Reigate's horses

Visitors to Reigate might be unaware of its equine history. There isn't a single horse or even a donkey alive in the central part of the town nowadays, whereas there were several at the stables in Reigate's Priory Park as recently as forty years ago.

There is actually a rather high class wooden rocking horse which has been used as the symbol for Reigate Priory Museum since it was founded in the 1970s. The museum is open during school term times on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and additionally for special occasions such as Heritage Weekend in September each year. At the top of the grand staircase is the rocking horse which used to belong to Mr Clifford Price, former headmaster of Holmesdale School and Reigate Priory School. It was adapted from a fairground horse.

The unique notebook illustrated is one I had made as a gift for CHASE children's hospice.

This second photograph shows the 2010 remains of the beautiful old thatched stables looking from Park Lane with the Priory Park and hills in the background. This is where Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited many of her champion racehorses who were trained here over the years. Surrey County Council is responsible for the site. My mother wrote in her book, Discovering Reigate Priory: "In 1997 the buildings were sold for conversion into desirable homes" but there have been no signs of developments since then except decay, neglect and arson.

Reigate Priory's ancient horse ponds were just by the new Pavilion, (now covered up); 6 strong horses were needed to pull carriages up Reigate Hill; do you know about the famous Reigate Mare, or a horse called Plowman which had won the Prince's Plate at Newmarket, the hunting horse that was so admired by King Louis XV that it was given to him, and Reigate's American Countess Beatty who loved to hunt?

Horse chestnuts in the park

Dear Reigate and Banstead Borough Council,


May I please bring to your attention the text on your leaflet obtainable from the Pavilion.

"Tree number 13: Horse Chestnut - Aesculus hippocastanum arrived in Britain in the 17th Century. The name derives from the inside of a conker shell that is shaped like a horses hoof."

Would you please let me have the source of that information and get it corrected.

As a biologist educated by the great tree expert, Professor Alan Gemmell, I cannot accept an explanation that a conker shell is shaped like a horse's hoof! Was this an April Fools joke or a Spot the Deliberate Mistake game?

Some accurate and logical explanations for children and adults alike are given here: http://www.boxvalley.co.uk/nature/sns/wad60/w60-13.html.
with references and photographs of the horseshoe leaf scars.

1.
"The name refers to the nuts being fed by the Turks to ailing horses."

2.
"As a primary school teacher, the explanation I have used most often is the shape of the leaf scar ..."

In view of the fact that Reigate Priory was home for centuries for numerous horses of the highest quality and their famous breeders, I am currently writing an article about this for publication on the internet and as a chapter for a book. So I look forward to hearing that you are going to amend the text and consider scrapping the remaining leaflets. I shall keep my copy as a souvenir however.


Thank you.

Grace Filby (Ms)
Former Head of Science and Head of Special Educational Needs at Reigate Priory Junior School.


All photos and text on this site are copyright Grace Filby 2009-2010 except where credited and referenced accordingly.