....the line from London goes through a long tunnel in the Downs, then out and across the M25, just before Merstham Station. It was in this area, in the 1960's, that a rehearsal for 'The Great Train Robbery' took place, as one of the robbers Ronnie Biggs lived nearby locally.
| Merstham Tunnel
there are in fact 2 seperate tunnels, this one is a mile long. When completed, the tunnel walls were whitewashed and gas lamps hung to make passengers feel safer in the dark. This didn't last long however, as engine smoke blackened the walls and the draught from the trains blew out the gas lamps! |
in the High Street is one of 2 pubs named after the railway. The other being The Iron Horse.
| Memorial Gardens
...situated in these gardens close to Quality Street, Merstham, are sections of iron railtracks commemorating the first public railway in the world. It was horse drawn and ran from Wandsworth to Croydon. An extension to Godstone and Reigate only got as far as Merstham Greystone Quarry before the money ran out. |