Living in Merstham

[millie82]

I would really appreciate some wisdom from fellow Mumsnetters! We are about to put an offer on a house in Merstham but I am slightly nervous as I don’t know the area all that well. We like Reigate (but we are totally priced out) and want access to the countryside. Merstham fits the bill and the house is lovely. We have two kids (18 months and 3). Is it a good place for kids? Are there decent nurseries there? Any tips and local wisdom would be much appreciated!

Which end of Merstham? The end closer to Redhill or the end closer to Hooley?
Unfortunately I can’t help too much regarding nurseries. There is lots of lovely outdoor space & it’s not too far from Reigate to take advantage of Reigate Hill etc.

Merstham is very mixed. There is the old part and newer council estate part. And then the are the 2 newer still estates Park 25 and Water Coliur built 15 years ago. There are lots of kids. There are 2 schools - Merstham Primary, which mostly serves the older part and Furzefield on the council estate. Both are categorised as Good. They will have different feels. Furzeffield is much bigger. Sorry I don’t know about nurseries beyond Furzefield has an attached one. There’s also LimeTree school now on the edge if Merstham. It’s been open a few years and has been there to pick up the growth in population from the building of Park 25 and Water Color. I haven’t known many go there, but people seem to like it. The secondary is very new and just expanding by starting with 1 year group who move up, so the school won’t be full for 4-5 years.

You’ve got 2 lots of shops, the parade of shops in the old part with a corner shop and a few other bits. On the estate there is a biggish Co-Op and a few shops and takeaways, built in the newer part of the estate which was recently regenerated.

Merstham is one if Surrey’s areas with the highest proportion of deprived residents. The population is very mixed and signifanctly more so than Reigate which is very affluent. That said, lots of families are very happy there. It depends if you see diversity as a positive thing or not whether you would like the community I guess.

I expect you know it has its own station and speedy links to LOndon Bridge/Victoria. It’s easy to get to Redhill or Reigate and that’s where people go for Secondary, although Lime Tree is opening a secondary now.

It is certainly more affordable than Reigate and at the cheaper end for Redhill, especially on the estate. Lots of families move there from other parts of Redhill and Reigate as you ge t a bit more for your money.

That’s so helpful thank you. We are looking at Old Merstham, near Quality Street.

That’s a nice area. It’s not far to Redhill or Reigate from there and you’ve got local shops. There are bits of Merstham with huge houses and the kids often go to schools like The Hawthorns, or Royal Albert and Alexander or Caterham school. Merstham as a whole is really very mixed and I’d imagine the various groups often do t actually mix that much.

I quite like it. We've looked at a couple of houses there. Some bits around Quality Street are VERY close to the M25/M23 or both. My daughter used to go to a gym club on the industrial estate. We weren't local but a lot of other parents were and the kids went to the new primary. They all seemed friendly. Some of the countryside nearby is lovely and the train connections are decent.

This is all really helpful thanks. Eurochick I agree it’s very close to the M25 but pollution levels look ok from the Earth Wise checker. I don’t mind diversity to be honest - we live in Tooting now and I enjoy the mix of people.

Yes, there exists the parts of Merstham where you can hear the motorway all the time, and depending on the wind direction it can be quite noticeable. However, you do get used to it. Some of the older very large houses are quite near (M25 built well after them) and people still pay £m for them quite happily. Bits of Merstham around Sheoherds Hill or Rockshaw Road or Spring Bottom Lane or between Mertham and Chaldon or Mertham and Bletchingly are pretty exclusive. They would all have motorway noise to varying degrees.

Near Quality Street or on London Road? That side and Nutfield Road area is "better" than the estate. Noise - A23/M23/5 and railway - may be an issue but most local areas face one such issue or another . Suggest you visit at different times to assess. Commuter parking also can be a problem in normal times so look for off road parking. Schools and nurseries are fine. Lime Tree is relatively new and popular.

Are you set on Merstham? If not and you are priced out of Reigate worth looking at Earlswood. Really nice community feel, Earlswood Lakes is lovely for walks and you can walk, cycle, bus/car to Reigate simply. 2 train stops further out from Merstham.

If you have firmly set on Merstham check out Pizza Project for great pizza!

I lived "on the estate" for 5 years. I really liked living there. It was our first home. No hassle from anyone, nice people, great Drs surgery and central to most things. I would recommend it

I too know people on ‘the estate’ who love it. They actively picked to go there rather than to Earlswood or the older part of Merstham. They love being part of a diverse community.

I think what suits you depends on you as a person. The estate is more gritty and there will be people with more needs, alongside professionals who are exactly the same as you’d see in all the other areas. If you want to be cocooned away from the wider range of society, then ‘the estate’ might not be for you, but lots of people prefer the bigger mix and also the better value houses you get.

I agree Earlswood which is south of Redhill is also a good family option and worth considering alongside Merstham.

This is all such helpful advice thank you. We went to Mertsham again today. I can hear the noise from the motorway but because it’s a consistent low hum, it doesn’t bother me. We remain keen! We are going to check out Earlswood next week.

We are Merstham-item!
It’s a great community and in my opinion more self contained than earlswood!
If you’re looking at quality street then you won’t go far wrong as you can walk all the way to reigate hill via the cricket club basically without crossing a road.
If you’re on Facebook have a look for the help in the ham Facebook group which will give you a clear idea of the community.

Schools wise from where you’re looking you’d be unlikely to get lime trees, but it’s a short walk to Merstham primary which is a lovely school. The head was new a couple of years ago and is absolutely fantastic.
Nursery wise there is a great onsite nursery at Merstham, and then also bramble house Montessori on rockshaw road. There is also first steps and kiddicaru.

Honestly I don’t think you can go wrong and I’m always surprised how affordable it is compared to nearby!

Also the local councillors are brilliant at advocating for residents (also true in earlswood!) which is a real bonus for me!

mangocoveredlamb Thanks for the lovely message. We went for a walk today in the (very mucky) cricket fields and we were struck by how friendly the locals were. I will check out the FB page.

@millie82 you’re v welcome! Hope you become a Merstham resident soon!! If you’re looking at the house I think you are (on quality street) it looks lovely, and in non covid times you’ll be set for the quality street fair in the summer!

I've lived in Merstham 11 years now and absolutely love it. I live on London Road South and happy to answer any questions. Bramly House Montessori nursery is incredible. I know people from Purley who travel down for it as so impressed. For schools Merstham Primary is mostly likely that end. State secondaries if you are a church attendee then St Bede's is probably your best bet. If not Royal Alexandra or Albert or the new Merstham Park school. Lots of private schools too which a fair amount of our end go to. Happy to talk more about schools, nurseries and anything else Merstham based via message. I have one in nursery and one at primary school. Lots of local Facebook sites too to see how great a community Merstham is.

My uncle has lived in Merstham for about 30 years and every time I visit I think it’s one of the loveliest places of that kind (I live in the West Country miles from any cities but if I lived near London, Merstham would be high up there on my list). Been to a couple of christenings and sadly a funeral in the church at the bottom of church hill. My cousin grew up there but he’s 27 now.

How is Reeds Meadow in Merstham?

Reeds Meadow is t really Merstham. It’s on an estate called Water Colour. It’s sort of between Merstham and Redhill. It’s quite large and really a community in its own right. It has a Tesco Express and you’d be unlikely to go into Merstham in terms if the estate or Old Merstham for basic amenities. You would for the station (or Redhill).

It is okay if you like modern estates. Although the properties have parking there can be parking issues as many houses have more cars than spaces. The roads are narrow and with cars parking it can get quite clogged.

I know Reeds Meadow. Thereare some good sized houses there…small gardens and again it can get clogged as many people have more cars and especially if visitors come it’s not always easy. However houses there are good value for the size.

Would agree with the above. Previously I'd have said the biggest issue is with getting to the station. Lovely walk to Redhill in Summer through the wetlands, winter I'd be more tempted to walk to Merstham. Now with so much home working though it's not so much of an issue at all. Definitely good value houses, small gardens but with the surrounding nature reserves it could be less of an issue. You should get one or two parking places, but may be tough if you have visitors over. I've not heard such great things in terms of management fees for the flats, so something to consider. There's a nursery there and you should get into Lime Tree School depending on location. Previously we wouldn't have considered it due to distance from the station, but would now with home working. There is a Watercolour Facebook page which you could join to ask further questions.

Thank you, that's really helpful. Do you know if there's a flood risk there?

Sorry but it's got the biggest drug problem in the area. There's a police site you can go to to check. Very few shops and the nearest next town is Redhill, which is only marginally better.
Maybe go south a bit to earlswood, or north to tadworth?

Thanks for the warning. We're looking at Earlswood too. So would you say it's nicer? We're going to visit the area tomorrow to get the feeling of the place.

I would totally ignore the comment about drugs. I've never once seen anyone selling or buying drugs in my 12 years of living here! Watercolour estate has ZERO drugs issues. The main estate around Portland Drive has had rumours of people selling drugs from flats but there's been around 3 busts in the time I've been here. It's individuals rather than a systematic problem. I'd be interested if the person posting about drug issues has ever lived in Merstham as that's not the Merstham I know!

By the way I've just looked at the crime map... On average the entire of Merstham including the Watercolour Estate has one drug instance per month. EXACTLY the same as Earlswood. On average Earlswood has a higher overall crime rating than Merstham according to the crime map the poster highlighted... www.police.uk/pu/your-area/surrey-police/merstham/?tab=CrimeMap