian civilian internment camp. Locals remembered the Italians helping in the fields and were said to be quite friendly. The original WI Hut hosted weekly dances @ 1/6d and soldiers in uniform @ 1/0d. Presumably there were guards at Duxhurst and many Canadian soldiers were posted at Duxhurst and in the Reigate area. The East Surrey Traction Company ran a bus service through Sidlow, route 24, at least from 1929. It ran from Reigate via Duxhurst or Ironsbotton to Horley, East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells. This later became the 424 of London Transport and into the 1980s was running hourly up till 11pm. The service declined and ceased some years ago. Fortunately the building of Westvale Park, just outside Sidlow Parish, generated a new 424 and 422 which now serve at least Sidlow Bridge fairly often. In 1972 main drainage was connected in Ironsbottom and later extended to the end of the Lane. In 1975 street lamps were installed. At the far end of the Lane was Sidlow Garage, now Reigate Motors, and managed by Claude Woods and later his family, it also comprised The Instant Service Station down the main road beyond now Moat Farm. Nearby were two Police Houses, now Colley View. Until perhaps the late 90s one was occupied by Sidlow’s own Policeman, who patrolled on his bicycle for the safety of residents. The Three Horseshoes Inn, which up to the 1980s had Public and Private bars, a private room at the back and an outside tar wall Gents, sadly closed at the end of 2018. Sidlow was formerly part of Dorking and Horley Rural District. Due to Government reorganisation in 1974, Sidlow residents voted in a referendum to stay in what became Mole Valley or join with the new Reigate and Banstead. Hence Sidlow now being a joint Parish with Salfords for the time being? My thanks to the wise thoughts of many former and current Sidlow residents and much local legend. Also to : Sidlow Bridge WI the last 50 years 1976, Emmanuel Church History 2011, Norwood Hill through the ages 2022, Discovering Reigate Priory 1998, Duxhurst, East Surrey’s Lost Village 2011, East Surrey by Bell Street 1974 and more. MDK 8/25.