Horley is a town in Surrey, part of the borough of Reigate
and Banstead. It’s situated close to West Sussex, and in driving distance of
the towns Redhill and Reigate. It lies north of Gatwick Airport, and enjoys fast
connections into London. Horley is twinned with another town called Vimy –
which is located in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Officially a commuter
town, it has a population of more than 22,000, and roughly 30% of its residents
work locally.
Horley has a history dating back to Saxon Times. In the 17th
century, the town consisted of three hamlets and had a large open common. In
1809, two new roads were introduced to the town in a bid to increase links to
Gatwick and London. Shortly thereafter a train station was built, and, since
then, Horley’s population has grown considerably.
Today, Horley is a busy commuter town with various business
parks. It has a large high street, full of shops and boasts a number of
attractions. Popular sites include the Gatwick Aviation Museum, Priory Park and
the Redhill Aviation Flight Centre. For a memorable stage production, visit the
Archway Theatre, and, for nature, look no further than the British Wildlife
Centre – located in nearby Lichfield. Other places worth seeing are Tilgate
Park and Tulleys Farm – both of which are commuting distance from Horley. Horley
is also known for its sport. It’s home to Horley Town F.C., and also boasts a
hockey club, cricket club, tennis club and bowls club.
Horley is covered by a number of Metrobus routes which link
to Redhill, Crawley, East Grinstead, Three Bridges and Caterham. Horley Train
Station is the town’s main train station and sits on the Brighton Mainline. From
Horley, you can catch a train to Horsham, Bedford and Peterborough. The closest
airport to Horley is Gatwick Airport, at roughly two miles away.
Make your trip to Horley worthwhile with a stay in a
SilverDoor serviced apartment – of which there are several in the town.
