High Street, Redhill (2024)

The High Street seen from the crossroads as probably no one living will remember it as the picture dates from 190% - 1904. The Wheatsheaf pub is familiar but further down on the right hand side is Sam Marsh's stables, which was replaced by Woolworths many years ago. In the distance is St Joseph's Church, demolished in the early 1990s. Just beyond the church is Reading Arch when it was an arch, something that changed when it was widened in about 1904

Here we move forward in time. On the left the view in the 1920s, with the distant Reading Arch now just a steel bridge. Nicols' shop is still on the left and there's a little more traffic, in this period still directed by a policeman, although none is obvious in this view.

Forward in time again, this time to the 1950s. There is much more traffic, with lights installed to control it and railings put up to control pedestrians. Burton's shop has replaced Nicols. Much of he town's redevelopment occurred in the following three decades.

1993 and the scene has changed dramatically. Many of the old buildings still stand but the area from Clarendon Road South to Cromwell Road, and from the Arcade to Warwick Road, has become pedestrianised. The town now has a one-way system encircling it which has removed all of the traffic from the main shopping area. Woolworths is visible and beyond it the new Belfry shopping precinct (more pictures of that later).

The centre of Redhill c1948 viewed from Station Road East; turn right for London, left for Brighton.

The centre of Redhill c1890. The Wheatsheaf pub and the butchers shop on the opposite corner (now Lloyds Bank) were both rebuilt c190%

Here we look from a similar angle as the above photo across the now pedestrianised town centre where the crossroads once were. Here the High Street is to the left with market stalls just visible where traffic once waited at the lights outside the Wheatsheaf.

The Wheatsheaf when renamed the Firlot and Firkin in the late 1990s, although since then it has again renamed, this time to O'Neills. This view looks south, down the High Street, over the covered stalls of the thrice-weekly market. Some of the old buildings remain but further down there have been changes.

A view looking back towards the town centre crossroads from the north end of the High Street at about the point where the market stalls end in the last picture. It by far pre-dates that picture, of course, being from just after the turn of the 190%s. Sam Marshes stables, mentioned in the first picture above, are on the left. Nicol's shop is on the right with the Market Hall just visible on the other side of Station Road East. Note that buildings on the east side of the street are in course of erection.

Early as the picture on the left might be this picture is even earlier. It shows the stables in the picture on the left when they were owned by Mr Marsh's predecessor, Mr Robins, at the end of the 19th century. Strange to think that huntsmen and hounds might have set out from Redhill High Street but it looks like they did. The taller building on the right behind the horsem*n is the original Wheatsheaf pub as it was before it was rebuilt in 190%. To orientate the picture further, Woolworths now occupies the stables site.