Reigate Tunnel from the north

51°14′18.632″N 0°12′20.750″W / 51.23850889°N 0.20576389°W / 51.23850889; -0.20576389 Reigate Tunnel is a former road tunnel in Reigate, Surrey, England.[1][2][3] It runs under the hill that was once the site of Reigate Castle and was built during 1823, although some sources report that it only opened in 1824.[4] The narrow and short tunnel formerly carried the A217 road,[5][6] and is now pedestrianised.[2] It is grade II listed.[7]

History

The tunnel was designed by William Constable, the surveyor for the Reigate Turnpike Trust.[7][8] The tunnel provides a direct link from the High Street to London Road, reducing the distance between the two by 0.25 mi (0.4 km). Construction began in 1823 and required the demolition of two shops on the north side of the High Street.[8] The two portals were built with bricks made from the local Gault clay and the tunnel is lined with red brick in a stretcher bond.[7] The work was funded by John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers, through whose land it ran, and was completed in the summer of 1824. A toll post was erected at the southern entrance and tolls were levied for horses and horse-drawn vehicles. Pedestrians were not charged for using the tunnel.[8]

Tolls in 1824[8]
Vehicle typeToll
Coach with four horses6d
Coach with two horses3d
Chaise with one horse1+1⁄2d
One horse1⁄2d
Pedestrianno charge

In 1954, the tunnel was closed to southbound motor traffic[9] and was fully pedestrianised in April 1970.[2]

References

  1. ↑ O'Brien, Charles; Nairn, Ian; Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2022). Surrey. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 612. ISBN 978-0-300-23478-7.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Background Story of Reigate Tunnel". Reigate and Redhill Society. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Cole-Lomas, Lauren (8 July 2023). "The incredible tunnel that cuts through a Surrey town hall". SurreyLive. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Reigate Tunnel 200 Celebration". Reigate Business Guild. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Otter, R. A. (1994). Southern England. Thomas Telford. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7277-1971-3. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  6. ↑ Marshall, Chris (6 February 2010). "Reigate Tunnel". Roads.org.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Historic England. "The Tunnel (Grade II) (1241366)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hooper, Wilfrid (1979) [1945]. Reigate: Its story through the ages. Guildford: Surrey Archaeological Society. pp. 88–89. ISBN 978-0-90-396712-9.
  9. ↑ "David against the Philistines". Surrey Mirror and County Post. No. 4090. 17 December 1954. p. 9.
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