Does anybody live in/know Reigate, Surrey?

[dinny]

If so, what's it like? Seems lovely and we want to move there! Thanks Dinny

Reigate is a lovely place. I lived there for a while as a child and then moved back there when I finished Uni and lived and worked there for nearly 10 years. Met DH there, got married there, had DS there .... I miss it a lot (I live in NZ now).
The downsides are that the traffic is abysmal. Reigate is just off the M25 and if there is any kind of hold up on the motorway the whole of Reigate is snarled up for ages. We went back to Reigate earlier this year for my sister's wedding and after 3 and a half years in New Zealand I was tearing my hair out at the traffic!
The other downside is the price of property. Reigate is a very expensive place to buy. But if you don't mind traffic and you have lots of money then go for it
Schools are generally good, commute to London is easyish, amenities are good, shopping in Reigate High Street is better than it was 5 years ago (nice women's clothes shops). People can be a bit snobby (fair amount of private schools and people saying "Oh, I live in Raygate ... couldn't live in Redhill daaarling ...." )

If you need any info on schools let me know ('specially the private prep ones, as I worked at most of them )

ooh, thanks Ghosty. would driving from London (Clapham) to Reigate be hellish then?

Is Holmesdale Primary any good?

thanks again!

Holmesdale is an Infant School (Reception, Years 1 and 2) and is THE school to get into daaaarling! . It is a lovely school and feeds mainly to Reigate Priory School (Yrs 3 - 6) which is seen as being one of the best in the area. TBH, had we stayed in the area I would have loved to be able to move to the catchments for those schools. The catchment rules in both schools are very strict, if you aren't in catchment you won't get a chance basically. DH and I couldn't afford Reigate so we lived in Merstham which is down the road (and is a nice place too .... but not 'Raygate' )
If you were working in Reigate and commuting FROM Clapham then it would be easy ... against the traffic. If you work in Clapham and living in Reigate then I would get the train from Reigate, change at Redhill to Clapham (probably a 30 minute journey at the most). I probably wouldn't drive in rush hour from Reigate to Claphm to be honest.

it looks like a lovely school. we are going to be renting for a couple of years probably as not sure exactly where we want to be, so hopefully can get in the catchment for it...how do I found out the catchment area, ask the school?

hmmm, re commute - dh uses his car for work so would have to drive. how long do you reckon - 2 hours if no major probs?

It would depend on what time he left in the morning. I just asked DH and he reckoned that if it was just rush hour traffic with no major problems it would be between 1.5 hrs and 2 hrs.
I was a bit when he said that as that seems outrageous considering it would take about 30/40 minutes with no traffic (Sunday morning type traffic).
DH also just said, "Why are you advising someone on moving to Reigate when you live half a planet away?"
The joys of the Internet!!

he (dh) can travel outside rush hour a bit.

pmsl at your dh - it's so weird, isn't it, t'internet??

hey, what about playgrounds/kids things to do?

Reigate Priory Park is lovely ... duck pond, lots of green space and a good playground.
There are lots of places for walks ... Reigate Hill is fab ... Box hill (past Dorking) ...
Things to do ... lots of things like Brownies/Cubs groups, ballet classes (can recommend a good ballet school if you have girls who are into it ... or boys for that matter). Swimming pools, farms like Godstone farm and Bockets Farm ... ummmmmm ..... how old are your children.
BTW my nephew went to Holmesdale ... and is now at the Priory ... my SIL raves about it all.

my dd is 3 and my ds is 1. all sounds so nice - we were at Bockets Farm last weekend, as it happens.

Ghosty, is there an area you can think of that you'd like to live with your young children (and in catchment for Holmesdale)?? Um, and not too swanky, we're looking to rent 3-4 bed nice-ish but not amazing property!

really great to have such insider knowledge, thanks!

Now there's a question ... Hmmmm ...
All around Holmesdale school are nice roads really ... but could be on the swanky side tbh. I don't know what the rent you would be looking at is ... but Alma Road (where the School is) is nice, with a mixture of swanky and normal houses. All the roads off there are good too. Holmesdale Road itself (where the original school was) is very narrow and has a mixture of tiny cottages and bigger houses, but isn't practical for parking (DH and I rented two flats there over the years ... and parking was a shocker!)
On the other side of Reigate Hill (you are looking at a map while I am typing aren't you???) I think is still in catchment and there are some lovely road there ... nice looking 3/4 bed semis and detacheds ... that could be what you are looking for maybe?
I don't know what the catchment areas are ... you may need to ring the schools themselves and tell them that you are thinking of moving.
The Reigate Parish School (on Blackborough Road) is a lovely Infant School too ... and is also in catchment for the Priory. The houses around there can be pricey but they vary from big and posh to not so big and not so posh ...
Not being very helpful am I?

When I say "on the other side of Reigate Hill", I mean the road called that, not the actuall HILL IYSWIM?

Dinny, I am logging off now so won't be able to answer any more questions till later ... just wanted to say so that you didn't think I was ignoring you

Thanks, Ghosty - I must do some work now! Thanks for the info - may go for a little explore when later today.

We're not too far away ! Have lived here on and off for 15 years.

Generally Reigate is a lovely town. Much of it as Ghosty describes but there are also some less affluent areas (Woodhatch, area around Orchards school for example)where housing is cheaper. The town centre gets horrendously conjested at odd times of day and especially if there is a problem on M25. The A23 route up to London gets very slow in places but they are building some sort of flyover system around Coulsdon to ease that particular blackspot. A217 or A24 into South London might be preferable routes. Direct trian into Clapham occasionally goes from Reigate at peak times but regularly from Redhill.

How old are your children? The applications for next September's school intake probably closes at end of October so you would want to be in situ or have a firm address in the area by the October before your elder child would start to apply. There is a pamphlet issued by the LEA which lists all the schools and their firt choice applications vs capacity so you'll be able to see which are oversubscribed. Also gves you contact details for admissions and email addresses for each school.

There are lots of children's activities in the area too - Jo Jingles, Musictots, Stagecoach, Tumbletots to name a few and amenities such as a local cinema, with a theatre and sports centre in nearby Redhill. If you come down here and pop into a library, pick up a copy of the free Family Grapevine pamphlet (or even some supermarkets and baby stores have it sometimes, I think) which lists all sorts of handy info from Mums and Tots to schools, activities, doctors and so on (or let me know your details and I'll send you one next time I pass a library).

hth

oh, thanks, Lizs. great to read this!

we haven't even exchanged contracts yet so no way we can apply by end of this month. dd will be 4 in May 2006. will I not just be able to apply when we've moved, you think?

will CAT you my address, if that's OK, for the mag. thanks

The spaces get allocated around Christmas so you may want to contact the LEA now anyway for the booklet and then the schools you are interested in so that they are aware of you. However, I fear, if you miss the deadline you may find it more difficult to get a place at a school of your choice as you would probably be put on a waiting list unless it is a lower birth rate year where they all get undersubscribed. Cancellations do happen though so spaces could well come up for those on a waiting list - we didn't cancel our local school places until May when we finally resolved to send them private.

I'll await your CAT - could send you a local property paper too if you like (and tell you which letting agency to avoid !)

thanks, Lizs - will contact LEA but don't think we can do much until we've exchanged contracts (hopefull!)

will CAt you now - thanks again.

Hi Dinny, my SIL, Ghosty, thought it might help if I joined the chat!!! .... I live in Reigate and have done for 11 years. My ds has already been through Holmesdale and is now at the Priory and my dd has just started Year 1 at Holmesdale. You DEFINITELY need to get your school choices into Surrey now. Your dd will be eligible to start from Sept next yr. If you dont put Holmesdale as your first choice, unfortunately you dont stand a chance!!! .. its very, very popular. You can see their catchment area through the local East Surrey Council offices, which are now located in Lesbourne Road in Reigate. The maps will show you which roads over the past 4/5 years did and didnt get into the school. Unfortunately if a house in a local road got in one year, it is not a guarantee for the next year etc etc, as some friends have unfortunately experienced, although the roads very close to the school are a dead cert! As Ghosty says The Parish Church School is also very good and both schools are the main feeders into the Priory which is fab. I used to travel to Fulham by car every morning ... some years ago admittedly, but it wouldnt normally take me more than an 1 hr/1 hr 15 ..... please let me know if there is anything else that I might be able to help you with. Reigate is a great town, with loads to offer young kiddies.

I think you're definitely looking at a 2 hour commute from Reigate to Clapham. I used to do Streatham to Redhill (so just short either end and the opposite way to everyone else) using cut throughs and it still took me an hour every morning! The traffic is horrible anywhere near the M25, but the area is lovely.

Hello sis
Glad you could come and help Dinny ...
Any questions about Reigate, Dinny, JandMsMum's your woman ... she has her finger on the pulse there .... Oooooh, yes, she does

hey, thanks for all the advice and for getting your sil on the case Ghosty (hello JandMsmum)

Spookyserenity - thanks for that - did you use the M25 at all on your journey?

JandMsmum, our problem is that we haven't exchanged contracts yet (our buyer is having to refinance as can't sell their place, just had fall-through). We`are going to rent for the next couple of years (as ultimately going back to SW) SO....we don't know where we'll be at all. But tell me this, if you would, are there any crap primary schools in Reigate? dh reckons wherever we rent the school we get into will be loads better than our local schools atm. don't really think I can do anything till we exchange (wich could be 6 weeks away yet)

Got your CAT - will see what I can find .

Ohh, tough one, dont want to offend anyone!! .. but if I was going to go with the word on the grape vine ... if I had been offered Doversgreen or St Johns I would have been concerned .. the other primary is Wray Common, there are alot of mixed views on it, but it runs through until 11 unlike Holmesdale and the Parish, who only go up to yr 2, which is in its favour. You might want to have a word at the schools, and see what they suggest and where you stand if you move in after the close date, but are situated on their doorsteps! ... and Hi there Ghosty!!!

M25 - No, you shouldn't have to go on it at all, just over/under it! I went Streatham - Mitcham Common - Wallington - Coulsdon - A23 to Redhill. However whilst my roads were busy but moving, the opposite direction was normally pretty solid. Once you hit the outskirts of London traffic has a tendency to well.....stop!

I have also heard that Sandcross School (which is near Woodhatch) has improved immensely over the last few years. Probably heard that from JandMsMum ... They did have a terrible reputation when I lived and worked in Reigate but I think a bad OFSTED and a new Headteacher has turned it around ... but don't quote me on that!
My sister went last week to see Wray Common (her little girl will be 4 next August) and really didn't like it. We (my sister and I and our brothers) went there in the '70s and it wasn't great then either.
What about Brambletye, JandMsMum? Or is that private? Can't remember.

Has Orchards (infants) improved in the last few years - didn't it used to be known as South Park !