For centuries, Banstead’s economy revolved around sheep. Its downland pasture was famous for producing “Banstead Mutton,” prized for its quality and even supplying wool to royal households. It stayed a small farming village right through to the late 19th century, when new roads and the arrival of the railway finally opened it up, though most of its rapid growth actually happened later, during the inter-war years of the 1910s to 1930s.

Random fact: Banstead’s name is thought to come from Old English for “bean place,” a nod to its long agricultural roots.